A Haven for Vee

Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Leap Day Tea

It's not very often that one can enjoy a Leap Day Tea. I've chosen my birth month's colors for the linens and tea cup and baked some Snickerdoodles. They are common cookies that one can find a recipe for anywhere; I found mine in my old Betty Crocker cookbook.

 ~Snickerdoodles and Chamomile Tea~

I can never bake them without remembering the year my college chum Deborah visited me from Oklahoma. She spent almost a week with us. She charmed my children and introduced them to E.B. White via Stuart Little; she charmed my husband by making homemade noodles for homemade chicken noodle soup; she charmed me by taking me away from it all to the mountains for the most wonderful day where we chatted like magpies from early morning to late that night. I remember watching the snow fall on Mt. Washington from our vantage point and eating lobster rolls in a little red restaurant in the valley. All that and she baked Snickerdoodles. She did simple things in extraordinary ways.

~Mother's Pansy Doily~

The pansy doily is fairly common, too. My mother made this one and I love it now more than I ever have before. Just to think of all the hours she spent making this one lovely item.

~ColClough China~Made in England~

The china tea cup is from my grandmother's collection. The tea cups live in the dresser I use as a buffet now. I remember to take one out every few days for a cup of tea — chamomile — just to make it a little extra special. Otherwise, I drink my tea from a mug.

Is it all about the simple things after all?

Enjoy your extra-ordinary day!

28 comments:

  1. Lovely, lovely post...

    Lovely photos...

    Lovely words...

    Gentle hugs...

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  2. I have never heard of celebrating Leap Day! Now I have to think of something special. I love your pictures of the special things you are using to celebrate today!

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  3. This was a beautiful post...

    I love snickerdoodles. They are the best cookies!

    I am going into the store today, usually slow this month and it being a Wednesday, it will be slow. I have stuff to do there, tagging a jewelry order, etc.

    Thanks for sharing your beautiful story, cookies and that gorgeous tea cup and the precious doily. I am not surprised at your love for beauty and memories. Look at your mother's handwork! She instilled that in you!

    Blessings today, Vee!
    Deanna

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  4. Your picture of your tea is so beautiful, and there is nothing common about that pansy fabric. (I want that!) How I envy you such a wonderful friend. If I can fault myself and old friends for anything, it's failing to make time for the friendship. I have a dear friend back in Texas I think I'll call today thanks to you Vee!
    Debbie

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  5. Good morning! Your friend sounds wonderful....I have one friend that goes ALL the way back to third grade. How I love her. And you may think the pansy doily ordinary but I certainly don't think so...I LOVE it! Soo pretty. Have a good day Vee! HUGS

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  6. What a lovely way to celebrate our extra day! Prior to reading your post I probably would have plowed through just like any other day. But now, I'm going to choose one of my mom's many tea cups and set up a pretty place to enjoy a cup of tea. I have a very similar pansy doily around here somewhere ... today is the day it will come out of hiding.
    Thanks for the inspiration.

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  7. What a sweet way to celebrate not only leap year but your dear friend AND your mom AND your grandmother! You remember that visit with your friend with a big smile on your face - I can hear it in your words. And I also hear the love and tenderness when you speak of your mom making this pretty little doily and the teacup in your grandmother's collection. I'd say you've pretty much got leap year covered, my friend!

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  8. Your friend sounds like a keeper! What a beautiful setting to have your cup of tea. The placemat is lovely and I'm sure it brings back many lovely memories of your mom as well. Nice to take those moments for ourselves now and then! Thanks for sharing!

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  9. Your friend sounds like she is a wonderful person. The pattern on your tea cup is so beautiful Vee. Yes, the simple pleasures are what life is all about.

    Happy Leap Day.

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  10. Beautiful treasures and such lovely memories dear Vee! I love that you are celebrating leap day and the cookies look yummy :) I want to thank you for my precious magnet!!! I just love it and you know I love that image sweet friend! I placed it on an old goose neck metal lamp in my studio ~ every time I look at it, I will think of you ~ sending you hugs and love, Dawn

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  11. I love your teacup and doily, I have a doily very much like that!

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  12. I love how you're making this day an extra day to share kindness with others. Vee, you make me stop and remember that I need to do that more often. Pansies have such a beautiful little flower. I love them. Oh, and Snickerdoodles are one of my favorite cookies. - - Your college friend sounds exactly like you - doing things for others that are extra-special.

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  13. Oh how lovely...the cookies, the memories, the tea cup and the doily. I think I have a doily like that in my stash. Have a wonderful leap day!

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  14. Love your table setting. My mom made a pansy doily like yours, it is one of my treasures. Have a good day.

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  15. Yes, the simplest of gestures can be the most cherished ones - and forever. Vee, your mother's doily is precious. I love it! I have a few in my collection. Such happy pices. Your china is gorgeous, gorgeous.

    Enjoy your day and your Snickerdoodles.

    xx

    ps: i am honored to be a part of your list of posts that inspire me. i just so this. ((hugs))

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  16. What pretty photos! I adore the doily that your mother made...beautiful colors.
    I am sipping my tea from a giant John Deere mug right now - and guess what...it is snowing here! :)
    Have a great day Vee!

    Blessings!
    ~Nadine

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  17. I would like Deborah to be my friend too. : )

    I never really thought of this day being special but thanks to you I will this year. I'm off to have a cup of tea in my good china tea cup.
    Thanks.

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  18. I enjoyed reading your post today Vee. I was doing the same kind of thing getting out my Mom, and both grandmother's special things cake plates , a crystal candy dish and some treasured tea cups - not to celebrate Leap Year but because i was thinking that for my birthday which is this week, I'd get out some of my family treasures and use some of them in honour of my special birthday. Happy belated birthday to you! It certainly looks like you had a wonderful day!

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  19. Lovely post Vee. Your teacup and doily are so pretty and I love snickerdoodle cookies! How nice to celebrate leap day too. Hugs, Pamela

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  20. How fun is this! And very spring looking. I enjoyed your memories ... we think a lot alike.

    And, tea cups should be used often,

    As for chamomile, I often drink it at night in a condensed but strong version, to help me sleep and it seems to work! Very calming indeed,

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  21. Well, first Judy, and now you - celebrating Leap Year day. What a great idea. I'm sitting in a hotel room in Vancouver while my husband is at a conference so maybe that's my celebration. But next time it rolls around, I'll plan to do something special, and simple. (if I remember) You've done well with this post. Love all the meaning behind the objects you chose.

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  22. Hey Vee, you won't believe this but I have a very similar pansy doily! Aren't we kindred spirits!

    And those snickerdoodles.. what a perfect way to celebrate Leap Day!

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  23. ummmm, those cookies look wonderful...
    this whole post is wonderful...
    and never heard of LEAP DAY.:)

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  24. What a sweet, sweet post...so full of memories and celebration. Yes, yes, the simple things are the best.

    The pansy doily...I have never seen one before. What a blessing to have this beautiful heirloom, lovingly crafted by your mother. And that tea cup of your grandmother's...so lovely and delicate, and again special because of the memories attached.

    You have created a perfectly beautiful arrangement of sweetness on this Leap Day!

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  25. Oh...and I answered your question in my comments, but I'll paste it here too to keep you from running back and forth :-D ...

    Vee, we do indeed celebrate her birthday every year! The celebrating is usually strung out over several days, due to the fact that there is such a number of family members. (She has adopted March 1 as her birthday on non-leap years.) But for Leap Years, we usually have a bigger, more organized affair.

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  26. I love your pretty tea cup and the pansy doily goes perfectly with it! Snickerdoodles are one of my favorite cookies and I'm just drooling looking at your wonderful photos. Sweet post, Vee!

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  27. I love your new childhood profile photo, Vee!

    Your tea time is lovely with such sweet rememberances from your Grandmother and Mother....and snickerdoodles that remond you of a good friend.

    My days contine to be filled with both sad and happy chores. I think we have my Mom's house to the point where the final cleanout is on the horizon. I've also been busy making some decorative items for my daughter's bridal shower. March will be a very busy month!

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