Tea with the Prince

I'm about to sit down for a quiet tea in the Library. There's magic in this room. All my books are kept here, and characters come to life in the afternoons. Today, I'm keeping company with His Highness and his entourage. Won't you come in for a peek?

First, let's select the tea, shall we? My son, David, sent me this box of tea from England when he visited a while ago.

Once the teabags run out, I guess I'll have to go in person to pick up another box. I can't wait to see my husband's reaction when I break the news to him.

How about Afternoon Tea? It seems appropriate.

I try to allow myself a small flower budget to supplement the seasonal offerings from my garden.  Nothing picks up the spirit like fresh flowers.

And, when I can't get fresh flowers, I improvise.  Even pictures of flowers can improve my mood.

His Highness follows me all over the house, especially he likes to be around flowers. There’s a perfect rock set for him in the backyard, at the base of the clematis vine, but the opossum that lives under our deck keeps knocking him off his throne, so, in order to save his crown, literally, I've brought him inside.  I'm rather fond of him, you see, and I dislike bullies.

Once he settled in, the Prince invited other courtiers to follow him, and set up his court.  He brought with him the Chief of Protocol . . .

Madame Pompadour Butterfly . . . His Highness can be quite naughty, and I had to remind him that this was a respectable household.

Miss Bee, the Lady-in-Waiting . . .

And the Court Gossip, Mr. Dragon. He spends the day buzzing about, and knows the latest "on dits."

Perhaps I can get Miss Bee to bring in another cup for you . . .

Or perhaps not.  I'm terribly sorry, but I've been overruled. Miss Bee complained that I didn't give her enough notice, and the Master of Protocol says you are not wearing a hat. No hat, no tea. He’s very strict.

I guess I'll be eating the cookies by myself today, but I'll invite you for tea very soon, once I clear it with the staff.

Chicken Tortellini Salad

 

Guide (not recipe), I cooked with abandon:

1 package mini cheese tortellini

1 package Mozzarella pearls

Cherry tomatoes, slices

1 green pepper, chopped

Pesto, to taste

Salt and Pepper, to taste

Pesto in the Making

 The smell of Italy surrounds me . . .

Tea with the Prince

I'm about to sit down for a quiet tea in the library.  There's magic in this room.  All my books are kept here, and little creatures come to life in the afternoons.  However, I'm not completely alone because His Highness is here with me.

The Prince follows me all over the house.  There's a perfectly wonderful rock set for him outside, at the base of the clematis vine, but the opossum that lives under our deck keeps knocking him off his throne, so I've brought him inside to give him a break from the bully.

Once he realized he was safe, he immediately made himself at home, and invited some of his courtiers to tea.  Imagine that!  Without a by-your-leave, I had a house full of guests!  The Lord Chamberlain felt they should have checked with me, but the Prince brushed aside all his concerns.

Madame Pompadour came, too, hoping for a tryst.  Unfortunately, her plans were doomed to failure . . .

She brought Miss Bee along, her lady-in-waiting and chaperone, and that prickly creature was not about to let any shenanigans take place on her watch!

Besides, the Court Gossip was flitting about.  Mr. Gossip is a useful person, when one likes to know the latest “on-dits,” as long one is not the object of the gossip.  Therefore, all in all, it's best to stay clear of him.

Shall I ask Miss Bee to bring in an extra cup for you?  Oh, dear!  I'm so terribly sorry, but I've been told that it won't be possible.  Miss Bee says she needs more advance notice, and the Lord Chamberlain says you are not wearing a hat.  No hat, no tea!  He's very strict.

I guess I'll be eating the cookies all by myself.  But don't worry, I will invite you back very soon, once I clear it with the staff.

Father's Day

 Happy Father's Day to my love!

Our kids won the jackpot in life with a father like you!

The Master Bedroom Makeover - Selecting the Paint

Here we are, in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic.  We are working from home, with nowhere to go at the moment, sheltering in place to stay safe until who knows when, and with too much time staring at the walls in our home, so . . . it's the perfect time to finally tackle the Master Bedroom makeover that I've been promising myself for years!!!

We had made a start last year, when we took out the hideous wall-to-wall carpeting and installed a wood floor in the room.  Click here to see that post.  I called on my dear friend, Fran, an interior designer, to help me navigate (and nudge me) through the myriad choices that needed to be made, from picking out paint color, to selecting the furniture.  The paint decision was hard.  Fran would have preferred a deeper shade of taupe, but I couldn't see myself with dark walls.  We finally compromised on Frappe by Benjamin Moore, I mean, nothing bad has ever happened to me while drinking a frappé . . .

There's my husband, who secretly thinks he's Spiderman.  He's forever terrifying me by climbing tall ladders, inside and outside the house.  Hire a contractor, you say?  Not in Spidey's world, no, sir . . .  

As always, and, especially being in the middle of the pandemic, there was no way to bring anyone in the house to help us move the furniture, so we painted the room in sections . . .

The painting is done, and granted, it doesn't look like much right now . . .

But this is only the beginning . . . 

An Embarrassment of Riches

 The Festiva Maxima peony bush has been absolutely prolific this year!

What a beautiful sight!