Sylvia's Simple Shots

I found another piece of Robert Held Art Glass at the thrift store the other day for under $2.

It is a candle holder with a pulled feather design in the base with blues, greens and purples.

I have placed a tealight on top as I don't have taper candles.

I just love this art glass and it is a good thing I don't live close to his studio in British Columbia.  I do follow him on Instagram @robertheldartglass so I look forward to seeing his new stuff as it comes out.

I have found the pieces I have in thrift stores.  I have a heart and a small vase in my collection.

It is signed on the bottom as usual.

We continue to add to my list of exercises to rehab my right knee and loosen my mid back.  I noticed yesterday after about 3 hours of sewing that it was very tight so I did my stretches before going to bed.

My knee is doing well and I added step ups last week and I am starting to use the stairs again.  It goes better going up than down.

It will come.

I have an MRI on it next week so we will see what it looks like on the inside there.

It's been cold again this week. Everyday the low's are in the -18C to -20C without the wind chill.

I had to take the bus to medical appts this week very early in the morning so it was cold!

On Wednesday the wind was very strong and standing waiting for a bus is no fun.

Two days of heart tests this week.   This is an investigation of a period of dizziness in January.  It cleared up once the tension in back was released so I don't expect anything significant coming out of these tests.  Interesting what life sends my way.

I bought a tiny bottle with a drip lid so I can carry essential oil in my car.  I chose the bergamot grapefruit combo for this time around.

Essential oils should not freeze so I can leave it in the car.

It was a hassle to bring the diffuser up, then remember to add drops just before I was headed out, then hang it back on the rear view mirror.  

Now I can do it whenever I feel the need.

I hosted lunch for 2 of my aunts after our visit to Muttart Conservatory on Friday.  My first time back since the pandemic.  I will include my pics in a separate post.

We had a great time and with time after for a good visit.

I made yellow split pea soup and whole wheat tea biscuits with yogurt with blueberries for dessert.

I soaked the peas overnight so I could cook the soup that morning.  Once the soup was simmering I made the biscuits.  They turned out well this time because I left the dough thick enough.  I usually roll them out too thin.

I have a basket of ReUsable Bags ready to donate to GrammaLink  Africa fundraiser later this year.

I made 17 bags since February 4th.  It was a learning experience and I am happy with the results. I kept one for myself so 16 are being donated.

Most of them are microfiber so they will last a long time.

I hope it puts a few dollars into the hands of grandmothers in Africa who stepped up to care for their grandchildren when the parents died of AIDS.

Feels good to give back.

I did visit the Muttart Conservatory this week with 2 of my aunts (my Mom's sisters).

I bought a yearly membership which will allow me to go anytime I want and also visit the Zoo regularly.

The spring flowers were all in bloom in the feature pyramid.

I chose the Amaryllis because it reminds me of my Mom who I miss every day.  She was such a great lady.

This is the variety Minerva and it so reminds me of Christmas.  They can appear on seasonal greeting cards.  Classic combination of red, green and white.

Looking forward to more visits once life settles a bit.

Tea House Visit

I recently visited the Tea House in a couple of towns away from where I live.  I was out of town and it was near by.  It is only open on the weekends and likely managed by volunteers. It is housed in a summer cabin which was built in 1922.  It was moved to this site in 2000 and opened as a tea house in 2003.

Here's the baker's rack that houses all the china tea cups and you get to choose the one you would like to use.  I selected a roses and yellow pennant one by Paragon. 
Based on this mark it was likley made in the early 1920's.

I selected Earl Grey tea which was served in as small tea pot.







I ordered Hamburger Soup and the Raspberry Rhubarb Crisp which was served once I finished my soup. The hamburger soup was home made and very good.  I was able to just relax and enjoy my meal as the lunch rush was over and there were just a few of us in the tea house.





I managed 3 cups fulls of tea from the teapot which hit the spot.  I loved the scalloped shape of the bowl of the tea cup.  The roses had a black background but it was not overpowering.  The yellow triangle pattern in between was very charming. 

You can see the subtle pattern in the china itself in this saucer as well.

Dessert was again homemade.  I was not expecting the ice cream but it was excellent with the Raspberry sauce on top. 

It was an overall excellent experience and I will be back.

Check out the Pioneer Tea House if you are in Stony Plain.

Sharing with Share Your Cup #300 hosted by Jann at Daily Cup Mrs. Olson.

Share Your Cup

During my walk yesterday I could hear a racket going on but it took me a while to find the source.  This is the squirrel I found in a tree,  his partner I did not find as he was in a full pine tree and was hidden in the branches.  I'm not sure if I was the source of the commotion and discussion but they were really vocalizing.  It was a gorgeous morning and it was good to find signs of spring in the air.











This was lunch one day this week.  Pumpernickel toast with a bit of butter and Italian Wedding soup with a dollop of sour cream. Yummy!

This is the tulip tile I posted about here.  The frame has had a make over.   The frame was dark brown and not really what I wanted.  I've been working on a painting project and I was inspired to paint the frame.  Now it is yellow and much more in keeping with the colors in the tile and my favorite colors.  More about the painting project in a future post.










This is a clear glass mug with herbal tea in it.  It's a gift from a friend who took a trip to Hawaii this February.  Thanks so much for thinking of me while in those wonderful climes.

My trip to the library this week saw me bring home several books focused on the internet.  This book is very interesting for someone who has been blogging for 7 years.  I'm about half way through and much of it so far are the work to put in before you actually set up a blog and start posting.  Some really good ideas.  Chapters are introduction (anatomy of a blog),  finding your voice and niche (your aesthetic and your name),  Powering your Blog (platform, domain names, what to post and how often).  I'm enjoying the book and the rest is going to be interesting.

Submitting to Share Your Cup hosted my Carol at Art & Sand.

Friday's Hunt 1.7

I'm submitting this post to Friday's Hunt hosted by Teresa at Eden Hills.

The prompts are:
Starts with G
Week's Favorite
In my kitchen

This is Gluten-Free Cheese Cake which I served during tea with a friend this week. I was able to buy just 4 pieces and it seems the crust is made with nuts which contributes to it's gluten free status. This is the leftover piece which is New York Style cheese cake.  We ate the chocolate pieces during tea.























I made whole wheat cheddar cheesy tea biscuits today. With Valentine's around the corner I chose to cut a few in heart shapes.  I added one to my chicken noodle soup for supper. I chose this shot as this week's favorite.

Here's a shot of the tea biscuits cooling on a rack on the kitchen counter while the second tray is baking.  I cut a couple with my Steeped Tea teapot cookies cutters.  I cut the hearts with my trusty Tupperware cookie cutters. You can see how small the heart ones, perfect for dipping in soup.