Teacup Thursday # 66 and Friends Up North

I'm beginning to feel a bit like myself again. Dealing with sadness is hard and yet I think the difficult things make you focus on what's important and what's really just meaningless. I know that the trials are
ways we are drawn closer to God even when we can't understand the reason behind what has happened. I also know that my problems are pretty small compared to what some people are dealing with on a daily basis, things that aren't going to get better.
I'm featuring this beautiful teacup today for Miss Spenser's Teacup Thursday. I just got it last week at a big garage sale event for $1.00! I adore the pattern and this is one I will keep. I'm also showing it  as I share my story about another friend who just turned the big 50. She loves cottages...can you see the cottage tucked into the roses? That's what I love about this cup and saucer.

The set is a Queens by Rosina China Co Ltd. I have several made by them and I just always like the patterns. I think the roses are so pretty and love the colors....perfect to live in my tearoom.

Even the handle is pretty! The cup has a rose inside, which always draws me to a pattern, and even the back has another lovely rose. You can tell I REALLY like this teacup.

So, on with my story. My friend Clarice who lives near Poulsbo WA turned 50 last Friday. She has been fussing about it all year! I have been telling her I loved my 50's and I think it's a great time for a woman. Well, she didn't buy it. So, I plotted with my other friend Angie, who is Clarice's dear friend. to see if I could come up to surprise her. Angie and Clarice are some of my Tasha Tudor friends who have become very special to me. As Jim was going to be out of town, I drove up by myself on Monday. Angie had me over for dinner and we plotted away! Angie is a fabulous cook and so giving.
She made lamb chops (I've only had them a few times and these were the best I've ever tasted), beets from her garden cooked in coconut oil, rice and a great bean salad. Delicious. I love her family and they are so kind to welcome me. We picked raspberries, looked over her garden, saw the sheep, and gathered a few eggs from the chickens. I just love being at their home...there's a peace that hugs you when you're there.

So the plan was to show up at a deli in Bainbridge Island around noon on Tuesday. She was going to take Clarice there to pick out yummy things for a lunch...a birthday lunch. I got there early, parked far away and found a fabric store! Charming! Good thing I didn't stay there much longer. I went into the deli and had the gal make me an iced coffee and was just telling her that I was the surprise for my friend's birthday and if she heard a scream, not to be alarmed. I felt someone's hand on my shoulder, looked around and it was Angie. I was trying to register it all in my head when I turned and saw the surprised look on Clarice's face. Of course we hugged and hugged and then she cried! I didn't expect that! Mission accomplished! So we went back to Angie's and called her mom Linda to bring her other daughter Auberne over as I wanted to see them all!

Here's Angie slaving away in her kitchen again. This is Clarice and her mom Linda looking over the goodies! What a feast we had!

This is Angie's cheese she made. It was wonderful. She is always experimenting with food. She introduced me to several new things and coconut oil and products. Clarice and Angie are foodies and I bet the benefit of it! YUMMY!

We loaded up our plates and took the party outside. Angie had set the table and the weather was perfect
to spend the afternoon in the fresh summer air.

Linda and Angie discussing some serious food issues. I got lost somewhere along the way! And a happy mom with her daughter Auberne. I'm sorry I didn't get all the other kids in the photos. They were just having so much fun running around playing on such a nice summer day.

Time for the birthday girl to have her cake! She had store bought and a homemade raspberry delight.

Angie the good hostess...always busy making things nice for others! She really outdid herself for her dear friend Clarice. Thank you Angie for making this a very special day for us all!

I don't know if you saw the teacup on the table with the cake. Angie has a few that her grandmother gave her. She would love to have some more, so we are on the hunt! I think someone featured one recently on Teacup Thursday.

As you can see, the day was just lovely and good medicine for the soul. The only thing really missing was our friend LaVonne. We did give her a call, but we wish she could have been with us! Come out west LaVonne~soon.