The Thorn Birds

Don't Forget all you Thorn Bird Lovers, LTM (Lifetime Movies) will be airing the entirety of The thorn Birds, Thanksgiving Weekend. So get your kleenex, hope its snowing and settle down for those delicious moments with Meggie and Father Ralph from 1983.

November Orchids

My November Orchids, sorry to interrupt everyone Thanksgiving Planning but I promised my Plantbuddy, I would post photos of my Orchids..

So here they are.......smiling in the Florida sunshine. Today anyway, it's in the cool low

50's in evenings here and high's are 60-70's now. Humidity is low for Florida this time

of year, hurray!!! from menopausal women....I promise to keep blogging my orchids

as the seasons change....to visit my Plantbuddy....http://wateronceaweek.blogspot.com/

Thanks for the comments.

Thanksgiving Decor.....

Here Are some Beautiful Table Ideas........

Thanks to Martha Stewart's Blog for the

Photos.....

Charm Bracelets....

Charms go back as far as the Neolithic era where man would elaborate jewelry made of precious stones and metals emerged during the age of the Egyptian Pharaohs. It was during this time that the first recognizable charm bracelets and necklaces first appeared. Like people of many ancient civilizations, the citizens of ancient Egypt lived very short lives by today's standard - 30 to 40 years on average. With so little time on earth, they obsessively prepared for a prosperous life after death. Charm bracelets played a significant role in the preparation process. Charm wrist and neck bracelets were not only coveted as protective shields and signs of status in this life, they were also worn as ID tags to help the Gods guide the wearer and his/her possessions to the proper status level in the afterlife.

During the Roman Empire Christians would pull the (fish) charm from underneath their garments to identify themselves to other Christians to gain entry into secret, forbidden worship activities. The Jewish scholar of that same time would write passages from Jewish law on tiny slips of parchment and carefully insert the slips into a small, golden amulet that was worn around his neck. This of act reverence and piety was meant to keep the law close to the heart.. . .

Knights of the Middle Ages, found that charms and amulets were put to use by knights and kings. They were most often used with incantations to wreak havoc on the occupants of enemy castles and protect warriors in battle. Charms were also worn on belts to represent family origin, political standing and profession. General wearing of charms began to lose favor with the wealthy classes during the Renaissance as mass produced books emerged and superstitions faded. However, charms and amulets were still widely used by people of lesser means and education. The role of the charm remained relatively unchanged until the early 1900s.. . .

The bracelets of Queen Victoria ignited the next big wave of charm wearing. It was at this stage that charms had a dramatic change of purpose. They were small lockets, glass beads and family crests that hung on bracelets and necklaces were all the rage.. . .

The Greatest Generation was at the end of WWII it saw the explosion of charm jewelry as we know it today. Soldiers leaving Europe and islands in the Pacific purchased little handmade trinkets as gifts to bring home to their sweethearts. Native craftsmen fashioned small bits of metal into little replicas of items common to the locale. Enterprising jewelers in the States quickly picked up on the trend to create charms for all occasions.

I am on my second charm bracelet (the first is a story of its own) I love while vacationing to

find a special something to remind me of my trip. Its easy for friends to keep adding to it,

and so fun to show off !! Looking for an idea.......Christmas is coming.....

More Turkey Day Dishes.....

Ok, Do we have enough Thanksgiving Dishes to Choose from

Yet???? I say we use them from October 1st to Dec. 1st. and we have a fabulous built

in hutch to display them in...........

Spode Dinnerware

Those are nice too.

These are the ones I found.

NOW IF I CAN ONLY GET MY HUSBAND TO BELIEVE I NEED MORE DINNERWARE. I CAN'T HELP IT CHINA IS LIKE SHOES YOU CAN NEVER HAVE TO MANY

Turkey Day by Johnson Bros. England

Gina, these are the great Spode Plates i was telling you about , I think they would be lovely on your dining room table!!!!

The most beautiful tableware

For the little girl in all of us. Kate I know you will be eyeing this set.

Wallpaper inspired green and brown toile this is so me!

rosannainc.com

Update on Reuseable bags

I now have found these great bags and many other styles @ Garnet Hill and you can even get them monogramed for $6.00. They are four dollars less here than @ Reuseablebags.com (my earlier post). They even have a mini for your kids. so cute! So don't forget to get your bags and be fashionable where ever you go with them.

Books On Audio (used to be on tape....ha, ha)

Heard any good books lately? Nothing makes a long trip go by faster than a book to listen to. you'll find a great selection of titles at every Cracker Barrel location. Here's how it works: Buy a Books-On-Audio at any Cracker Barrel location (prices range from $9.99 to $48.00). CD. Enjoy listening, and then simply return the book at the next Cracker Barrel you visit. We'll refund the purchase price, minus $3.49 for each week you've had it. Then do it again!

On my 9 hour trip to South Carolina a few weeks ago to see Anna, I tried this, and it really

makes the trip go faster!!! I loved it and will definitely do it again. Any way who doesn't

love stopping at Cracker Barrel while on a long drive, I stop just for the shopping and

the restrooms!!!!

Wax Sealing Letters

The use of seals, in wax, or embossed on paper, was to authenticate documents, it is a practice as old as writing itself. Seals were applied directly to the face of the document or attached to the document In the other cases, although a forger could remove the seal intact by ripping the cords from the paper, he would still have to separate the cords to attach it to another document, which would destroy the seal as well because the cords had knots tied in them inside the wax seal. Most governments still attach seals to letters patent. Seals were also applied to letters and parcels to indicate whether or not the item had been opened since the seal was applied. Seals were used both to seal the item to prevent tampering, as well as to provide proof that the item was actually from the sender and is not a forgery. To seal a letter, for example, a letter writer would compose the letter, fold it over, pour wax over the joint formed by the top of the page of paper, and then impress a ring, metal stamp, or other device.

Signet rings Signet rings, bared a coat of arms, they were made by intaglio engraving, either in metal or gems Metal signet rings could be cast, which is cheaper but yields a weaker material. The wearing of signet rings is a longstanding tradition among nobles in European and some other cultures. In contemporary usage, the signet ring is typically worn on the little finger of either the right or left hand (depending on the country), although some countries have different customs (French and German noblemen, and some Spanish nobles wear it on the ring finger of their left hand; Swiss wear it on the ring finger of their right hand). In the United Kingdom, signet rings are typically worn on the little finger of the left hand of the bearer and tend to be cast of gold. The ring should be worn with the seal facing outwards to enable wax impressions without removing the ring.

With the invent of email, I hope you girls are still trying to write letters and cards. I sure miss the post. I myself still have a cartridge pen, beautiful stationary and wax seal......I hope you do too!!

Kindle Rocks

This is my Christmas present the Amazon Kindle it is an e-reader and much more. You can read books, magazines, newspapers etc. connect to Internet, e-mail, MP3 player, dictionary, bookmark and the list goes on and on. You can even read for 2 days on 1 charge and you can read outside in the bright sun. For those of you who love to read and like the latest gadgets then the Kindle is for you go to amazon.com

My Charleston Library

Gina, I hear your getting a great Christmas present that

will help you read even more , why dont you show and

tell us about it ........te,he,he....kate

Botanic Garden Portmeirion

This is a beautiful

portmeirion teapot from Wales

my husbands client

gave him to give to me

since I love hot tea.

I wish I had this chair

Pet carrier

Vera Bradley pet carrier in Peacock pattern brand new never used

retails for $97.00.

Iwould sell for $75.00

will fit a dog or cat.

Monograms I love them!

Check out these beautiful monograms at

http://www.monograminc.com/

This is the new Vera Bradley Wristlet I got,

while on I was in Chicago for my Dad's 80th.

I looked at about 4 different stores trying to

decide. This is the new Puccini pattern. I wanted

something to carry my digital camera in, it was

always getting lost and scratched in my purse

and its perfect........

Soap & Paper factory check out the real great items they have.

More Tea News.....Charleston SC, opens Tea Plantation

Anna, the Duchess of Bedford, created the afternoon tea over a century ago. Dinner was not served until 8:30 PM and Anna would get a "sinking feeling" late in the afternoon. She decided it would be nice to have a cup of tea with some cookies or cake, and she served her lady friends when they came to visit.

the 2008 First Flush Festival. Perfect weather combined with food, and musical entertainment to make it a very special day for the nearly 3000 people who visited the Plantation on the 17th. Fresh American Classic Iced Tea was served throughout the day. 2008 1st Flush Loose Tea was available for sale Mark your calendars now and plan to join us for the Third Annual First Flush Festival to be held at Charleston Tea Plantation on May 16, 2009.