Substance of Living

If you've been tasked with hosting a party, consider an afternoon tea for your next birthday party, bridal shower, baby shower, Mother’s Day, or a girls get-together.  An afternoon tea consists of tea and a light meal between the hours of 3 and 5pm and is perfect for a group of 6 to 10 ladies. Did you know there is a difference between an afternoon tea and a high tea?  An afternoon tea offers tea and light food to stave off hunger between lunch and dinner.  A high tea is usually served around dinner time and is considered a working person's meal with meat or a heavier main dish. In the United States we often think of an afternoon tea as a pretty big deal.  In fact, if we were to go to a tea house or out for an afternoon tea, we would usually be looking at around $30 or more.  You don't need to spend that kind of money if you host your own.  Bring out your china or use a mix and match setting of china to add to the charm.  If you don't have a ...

Thank you, dear readers, for sending us thoughtful emails such as this one below. I believe in angels and that once a parent, always a parent. A drunk man in an Oldsmobile   They said had run the light   That caused the six-car pileup.   When broken bodies lay about   And blood was everywhere,   The sirens screamed out eulogies,   For death was in the air.   A mother, trapped inside her car,   Was heard above the noise;   Her plaintive plea near split the air:   Oh, God, please spare my boys! She fought to loose her pinned hands;   She struggled to get free,   But mangled metal held her fast   In grim captivity.   Her frightened eyes then focused   On where the back seat once had been,   But all she saw was broken glass and   Two children's seats crushed in. Her twins were nowhere to be seen;   She did not hear th...

I received another amazing email just in time to share for Mother's Day.  I've titled this post "A Mother's Love" in honor of all mothers.     Clinging on for dear life to the side of a vertical cliff, the tiny lion cub cries out pitifully for help. His mother arrives at the edge of the precipice with three other lionesses and a male. The females start to clamber down together but turn back daunted by the sheer drop. Eventually one single factor determines which of them will risk her life to save the youngster - motherly love.     The drama begins: The mother arrives at the edge of the cliff as her son cries out for rescue after being trapped when he slipped     On the brink: Four lionesses look over the edge before aborting their rescue mission because of the sheer drop. Slowly, agonizingly, ...

Aren't mothers the best?!  There are just some things in life that only mothers understand.  They know when to talk, when to remain silent, they are in our corner whether they agree with our decisions or not. This year, with the help of letterwhiz , I'd like to publicly write my mother a letter. Dear Mom, I wish you a Happy Mother's Day today, but also wish you many other happy days as well. You are the one person who has always been there for me, to support me when I needed a hand, to nudge me along when I needed to let go. You were there when I needed to cry, allowed me to yell when words failed me, and stayed up with me all night when I was sick. I love you, and appreciate everything you have ever done for me. A Happy Mother's Day is the very, very least I could begin to wish for you in return. Love, Marie                                            ...