Cairn Cottage: Poetry

Well, it's been a long few weeks, so I haven't posted here in a while, again. Unfortunately, when my schedule gets too busy, this blog is what gets let go. I guess some things just must take precedence to writing about cottage life, teatime, and my outfit posts. Today I'm stopping for a bit of tea...

The weather here has been so fickle (for Indiana, that's not uncommon, though). Last week we had our first snowfall (just a light dusting). Over the weekend we held up under the storm front and multiple tornadoes that surged through most of the Midwest. Check out my post over at "Christ in the Clouds". I got this photo of a double rainbow over the lake. It's a bit blurry, but I didn't even think my camera was working right at the time I took this, so I am happy to have this picture.

I'm finally finding some time to relax again and enjoy teatime by myself, something I cherish. This "alone time" allows me to unwind and spend time in the Bible/communing with the Lord!

“Tea should be taken in solitude.”

― C.S. Lewis, Surprised by Joy

The large owl is also a cookie jar. The lid is the owl's head and is removable. (Now, that's really losing his head!)

“There is something in the nature of tea that leads us into a world of quiet contemplation of life.”
― Lin Yutang, The Importance Of Living

I even tried a new recipe - Mississippi Tea Cakes. They're quite simple to make(I had all the ingredients already in my pantry/fridge.) and they are really delicious! I made half of mine with the regular ingredients and with half, I added a mixture of sugar/cinnamon.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 cup white sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 cup buttermilk(substitution: 1/4 T. lemon juice added to 1/4 cup of milk)

Directions:

1.	Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets.
2.	In a medium bowl, cream together butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in egg and vanilla. Combine flour, baking powder, and baking soda; beat into the creamed mixture alternately with the buttermilk. Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto prepared cookie sheets.
3.	Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

I still love having teatime with friends, too! Unfortunately, our church decided not to have their annual "Ladies Tea" this year, as we have done for many years. There were several reasons behind this, but I do hope they return to having it next year! I will definitely miss seeing the more than 80 tables, each personally decorated for teatime, the wonderful music and speakers that would also be a part of the afternoon, and the delightful women and young girls (over 600 in one room!) that would gather together.

Maybe I will try to have a few friends over for tea over the holidays! I have had such a wonderful time with my dear friends when we have teatime together!

“There are few hours in life more agreeable than the hour dedicated to the ceremony known as afternoon tea.”
― Henry James, The Portrait of a Lady

'Afternoon Tea' by William Henry Margetson 1861-1940

The Tea Party

"I had a little tea party
This afternoon at three.
'Twas very small-
Three guest in all-
Just I, myself and me.

Myself ate all the sandwiches,
While I drank up the tea;
'Twas also I who ate the pie
And passed the cake to me.”
― Jessica Nelson North

Do you like to have time to just sit, read, pray, whatever and sip on some tea by yourself? Do you cherish that time or are you more of a extrovert and don't like to be alone?

Ann

“Better joy in a cottage than sorrow in a palace” Spanish Proverb

Linking up at these blog hops:

Thursday Favorite Things (Katherine's Corner)
Home and Garden Thursday @ A Delightsome Life

TeaTime Tuesday @ Rose Chintz Cottage
Let's Be Friends Bloghop @ The Dwelling Tree

Thumping Thursdays @ Mom in the USA

   Cottage Style Linky Party @ Lavender Garden Cottage
Simple and Sweet Fridays (Rooted in Thyme)
Feathered Nest Friday(French Country Cottage)
Friendship Friday @ Create With Joy
Show and Tell Friday @ My Romantic Home
Be Inspired @ Common Ground
Make the Scene Monday @ Alderberry Hill
Nifty Thrifty Tuesday @ Coastal Charm
Inspire Me Tuesday @ A Stroll Thru Life
The Clever Chick blog hop @ The Chicken Chick
Seasonal Sunday @ The Tablescaper
Met Monday @ Between Naps on the Porch

Welcome, welcome glorious March
Whose soggy kiss we yearn
To turn the days of darkness bright
And hearld spring's return
Let warming rain turn winter's grip awry
And thaw the frozen land
That life anew will bloom once more
When coax'd by April's hand

Source

Yesterday the twig was brown and bare;
To-day the glint of green is there;
Tomorrow will be leaflets spare;
I know no thing so wondrous fair,
No miracle so strangely rare.
I wonder what will next be there!

L. H. Bailey

For, sure as earth lives under snows,
And Love lives under pain,
'T is good to sing with everything,
'When green leaves come again.

Dinah Maria Mulock Craik

From the tender first shoots . . .

to the giant tree. . .

Spring bursts forth, silently.

How important are leaves to us
their beauty for all of us to see
delicate, colourful and intricate
leaves are the Invisible Artists creation

Spring

In spring
The tender leaves spring
And release the coiled mind to spring
And fling
The thing
That till then did wring.

Source

As I ventured to the Wood

As I ventured to the wood,
A fallow deer of limpid eye
Gave care to glance at lucky I.
The heavenly aura 'bout her glow had
Charmed me, like a fine Bordeaux.

Source

Make Me See Green Leaves

Back to the forest
and streams.
Back to the light,
you I see.
At the base of the tree,
grows a vine.
On the vine grow,
the loveliest leaves.
Green is the color,
I dreamed.

Source

The Maze

Boy, am I ever getting dizzy
turning and swaying in circles of green
I run all day and all night
In this maze of green

source

When I Was A Young Girl

WHEN I was a young girl, all in a green arbor,
When I was a young girl in Springtimes gone by
All the long days I went singing and smiling,
Down by the roses the sweet days beguiling,
Love in the arbor and love in the sky . .

Source