Tuesday Cuppa Tea, Valentine's Day, Emma Hearts

Happy Valentine's Day! I am joining several blog parties on this special day including Tuesday Cuppa Tea with Antiques And Teacups and Valentine's Day Tea with Sandi at Rose Chintz Cottage. There is a list of others at the end of the post. Happy Valentine's Day to everyone!

I shared the milk free Spritz cookies a few blog posts ago and we are finishing the last today with tea. In case you missed the recipe, just click on the photo to go to the blog post with the recipe.

From the archives of Time Was Antiques, here is my favorite Valentine's Day tea mugs by Emma Bridgewater, England. The pattern of the top is Hearts and the bottom is Love & Kisses. I love her designs, and always visit...and buy...when we visit the UK and they are gone! I always say I'll save one, then forget, and then kick myself! I am especially fond of Emma Bridgewater because that was my grandmother's name!

I hope your Valnetine's Day is a wonderful feast of love! Here are 2 special Valentine's Day poems...one new and one an old favorite...about love.





Compatible Valentine On Valentine’s Day, I think about
The people who are dear,
How much they add to life’s delight
Whenever they are near.You’ve always been a total joy,
Such pleasant company,
I very much appreciate
Our compatibility!By Joanna Fuchs

 How Do I Love Thee? Let me count the ways.
I love thee to the depth and breadth and height
My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight
For the ends of Being an ideal Grace. 
I love thee to the level of everyday's
Most quiet need, by sun and candlelight.
I love thee freely, as men strive for Right;
I love thee purely, as they turn from Praise. 

I love thee with the passion put to use
In my old griefs, and with my childhood's faith.
I love thee with a love I seemed to lose
With my lost saints,--I love thee with the Breath,
Smiles, tears, of all my life!--and, if God choose,
I shall but love thee better after death. 
Elizabeth Barret Browning

 

 

I would also like to remind you to visit Antiques And Teacups to enter their drawing for an Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee mug. Just click on the photo.

 Have a great Valentine's Day vising the wonderful blog parties!

Ruth ~ http://antiquesandteacups.blogspot.com/
Tuesday Cuppa Tea

Terri~  http://artfulaffirmations.blogspot.com/ 
Teacup Tuesday

Trisha~  http://sweetology101.blogspot.com/ 
Tea Party Tuesday

Sandi  ~  http://sandimyyellowdoor.blogspot.com

Teatime Tuesday

Kathy~  http://blissfulrhythm.blogspot.com/
Victoria - A Return to Loveliness

Martha~  http://www.marthasfavorites.com/ 
Teacup Tuesday 

Bernideen’s ~ http://bernideensteatimeblog.blogspot.com

Friends Sharing Tea Wednesday

Angela  http://teawithfriends.blogspot.com/

Tea With Friends

Miss Kathy http://thewritersreverie.blogspot.com

http://www.attitudeivlife.blogspot.com/p/afternoon-tea.html   Afternoon Tea

Feb. 6th Begins Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee

Monday, February 6th begins the 60th Diamond Jubilee year of the ascension to the throne of Queen Elizabeth II. On Feb. 6th 1952 her father King George VI succumbed to pneumonia after battling lung cancer for several year at Sandringham House, Nofolk make Princess Elizabeth Queen Elizabeth II, although the coronation would not be held until 1953. Lots of preparations needing to be made. 

Princess Elizabeth was in Kenya with Prince Philip representing the ailing king.  Both my family and my husband's family have always felt that the pneumonia was the result of having gone to the airport to see the Princess Elizabeth off on her journey but refused to wear the hat Queen Elizabeth his wife, the Queen Mum, had urged him to wear on a cold and rainy day. The new queen hurried home.

The Diamond Jubilee having been reached, puts Queen Elizabeth II into the special category of longest reigning monarch along with Queen Victoria who celebrated her Diamond Jubilee in 1897.  

I had planned to start my coverage of the Jubilee Year tomorrow, by the Times Online had a marvelous article that I wanted to share with you. The following photos are from the article and are depictions of Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee in 1897.

I remember hearing much about the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Vicotoria from my grandmother, Emma Bridgewater nee Rice pictured below:

 My grandmother was 16 and living in Leicester. She had recently had scarlet fever so could take only a small part in the festivities. She watched the preparations from her window as the neighbors hauled tables and chairs into the streets for the block or neighbourhood parties that were occuring all over England. All the houses were decorated with bunting and flags and it was a festive time. 

In the town square the mayor was having a huge celebratory bonfire and roasted oxen prepared and farmers had brought in potatoes by the sack full to roast in the coals, something that was a normal thing for Guy Fawkes' Day bonfires. When the evening arrived, my grandmother was not well enough to attend the bonfire and ox roast but was taken in the family carriage, wrapped in blankets and shawls with a foot warmer box filled with hot coals to at least watch the firework display. She said it was one of her most vivid memories. People sang, cried and cheered and toasted Queen Victoria. A wonderful  occasion!

I will be sharing frequently about various plans for the Diamond Jubilee in the days ahead.

The Jubilee Year of 2012 is actually been truncated to a Jubilee Half Yrae because of the Olympic Summer Games being hosted in London beginning in July 2012. Considering the health of Prince Philip, that's probably a good thing. And the Queen herself is 85. As our families always say..."Our Liz...she's brilliant!"