Tea Every Day

Today's photo a day in May is "something I do every day".  Every morning I make a pot of tea, usually English Breakfast tea combined from various sources since I haven't found one I absolutely love.  I used to drink Indian Breakfast tea, my favorite, but I am no longer able to buy it.  I always use this teapot, a china one from PortMerion's Botannic Garden collection.  However, I rarely use a cup and saucer (although I have quite a collection), and alternate my choice of mug.  The two here are my most recent favorites.  I like the one that has "Tea" stamped all over it, but the wide mouth allows the tea to cool too quickly (I drink mine with milk, not sugar), so I've gone back to using the smaller one.  The red tin with "Keep Calm and Carry On" has English Breakfast tea in it, also.  (It's kinda weak, so I don't use it very often, but I love the tin.)  Once I've had my first cuppa, I decant the rest into the carafe (the white Palm one in the pic) so that I can enjoy a cup throughout the day.  A couple of years ago, I would drink two or three cups, and then have to toss the rest because I don't like microwaved tea.  Then I remembered I used to decant tea years ago, but had stopped when the last carafe had broken and I couldn't find a suitable replacement.  They seem to be available more today.  I love tea.

May 9

Men At Work - Who Can It Be Now (1981)

Levon Helm & John Hiatt - The Weight

Someone who inspires me

Monday.  Still not myself, although I think the stomach bug is gone.  Yay!  Today I was mostly sleepy, tired.  Did very little.  Didn't mow; dang!  It rained late this afternoon, so now I don't know when I'll be able to mow.  Pretty soon the backyard will be so high I'll need a machete to cut it down!

Today's photo suggestion was "someone who inspires you".  No brainer for me -- Richard.  Here's his pic --the only one we ever had done professionally.  Both of us being amateur photographers never bothered to get our pictures taken by anyone.  Too bad.  

Thank you for nearly 36 wonderful years, sweetheart.  I miss you.

Sunday evening.  Quite a day.  Started off really, really sick (sick all day yesterday); guess it was the stomach bug going around.  I didn't know one was until I turned the tv on and heard some baseball player telling the interviewer about guys being out of the game the last few days due to a stomach bug.  Wow!

I didn't go to church.  I was up soooo early, but I was sooo sick.  Just couldn't do it.  Then, after I'd just made tea about 1 pm, my niece called and said she wanted to come up and bring my sister (my only one living).  I was so excited until I remembered I had a dinner to attend tonight.  (I really didn't want to go because I was so sick.)  Told my niece about the conflict, but she said she wanted to drive up anyway (1 1/2 hrs away).  Yay!

The visit was wonderful.  My sister rarely leaves her house except to go to the drs, so I was so happy my niece brought her up (her niece, also, not her daughter -- that's another story).  Made my sis coffee and my niece drank my tea, of course!  Gave them English muffins, too.  Love them!

We had a wonderful visit -- too short, though.  It was wonderful to see them both.  My sister looked absolutely beautiful -- her hair is back to its natural medium brown (she always lightened it to blonde) and she looked really great for 77.  My niece looked beautiful, too.  She's lost a lot of weight (well, not really a good thing, she's been having problems for which she is going to have surgery soon).
After they left, my friend, Susan, and I went to our dinner, the Women Transcending Boundaries (WTB) International Dinner.  I really didn't want to go, and wouldn't you know it, I had a wonderful time.  Saw so many wonderful women who were genuinely happy to see me.  Had some great conversations, caught up on the replacement operations (Darryl had both her hips replaced in March and she was quite agile tonight!).  Betsy had her left knee (same one I need replaced) replaced last year and she told me to get mine done!  She's so much happier because of hers.  Really encouraging!  So glad I went for so many reasons.  Not the least of which, the food was asolutely delicious. 

Actually feel so much better tonight.  Thank you, God, for such a wonderful day.  I am so grateful.

Photo a day in May

Here's my first photo.  I'm going to backtrack and post five more for the previous five days, though.  I'm really excited about this project.  Joined Fat Mum Slim's May Photo a Day challenge.  Yay!

Happy Spring!  The sun is shining here today.  Yay!  Just did my first link with another blog.  Cool.  Still dealing with grief.  Can it really be over 9 years now?  Sigh.  Lost my male Lhasa Apso, Ming, last July.  (The picture here is of Sian, my female, and the one on the right is of them both -- Ming is on the right in that picture.)  Tough.  He was pretty sick the last year, so it was easier to say goodbye, but still painful in the end.  I miss both my wonderful pals.  Now, there's just Nero and Shadow, a cat who came for a visit (friend relocated) and stayed.  Being two males, and Nero not liking to share me, they fight pretty much everyday.  Really wish I could find a new home for Shadow.  He's a wonderful, intelligent Chartreux, who's a little leery of people until he develops trust.  He still loves to play!

Well, off to Tai Chi.  Last class until May.  Boo hoo!  It is more challenging than it looks, and it really gives you a workout.  I've truly enjoyed learning and practicing it.  So much, I'm looking into another class elsewhere, in addition, but haven't heard back yet.   Fingers crossed!

Enjoy your day.  Hope it's as beautiful as ours is because it makes one feel so alive!