A Letter To The Skunk Family...

from here.

Dear Skunk Family Living Under My Shed,

I hope this missive finds you all in good health and keeping cool under these severe heat conditions. It's been quite some time since I've noticed your existence in my garden. At first I thought you were just passing by.. crossing from one yard to another on your merry way. I began to question your frequent visits, when my dear fella almost mistook one of you for a kitty...yes, he called you over and you gingerly acquiesced and approached him happily. Naturally he exited the premises, quite quickly mind you, upon noticing that you were not in fact a kitty cat.

Twas not long after that, when I went out one evening to water my flower beds. I turned on the lights in the tent/gazebo and just when I was about to enter, I heard some scurrying nearby. Lo and behold!! There were two of you making your way past me. Yes, I froze in place hoping you'd ignore me...thankfully you did. One of you was actually quite adorable and little. I guess you were the baby strolling with your Mama. Needless to say, I backed up slowly...farther into the yard...and watched you both disappear under the shed. Not far behind, near my fence was a third one in your clan. I believe it may have been Papa skunk foraying the premises for your evening meal. How good of him to take care of you so well. I hope he succeeded and brought home the bacon. 

I've spied each of you at one point or another since that night. Just this evening I braved the very warm weather and went out to quench my flower beds. Hose in hand and humming a happy tune, I sprayed the flowers whose sigh of relief was almost audible. Mr. Knightley watched me from the dining room window...at least I thought he was watching me. *sigh* 

No. I wasn't the subject of his attention for LO & BEHOLD, once again, I was accompanied by you...the cute family of skunks. No doubt you watched me while you did what you do when you do what you do in the yard. (I hope you all got that!) 

You must've been quite amazed at my bravery, though some may call it stupidity, of not budging from my spot and continuing to water my plants. Oh don't worry. I kept an eye on each of you. One ran into the hostas and went right back under the shed. The other (I guess it was Papa) continued sniffing around for supper, and the third strolled into the tent/gazebo. You must've heard me loudly exclaim.."Oh No You Didn't!!!" *insert vexatious mutterings* Yes..I believe Mama skunk was making good use of my lounge chair. I decided to mind my business and quickly finish what I started out to do. 

Twas then I decided I've had enough!

This brings me to the reason behind this letter. I am quite honored that you chose Harmonie House's garden as your home. It shows you have fine tastes..you are indeed skunks of quality and distinction. However, I can no longer risk the possibility of myself or my fella vexing one of you and getting sprayed. Please, do not take offense. It's not that I think your scent lacks in essence. Truly it's got the quality that's in a class by itself. It's just not for everyone...myself included. So I'm asking you to please pack your bags and find another shed in another garden...somewhere far away. Thank you for your cooperation and have a nice day. *smiles*

 Whaddaya mean we gotta move???

Consider yourselves evicted!

Sincerely,

Miss Sandra

second photo from here.

The Picnic

My Dears,

I hope you've all kept cool these past several days...what a scorcher it has been! Thankfully I've kept comfortably cool in air conditioned rooms. As much as I love the days of old I still cannot fathom how those dear folks got through the dog days of summer without AC. *sigh*

So here I am tapping away on my very modern keyboard to share with you a very vintage event. Two posts prior I made mention of my annual Independence Day picnic. Well, needless to say it was truly an affair to remember. The weather cooperated, the food was plenty, and the guests were as ever delightful. To add to the fun of our day, we had reporters for the Star-Ledger drop by to do a story for their "Munchmobile" feature. What is the Munchmobile you wonder?

Well get a load of this!!!

 TA-DA!!

Yes...a van with a large wiener on top graced the driveway of Harmonie House.  No really dears, this is truly on the level! The Edwardians were not scandalized...that I know of. *winks* Anyhow, the reporter and his munchmobile companion of the day were quite lovely people. They seemed to enjoy taking a stroll back in time with us. They sampled the food, toured Harmonie House, watched the croquet match, and snapped many pictures. I was even interviewed on video. How fun!!

With Munchmobile reporter Pete.

Tables laden with delicious fare!

Sweets are on the left!

How pretty!

Of course lemonade was served along with other soft drinks and water. However, what most of these dear, proper ladies and gents preferred was the ever popular frozen gin & tonics! Oh indeed!! Our sweet friend Heather made sure to keep those glasses filled with this refreshing brew. Not one to skip a beat she was there, pitcher in hand, ready to greet the reporters with a frozen cup! These gin & tonics have become the signature drink at this annual affair. 

My dear Heather..sans the pitcher.

Naturally there was music to be played. Tunes from the teens, 20's, 30's, and 40's kept us tapping our toes and singing along. What about our game of extreme croquet? Well of course we played! As usual, the flowers were not too happy when a ball would land in their bed....and as usual, I kept on hollerin' "Stay away from the flower beds!!!" *sigh* Even I, yes, I too was guilty of this faux pas. *shrugs* I guess it wouldn't be called extreme croquet if we weren't challenged by the garden's inhabitants. Bless their sweet lil hearts. I made sure to water them well and give them some extra TLC after all was said and done. Thankfully my friends know to treat my plants gingerly at all times during a croquet match.

These lovely gents tenderly held back the plants
so that I could knock the ball out of the bed.

When evening came along, my fella brought out the grill and put on the burgers and hot dogs! We sat under the night sky and feasted on our yummy, grilled food while the stars twinkled high above us. We chatted away until it was time for everyone to return to their homes. 

It was a memorable affair. How can it not be when in the company of dear, beloved friends?

By the way...there isn't a picture of me and my fella at this event. Why? I don't know. I guess we slipped the camera's radar. Needless to say, I pouted fretfully when I realized that my honey and I were not photographed together. *sigh* So in lieu of a picnic picture, I shall share of picture of us together at a friend's wedding this past June.

 I think we make a cute couple....don't you?

Well my dears..tis late and I'm tired. Another day of work beckons for the morrow so I must bid you all a good night. Oh and just to let you know...I'll have another "This & That" post coming up real soon! 

Blissful tidings!!

xoxo

Miss Sandra

Here's A Little Something...

 

...to cool you off!

In the meantime, I think I shall head out and pick up some soft-serve vanilla ice cream with sprinkles!! 

from here

Please try to stay cool my dears...drink plenty of fluids, and make the most of summertime!

Blissful tidings to each of you!

xoxo

Miss Sandra

Tis That time Again!

My Dears!

It's that time again when I, my fella, and the rest of our "vintage" friends gather together for our annual Independence Day picnic at Harmonie House!

I've been working diligently on getting everything ready. I do find that I never seem to have enough time to prep for these gatherings, but by the same token I tend to become giddy as a child while I get the house ready, and spend oodles of time in the garden weeding, mulching, and just making everything pretty. On the day of our picnic I never lack help, for my fella and some of my closest friends make all the early prep and work flow smoothly.

The lists have been made (food, linens, outdoor accessories, etc). I still have shopping to do, food tent to put up, and finding something to wear. Shall I go Edwardian or perhaps 1920's? Hmmmm..I do have a few Victorian outfits as well as a 30's style summer dress. *sigh* Who knows? My guests always look fabulous in any era they choose.

Needless to say, we are all excited and ready for a trip back in time, a wonderful gathering of dear friends old and new, a most enjoyable game of extreme croquet (do avoid the flower beds), delightful vintage music, delicious food, and pitchers of frozen gin & tonics. Yes my dears, we also serve lemonade.
Oh indeed....this party is the "bees knees"!!

Here are a few images of picnics from years past....

That's me all the way on the left in the red and white.

 

That's me sitting at left with the hat.

 

I was trying to avoid the flower beds...not sure I succeeded.

Pondering...

No..that is not a frozen gin & tonic in my hand. *winks*

I hope each and every one of you has a most lovely 4th of July weekend. May bliss follow you wherever you go!

 Hey! What am I doing in the flower bed??

xoxo,

Miss Sandra

I'm Back From a Sweet, Brief Holiday!

The view of Lake George from our room.

My Dears!

I do hope you've all been well. To all you fathers out there, I hope you had a most lovely Father's Day. Best wishes all around!

I know it's been almost a month since I last posted. Life has kept me busy...work-wise, and bliss-wise as well! I have loads of catching up to do, yet I'm still catching up with Mr. Knightley who missed me terribly while I was away with my fella on a blissful getaway to Lake George and Lake Placid.

So, hopefully I'll get caught up soon enough to post more often. I've missed you and I'm happy to be back in blogland.

We enjoyed a most delightful boat ride!

Oh..and by the way...I want to wish you all a most blissful Midsummer's. Enjoy the season..embrace the magic present in our lives.

Midsummer's Night Dream by Diane Sellers

Till soon..I wish you all blissful tidings!

xoxo
Miss Sandra

Yay!

 from here

My Dears,

All is better now. I can see the faces of my sweet followers. Thank you to those who commented and advised.
I do hope those of you who were also having Blogger issues are now issue free!

Till the next my dears...Blissful tidings to each of you.

xoxo
Miss Sandra

PS:...Isn't the kitty picture simply priceless? Now if only I could get Mr. Knightley to pose like that. *winks*

Just wondering...

by Tomi Ungerer

My Dears,
Any of you having issues with Blogger? I've been missing my followers since yesterday afternoon. The heading of "friends" is there, but the "follow" box with all the pictures of my followers is gone. What the heck is going on?

*serious pouting going on* Can anyone advise?

Blissful wishes my dears!
xoxo
Miss Sandra

*PS: If anyone wants to follow in the meantime, just click on "follow" at the top!

The Kettles Of Harmonie

Painting by Robin Weiss

My Dears,
I hope this rainy week hasn't put a damper on your spirit. Actually, I've had several glimpses of the sun throughout this day. Tis an amazing thing to see when one has become accustomed to gray days. Ahhh, but do not despair for the sun will kiss our world again.

You know I'm all about the simple things..the comforts and joys of home..and the pleasures of day to day life. Today I want to express my appreciation..nay, my LOVE..for certain important members of Harmonie House.

My tea kettles.

Many a blissful moment has been brought to me by said kettles. The comforting cuppa is for the most part, one of the gifts of life. It is said the kitchen is the heart of the house. There is no doubt the kettle is the heartbeat of this kitchen!

Let me tell you about Kenny.

Kenny was the name of my first copper kettle. (Yes, of course my kettles have names!) I remember finding him at a popular kitchen shop that was closing its doors. Needless to say, he was marked down 75% and I could  not resist such a bargain. I took him home and boiled the icky glaze off him right away. In no time he was ready to boil and serve. Kenny was a whistler. Oh could Kenny whistle! I could hear him in any part of the house. Till this day, he was the loudest of my whistlers...also the sweetest. Kenny poured water over many a brew throughout the years. Unfortunately his days of glory were numbered. Signs of age were suddenly becoming apparent. Then he started falling apart bit by bit. *sigh* I knew he had to be retired...but oh how I would miss him. Needless to say, I miss him still. *pouts* Kenny provided for many a tea..many a party.

Then Constance came along.

Cute and sassy. That's Constance the kettle! She came along soon after Kenny blew his final whistle. Thank goodness for this lovely lass of stainless steel. She's been boiling away for quite some time with no intention of going anywhere any time soon. Thank Heavens! Mind you...she's the silent type. Not one for whistling, she announces her readiness with quite a mighty hiss! Never one to skip a beat, she keeps my tea cups happily filled.

But wait!! You've yet to meet Collins!

Collins' arrival was quite a dear surprise...a Christmas gift from my fella! How delightful to have upon my stove a close kin of Kenny's. Oh yes...my fella had heard all about my dear sweet copper kettle..and how much I missed him. He wasted no time in finding Kenny's kin...just in time to place him under the tree. Though not a loud whistler like his predecessor, he makes up for it with a most softly, melodic boiling tune. Yes, Collins fits right in at Harmonie House.

Now you may wonder..how does Constance feel about Collins' arrival? I was a bit concerned at first, when she began to sputter as she boiled (all over Collins who sat nearby)..after some cajoling and some witty conversation on Collins part, they've somehow managed to get along. I've been giving them equal time of late. No need for either to feel unloved.

Besides..I believe Constance has developed a bit of a tendre for dear, melodic Collins!

 There is love brewing between these two! *winks*

There you have it my dears..a proper introduction to my tea kettles. They hiss..whistle..and bring comfort to those who enter our home...Harmonie House! How about a nice cup of tea?

Blissful Tidings To All!

xoxo

Miss Sandra

Thank You Dear Body...

My Dears...

Today I walked to work...I repeat, today I walked to work. Okay..so what? Well, normally I drive to my place of business, rain or shine. However, two days ago I couldn't even get out of bed..every movement a struggle. My body was weak and emptied out completely after having dined on bad fish. It felt like every nerve was raw and the chills were so unpleasant. Bed was my refuge..but rest was not easy..it hurt.

Bad fish..both my fella and I suffered the same outcome.

Fast forward to this day. It's been raining for the past three days straight...almost non-stop. I'm not talking about a light drizzle..I'm referring to downpours. It feels like March or April showers..just a bit more severe.

So I decided to walk to work..yes, that again! You see, I'm loving the fact that I'm feeling well. I'm loving the fact that I can move without any pain..without any struggle. I'm not so weak anymore...and feeling like myself again is a most wonderful thing to behold. I did a lot of thinking while in bed..between bouts ...and I decided that sometimes we take for granted the most wondrous gifts of life..like movement.

Today I want to thank my body for always doing what it needs to do for me. So I decided to walk to work..to feel the sweetness of movement without discomfort. I wanted to feel the air upon my skin....to feel and see the rain splashing upon my wellies. Let me tell you..it felt divine!

Today I want to say thank you to my tummy for taking in all my indulgences and working them through, mostly without protest. I also want to say I'm sorry for over-indulging and not taking care of it as I should. To you dear tummy I say..."this time I'll do my best to eat better and be more conscious of you."

Today I thank every nerve in my body..for alerting me when something is wrong and also for allowing me to feel the wonders and bliss within the sense of touch.

Yes, today I thank every inch of my body and promise not to take it for granted. So to my body I say this:

"You've been my shell and protector these past 40 years. You've carried my pain and you've carried my joys.
When I've laughed you've glowed..when I've cried you've poured forth the tears to cleanse me. With hands you've had me feel..with feet you've taken me to places I've never dreamed. When I've loved, you've made my heart skip in blissful cadence. With our eyes I see beauty and with our ears I hear music. I have not always been the best caretaker and I'm sorry for that. I want you to know that I love you and will be aware of you and your needs. I shan't take you for granted any longer. You are my best friend. You are me. Thank you!"

 I wish you all blissful tidings..and remember to love and take care of yourselves. Enjoy each day..every moment!

Oh! By the way...my fella is feeling much better too!
Thank Heavens!

xoxo,
Miss Sandra


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