Melissa’s Cozy Teacup

Don’t get too close, I’m sick, or at least, I THINK I’m sick. Last night during home group, sorry dear friends!, the lymph nodes behind my right ear started swelling. To my knowledge, I’ve never had one swell there before. I have on the back of my neck by the base of my skull, but not behind my ear. It hurts, and it spread to a little further back on my neck (although a quick exam shows that is going down). So, I quaffing chicken noodle soup, water and green tea rose sencha today. Keep me in prayers for healing. Now onward!

I have posted November’s Tearoom Menu for a Tea Brunch. I will post the recipe for the acorn stuffing here in a bit. If you make any of my recipes, or use my menu suggestions, please email me a picture of you, or your table decked out in scrumptious food bits and I’ll post your picture on my Flicker account. I’d love to get to know my readers better. Heck, send me photos of yourselves and I’ll post that on my Flicker account.

So, as you know, last night was home group night. Since none of us have kids to take trick or treating, or the desire to site at home and answer the door bell fifty times handing out candy, we decided to go on with the group, also because we just love each other so darn much!

HINT: most churches have a harvest festival where they hand out free candy and set up game booths carnival style for kids so they don’t have to ring strangers door bells for candy. You might want to check this out for next year.

Anyway, our street is DARK, very, very DARK. we don’t have street lamps so the only illumination is from porch lights. Ours was off which, I would think should send a clear message we are not participating in candy handing out. Sadly, there were some parents who didn’t get the clue. They didn’t just ring the bell or knock once, they practically beat down the door! Ring, Ring, bang, bang! Get the hint, people. I finally went to the bathroom window (which over looks our porch, very convenient) to tell them the reason the porch light is out is because we’re not doing Halloween. This only happened 2x but it does make you kind of stop and think and wonder about the parents of these kids. I don’t know about you, but I wouldn’t drag my kid of a darkened porch or a bite size candy bar. No sirree!

How group was good even with the distractions. I made stuffed green peppers and cherry almond scones for dessert and a black tea to warm us all up.

I hope you are inviting people over and opening your hearts and homes to friends and neighbors who will, I hope will become friends. I wonder, how many people impacted by the fires interacted with their neighbors prior to standing in the street weeping at the sight of their burned out shells that used to be a home? Don’t wait for a tragedy to strike before meeting your neighbors. Get to know the persons around you. You may need them one day or better yet, they may need you.