A Baptism, Change in Sunday's Dinner Menu and other adventures

 

I was at a baptism this morning!

It was really beautiful! 

I was so happy to be there!

(I am also really glad I have a hand-held fan for when my face with mask on

needs some air!) 

Like my Canadian car pillow? Thrift store find, of course!

I wrote this earlier on social media...

[This post is dedicated to my Grandma Ruth...]

I think she will remember that when I was a child, and would be at family gatherings at her and Grandpa's house, I would tell her: "Grandma, I have 2 sides of my stomach and my one side is for regular food and that side is very full but the other side is only for dessert and that is VERY empty" 🙂 ... this of course being when I would not want to finish my food but very much wanted to eat ICE CREAM!  🙂 

Well, today was a first.  I ended up having a smallish lunch and then went out again (I was at a baptism this morning, so wonderful!) ... when I got home I was so hungry that I baked a pre-made pizza, ate half of that (a 12" pizza) and about an hour or so later, I made dinner.  My Husband decided to have an ice cream filled Popsicle and I was so FULL that even my "dessert side" of my stomach had gotten squished from the "other side 😉 ) and I could only eat HALF of the Popsicle and had to put the other half in a container and put it back in the freezer 🙂  

Never thought that would happen, LOL! 🙂

***

[I wrote this also, earlier, on social media... I had just realized....]

 that Sunday (Julian calendar Feast of the Cross) is a fast day. We are having the newly crowned Bride and Groom Sunday night for a special dinner! Frantically (and super bummed, so much for chicken and cream 😥) wrote my spiritual father, got the blessing for fish, called a local fish stand, ordered wild caught Alaskan salmon, went there, then to my favourite upscale grocery store, bought vegan chocolate and vanilla ice cream and went back home, using light rail. The picture is when I was waiting for the light rail.....tomorrow I am baking an amazing chocolate raspberry cake! Meanwhile, I need fresh basil and lemons......

***

Well, that's today's stories! 

May God have mercy on us!

Tea for Two ~ to celebrate a newly crowned Bride

High Tea for the Newly Crowned Bride ~ Menu and Table setting Details: 

Three tiered tray in centre of table:

Top tier: Polish marshmallow chocolate, 

Trader Joe's Chocolate truffle and a puff pastry cookie.

Middle Tier: Scones made from Tea and Sympathy (in NYC) Scone mix

with cherry preserves on the table.

Bottom Tier:  Egg salad sandwiches and 

sandwiches with butter and slices of white cheddar cheese

on Pullman bread that I baked in my new Pullman pan;

this bread is also called Pain de Mie.

In the footed clear glass bowl: chicken salad with bowtie pasta.  I poached the chicken 

according to this method and it worked perfectly.

Tea: Rosie Lee tea from Tea and Sympathy in NYC. 

Milk and sugar cubes included with the tea on the silver-plated tea service

In two water pitchers: filtered still water in one and pink lemonade in the other

 (the lemonade being from concentrate 

made with filtered still water).

Flowers: The bouquet in the tall white pitcher was my bouquet at the wedding.

The lovely 4 smaller jars of flowers were done by the Bride’s Mom for the 

wedding reception and given to me by the Bride when she came for tea!

A&L fan: A wedding favour from the wedding reception! 

Gifts: my personal gifts to the Bride as her wedding sponsor :) 

My dear friend and newly wedded Bride is as much into antiquing and thrift stores

as I am and loved all the things I had for her… which I found mainly at sales :) 

Wooden Napkin Holders: I got these years ago in Halifax with a dear friend;

they are painted on wood and were perfect for this Bride as some of her wedding gifts

are similar in colour to the turquoise :) 

Tea Cups: I used these on purpose as they are from Poland, where my friend is from!

I just got these two teacups from my Great Aunt P’s home

and knew right away that I wanted to do a tea with my friend, the new Bride,

because of where they were made!

Plates: I bought the gold rimmed white plates on Etsy, the seller said they 

were her Grandparents and were gifted to her Grandparents at their wedding. 

Three tiered tray: it is Royal Albert Old Country Roses pattern

 and I bought it at the VNA rummage sale :)

***

The tea was really special, like moments stolen out of time,

Extra-ordinary moments of fellowship, beauty and enjoying a lovely

Tea together! 

The Bride had wanted to go to Tea and Sympathy in NYC before her wedding

but it did not work out...so...since I had already bought tea and the scone mix

from Tea and Sympathy in NYC in August,

I brought her a high tea, in part, from Tea and Sympathy 

and it really was a grand time! 

***

I was telling Mr Husband at lunch that her wedding was such a special day,

It was like my wedding, a day outside of time, and remembering it is like

seeing Narnia from a distance while one is moving out of Narnia,

like in Prince Caspian… 

Our high tea feels like that a well, 

Moments stolen out of ordinary time, special memories that we will

carry with us…

It bought back so many memories for me and of my friend

S. who did my makeup, gave me a pedicure, did my nails…

And the small Bridal shower my friends threw for me,

the one that my church in Ottawa did, as well as my NJ far-away church,

and my family Bridal shower in MI…

So many special memories!

***

I know I am going to treasure these special wedding memories for a long time to come!

Quickly, Answers

 Good morning!

Thanks everyone who commented so far on yesterday's post

about the wedding!

Sorry I mistakenly wrote

"40th wedding" when I meant "40th Birthday"

(which was only 3 years ago for me!)

Sorry about the confusion - I am still catching up on my

level of tiredness and did not catch my mistake :)

I fixed this in the post itself.

***

The other question about the Bride and Groom standing in

front of the Royal Doors.

This was at the very end of the wedding when our priest 

was saying a few words to the couple. :) 

***

Hope you are all having a good day!

And It Was Good: the wedding we were sponsors for

The wedding was so beautiful! 

We were with the Bride and Groom at liturgy that morning

and then went right home for our lunch and changing into

"our duds" as my Husband said :)

My dress, earrings and necklace + my full for-special-events only

makeup routine and my new white (Birkenstock!) sandals... 

and then we were back! 1:07 PM for 1:15 and I was there

as the Bride got her veil on, video-chatted with her grandparents in Poland,

did family prayers before the wedding

and then! up and up! the wedding!

And it was so beautiful. 

I did not get pictures of the wedding until 

the very very end as I was in the wedding! 

I and the Maid of Honour helped with her veil, which was so perfect

and beautiful, as you can see... 

and I can't wait to see, down the road, the professional pictures!

It was a small wedding, esp because of the pandemic

but so beautiful and reception was lovely, the decorations

(that her Mom did!) were just beautiful and we blessed the couple with

their wedding icons we got for them (that they picked out, just beautiful!)

and it was beautiful to see them at the reception at their table... 

It was so special. 

A real wonderful family affair... 

***

Yesterday I worked many hours on a tea for the Bride that we had today.

It was so beautiful.

I hope to share pictures soon of that and tell you about it.

But first things first, the wedding, as you can see it was lovely...

***

A little side note on something special I wore...

This bracelet was a gift for my 40th birthday from my

local Matushka (priest wife) and I was able to show her that I was 

wearing it before the wedding began. :)

***

Well, I am (understandably) tired from Sunday wedding,

Monday baking, cooking and setting the table,

with meals in between and a small nap,

from before 10 AM until well after 6 PM... 

And today the tea itself...

***

It was good though, as my Husband was in NYC doing an errand

so I had the house to myself and so the

Bride and I had a special tea today

that was strictly "girls only" which with Mr Husband

working from home 24x7 because of the pandemic,

it was really a mercy of God! And my Husband did come home

before my friend the newly Crowned Bride left,

so that was really nice too.

***

OK.  Time to wind down for bed.

I pray that God protects, upholds, comforts and helps you

in all things. 

❤