Melissa’s Cozy Teacup

There are several blogs on blogger (some run by democrats) who have had access to their own blogs blocked by blogger under the guise of false spam reporting. Really? ALL these blogs falsely reported spam? Really. I find that soooo, hard to believe but more believable is their views didn’t mesh with whomever they annoyed at blogger. someone obviously not familiar with the First Amendment. I hope these bloggers get together and sue. I’m tired of media blackouts and unfair slants towards their candidate of choice. I’m tired of a lack of biased reporting. I’m tired of other people trying to control what is said and written.

Anti Obama Blogs Locked Due To False “SPAM” Reporting
***Continually Updated Below***
Updated June 27

My own blogger “unblock request” was completed for the third time again this morning. It was completed the first time on June 3 and the “verification” that it was listed mysteriously disappeared on June 17. I (CLICK TO READ MORE)

CLICK HERE to read about what happened to Blue Lion

Looking for unique ideas for your next tea party? Check out THIS. I have been following Natasha’s creative journey for about a year now. I have always been entertained and amazed at her creativity and, she is genuinely kind and a joy to talk to and has a cutie pie little boy to boot! Why not go, ‘down under’ (she lives in Australia) for some inspiration and a respite from the day?

Hello dear readers. Last week, I received my newsletter from Elizabeth Knight. Elizabeth, for those who don’t know, is an author and speaker specializing in tea. She has a new book out: Celtic Teas with Friends.

If interested, please do visit her site to purchase your own signed copy of her new book.

I purchased a Broyhill chair at a garage sale yesterday. It needs some TLC, but when I’m done, it will go nicely in my office. So for today at least, have a nice cuppa and a cookie and we’ll resume Chesterton next Monday.
Happy Sipping!

It’s a bit over cast and cool today so a nice cuppa and some cookies are in order.

The thoughts of the Phoenix Police officers are that the drug cartels are now performing cross border home invasion raids and murders north of the border i.e. Arizona. The past few months have been difficult for the Mexican Police and some of the drug cartel members who have assumed room temperature. As a result, some members of the remaining Mexican drug cartels are moving parts of their operations into the United States.

Read rest of story HERE

Now, the writer of the story says SOME of the raiders were ex-Mexican army but doesn’t say if the rest of the raiders were still part of the Mexican army.

Bernard Goldberg and Jane Hall were on the Bill O’ Reilly show trying to say that an ad with two men kissing has nothing to do with Heinz trying to sell mayo to homosexuals. Maybe they are right. Maybe it was just about trying to convince people through the imagery of the commercial that this type of life style is ‘okay’ under the guise of mom fixing sandwiches like a deli guy, I think not. A ‘mere’ 200 complaints were enough to have this ad pulled from the BBC airwaves. Two hundred. See, if we as Christians stand up for what we believe in and let our voices be heard, we can effect positive change and prevent our rights and freedoms from being stripped away and our values from being mocked and touted as what is wrong when we know they are, in fact, correct.

CHAPTER TWO

Ruby’s interview was short and to the point. The shift manager explained a bit of how things were run and what she would be doing, asked her a few questions then told her she’d call her in the next couple of days to let her know if she had been hired. Ruby smiled and got up to leave. She made it all the way to her car before she let the doubt she was feeling show on her face. She was sure there were many, more qualified applicants than she and that one of them was sure to be offered the job. She headed home and watched, while she drove, as the wind blew around small snowflakes, then big fat, wet, heavy ones that made your windshield wipers work extra hard. She drove slow in the snow and finally made it home 45 minutes later. Maxine gave her her usual ‘happy dance’ when she came in the door. Ruby reached down to pet her and heard her answering machine beep. Wondering who could of called, she pushed the button to listen. ‘Hi Ruby, it’s Cora,‘ Ruby sighed, she knew what was coming, ‘it’s snowing pretty hard so the tea room will be closed tomorrow. You know how much the ladies hate to drive in bad weather. No sense in opening if no one will be there.’

Ruby thought, ‘I’ll be there. What am I, chopped liver?’

‘We’ll see how things go for Saturday,’ Cora was still talking, ‘but I doubt it will melt fast enough to make a difference.’

Ruby knew what Cora did, snow didn’t last long around here. It usually melted in a day or two but for their clientèle, any wet road was a bad road which meant, no matter how much it melted by Saturday, it wouldn’t melt enough to open.

“Well Max, looks like I’ll have a three day weekend. Too bad I don’t have any extra money to go anywhere or do anything. I guess I’ll just have to stay here and find something to do.” Maxine gave

Ruby a grumble and a few happy stamps of her feet. She had been cooped up all day and wanted to play. Ruby went to the toy box and grabbed Maxine’s hedge hog. It was well loved by Maxine and it showed in the way one ear hung on by a thread and both eyes were missing. A good deal of fur had been chewed off in the past two years but that didn’t matter to Max as she waited impatiently for Ruby to play with her. Ruby and Maxine growled at each other and wrestled for a long time before they called it quits for the night. After making dinner for them both, Ruby curled up on the small couch and turned on the t.v.. Maxine soon joined her and they snuggled together under an old afghan. When morning came, they were both still in the same spot. Ruby got up to start her day, Maxine scrunched further down in the afghan. Ruby went over and slid the panel out of the dogie door letting Maxine decide when to let herself out. Walking into the kitchen, Ruby went to the sink and opened the curtains. She caught her breath in wonder as she looked at a world that was completely different in appearance from what she had seen yesterday. Everything was dressed in white-crystal splendor. All the ugly brown of winter was gone and forgotten in the beauty of the snow. Ruby continued to glance out the window now and then as she puttered around the kitchen. She made a small picnic for she and Maxine. Some fruit, scones, cheese and pieces of 70% cocoa dark chocolate in a baggy and a thermos full of Earl Grey tea were placed in her worn wicker hamper as well as a china cup and saucer for her and a small china bowl for Maxine’s water. She dressed herself in warm layers and Maxine in a sweater and headed for the car. The plows had been out all night and she was sure they would be able to make it to the Garden. Ruby had an old digital camera stuffed in her pocket. A left over from days gone by that survived being pawned or sold. She also took a note pad and pen. These next three days would be a good time for her to make some plans. It would be up to God to see if her dreams would become reality. It would have to

be Him because she had nothing else to make them come true but the willingness to do the work necessary to birth those dreams. Maxine danced excitedly in the passenger seat as she waited for Ruby to scraped off all the snow and for the windows to defrost enough so they could see.

Twenty-five minutes later, they arrived at the Garden of the Gods park. The snow was deeper on Ruby’s side of town than the park’s. Even though the roads had been plowed, it had taken much longer than normal to get to the park because of the snow packed and icy conditions. Ruby snapped Maxine’s leash to her halter before they stepped out of the car. The snow almost came up to Max’s belly. It was a good thing she had long legs. The two friends enjoyed having the park to themselves and ran around looking for tracks and taking pictures of the beauty surrounding them.

“It seems like God made this just for us, Girl”, Ruby said to Maxine watching the cold turn her breath into a frosty cloud. When Maxine didn’t respond, or even move, Ruby looked down at her. Maxine was almost completely still except for a slight tremor running through her very alert body. Ruby followed her gaze and finally caught sight of what was holding her interest. Bunnies. Two of them were off to the side digging where the snow wasn’t so deep, looking for a few brown blades of grass to nibble. Maxine let out a small grumble.

“No,” was Ruby’s firm reply.

“Uff,” Maxine shot back a little louder.

“I said, ‘no’ Max, and I mean it!”

Before Ruby could get a tighter grip on Max’s leash, her body jerked it out of Ruby’s hand as she lunged for the rabbits.

“Max!”

Ruby dashed after her but Maxine was too fast for her. All she could do was keep her in sight as she

tried to keep up with her now very- in-trouble dog. Ruby felt a rush of panic as Maxine disappeared around a red rock formation. Anything could be on the other side. Colorado Springs might be a good sized city, but the west side of town still had wild animals that would love a tasty snack like Max. Finally making it to the rock formation, Ruby rounded the corner at full speed and smacked into something hard and fell flat on her back. Panting and gasping, she lay in the snow trying to catch her breath, all the while worried that Maxine would never be found. When she could open her eyes, she looked up not at the sky, but at the most beautiful pair of caramel colored eyes she had ever seen. Before Ruby could say anything, there was a hot wet tongue licking her all over her face and she saw a blur of fur. She turned her head, the tongue and blur of white and red fur belonged to Maxine.

“Here,” said Caramel Eyes, “let me help you up.”

Ruby intended to just let him help her, but it turned into more like him doing all the work while she just leaned on him still trying to remember how to breath. She tried to focus on just about anything at all but him but it was difficult. All she noticed was how good he smelled and how strong he felt under his heavy coat. It was all those muscles that had knocked her down. Not an easy thing to do considering her height. Than again, looking at him, he was no small fry himself. At 6′ 2”-6′ 3” he was just a few inches taller than her. He had a nice tan, not too dark, and a smile that seemed brighter than the snow around them. His dark blond hair set off his eyes. Was she imagining things or had they met before? He looked a bit familiar but she just couldn’t place him. She didn’t say anything to him though about looking familiar to her as she didn’t want him to think she was hitting on him.

“Are you alright?” he voice was mellow, almost relaxing, but was there a hint of laughter in it? Was he smiling or grinning? Now she couldn’t tell and her temper flared.

“I’m fine! No thanks to you. You should watch where you’re going. You could hurt someone with…”

she stopped, tried not to blush but felt her face get warm. ‘With what’, she thought, ‘with those big muscles that had knocked me to the ground and had almost knocked me out?’

“What a way to go.”

“Excuse me? Go where?”

“Huh?” Alarmed at where the conversation might be headed, she feigned ignorance of what she had let slip from her lips and ducked her head so he could not, she hoped, see her face and tried to change the subject as they walked back to the parking lot.

Ruby grabbed Maxine and practically threw her in the car. Giving her a ‘look’ and a silent promise of a stern lecture later.

“Wait, before you go, let me give you my card. Please call me if your injuries require medical care.”

‘Was Mr. Caramel Eyes serious?’ She thought. ‘Why would he think she would even call him?’

Her eyes followed his gaze. They appeared to be scrutinizing her car and her for that matter. Who was this guy?

“Thank you very much, but I am quite capable of taking care of myself.”

‘Was that a ‘huff’? Did I just ‘huff’ at him? I’ve got to get out of here.’ With her mind racing she didn’t notice him tossing his card inside her car as she quickly got in it and locked all the doors. The side of his delicious looking mouth curled slightly when he heard the door locks click. ‘Delicious?!’ she thought. Small bits of rock and snow went flying as she sped out of the parking space in reverse.

“Maxine-Marmalade-Cross!” Ruby’s anger, more at Mr. Caramel Eyes and her reaction to him than Maxine, made her use all three of Max’s names as if she were scolding a naughty child. “We do not go chasing after strangers! We do not go chasing after men in general!”

Ruby’s breathing was labored and her head began to ache. She realized she was shaking and pulled

over to the side of the road once they were out of sight. She let out a long breath not entirely sure as to why she had reacted so strongly to the stranger in the park. She looked at the view of the park. From where she was parked she could see most of it and a large portion of the foothills and Pike’s Peak gleaming white in the bright sunlight. She thought about the stranger. He was just a man. Two legs, two arms, two eyes… etc. What was the big deal? She looked over at Max who looked as though she were pouting, not too sure how a moment of fun had earned her a lecture. Max let out a little sigh and rested her head on her folded paws. Ruby’s heart sank a little.

“I’m sorry, girl.”

Ruby reached over to pat Maxine who jumped up and began licking Ruby’s face to let her know all was well. Ruby hugged her best-friend and buried her face in Max’s fur. “I’m sorry”, she breathed again. Now Ruby was mad at herself for two reasons instead of one; her reaction to the man in the park and her temper flair towards Maxine.

“Let’s go home.”

During the drive home, Ruby’s mind ran through her chance encounter with the man at the park. What an odd accent he had. He didn’t look or sound like any man she had seen before in Colorado Springs. He was dressed for the cold weather, but not in the rustic wear she was accustomed to seeing. His ‘look’ was more continental, more sophisticated. He didn’t wear a ball cap which immediately gave away the fact he wasn’t from Colorado where ball caps, sweatshirts, long shorts and sandals were a year round dress code. Ruby decided to get him out of her head by going to Vi’s for a visit. Vi had an open door policy with Ruby. She just needed to call first to make sure Vi was home.

Ruby called her friend when she got home and made arrangements to have afternoon tea with her at her house.

“Hey girl,” she said to Maxine, “want to go visit Daphne? Let’s go!”

Maxine bounded to the door and waited impatiently for Ruby who took Max’s leash off the hook and put it on her for the short walk to the car. Once settled inside the car, Ruby took off for the old north- end part of town. Vi’s family had owned a house there for generations. Ruby noticed that the sun had come out enough to clear paths in the snow making driving easier and less dangerous. As long as she didn’t lose track of time tonight and leave after the water from the melted snow turned into ice, she should make it home safely. A few minutes later, Ruby drove down the driveway that lead to the front of the familiar house made from cut limestone. Maxine, recognizing where they were, made little happy noises as she waited for Ruby to let her out of the car. Practically racing each other up the porch stairs, Ruby and Maxine landed on the porch a little out of breath and full of excitement. Both Ruby and Max enjoyed the company of their older lady friends. Violet reminded Ruby of gentler days and gentler ways while dispensing valuable advise, while Maxine and Daphne, Vi’s own black and white pa pillion, entertained one another with seemingly endless enthusiasm. Maxine had even brought along her favorite squeaky toy to share with Daphne.

Violet had a live-in maid/caregiver and it was she who answered the door after Ruby had lifted the heavy brass knocker, a Victorian Lady’s hand with a crystal ring on her finger, to announce their arrival.

“Hello Ms. Myers,” Ruby warmly greeted the woman opening the door, “Maxine and I are here for a visit.”

“Yes, Ma’am.”

Ruby followed Ms. Myers down the hall to the sitting room where Vi waiting for her. Myers announced Ruby and Maxine then headed to the kitchen to perform the task of tea making.

“Hello, hello!” chirped Vi. “Welcome, Ladies,” she said referring to both Ruby and Maxine. Maxine jumped into Vi’s lap to greet her friend with dog kisses and happy noises. Daphne, still on the floor next to Vi, gave an impatient yip and she and Max were off and running to whatever adventure awaited them. Ruby bent over and gave Vi and hug. “Hello to you too, Vi! How have you been? Are you enjoying the snow?”

Ruby started the conversation as they waited for the tea and scones. Just as Ruby was finishing up telling Vi about her encounter in the part with the handsome stranger, Ms. Myers arrived pushing a squeaking tea cart ladened with all sorts of goodies for them to enjoy. Much more than what Ruby had been treated to in the past.

“Goodness, Vi, you’re really pulling out all the stops here today. What’s the special occasion?”

Was Ruby imagining things, or did a look of mischief flash across Vi’s face just now?

“Oh, I thought I would have Myers do something a little different, and special today for a change. Do I need a special reason to spoil a friend?”

“Of course not, I hope I’m not being rude. I love it, it’s very nice.”

Ruby reached for the tea pot and poured a cup of tea for each of them. It looked different then last time when they had sipped a basic black tea, stout and without much flair. Ruby looked at Vi her face asking the question.

“Yorkshire Gold,” said Vi.

One of Ruby’s favorites. Also before they had enjoyed a simple sampling of scones and fruit. Not so today. Today, the cart nearly groaned under the weight of the variety of delicacies being offered. Smoked salmon and cream cheese sandwiches with a hint of wasabi, roast beef with French tarragon mustard, chicken salad sandwiches tinted pink, a variety of scones and pastries and fresh fruit served on

Vi’s best Wedgwood china. Ruby could tell that something was up and that Vi would get to it when she was ready. Before she could open her mouth to ask, Maxine and Daphne burst into the room and came running up to the women sniffing the air expectantly.

Vi laughed, “Look at them! They are making sure that they don’t miss out on anything.”

Ruby laughed and nodded in agreement. She took the saucer from underneath her cup and filled it with a little tea for Maxine but set it aside to let it cool a bit first before placing it on the ground. Vi handed Ruby her saucer asking her to do the same for Daphne.

“I have a surprise for the ‘girls’,” said Vi with a mischievous twinkle in her eye, “look under that silver lid.” Ruby lifted the lid on a small chaffing dish. It was filled with roast beef cooked rare.

Ruby smiled at Vi’s generosity as Vi rang a small silver bell.

The two dogs danced around excitedly as Ruby divided the beef equally between two dishes and set them on the floor for the dogs to enjoy.

As the ‘girls’ ate the beef and drank their tea, Myers came into the room in response to the bell Vi had rung. In her hands was a small covered silver dish which she set on the table.

Vi and Ruby continued to visit and laugh. Vi entertained Ruby with stories from her youth, of suitors who called upon her and her progressive ways of thinking that more often than not got her into trouble with her parents. “Boys just didn’t understand me”, Vi lamented then quickly added, “that’s ok. I got rid of the ones who didn’t know what to do with me and the way I saw the world, and it made room in my life for the man who was to become my husband!”

After hearing about how Vi and Richard, her now deceased husband, had met, Ruby told Vi a few stories about the goings on at the restaurant. Vi waited patiently for Ruby to finish then reached across the cart to the covered dish Myers had brought in and handed it to Ruby.

“What’s this?” Ruby asked.

“You’ll have to open it to find out.” Said Vi with a smile and a twinkle in her eye.

Ruby gasped as she looked inside the envelope and took out the check inside. The amount was big, very big. More than Ruby had or would have managed to save while working her insurance job. She looked at Vi in confusion.

“W-what?”

“When I was a young woman,” Vi began, “I had more money than you could shake a stick at, only we did not talk of such things as it was considered vulgar. Things change, Ruby and I want to talk to you about it now.”

Ruby had been stunned into silence by the contents of the envelop and thought it best let her friend continue uninterrupted.

“My father had been one of this city’s founders and he had made quite a lot of money in developing the land around us, buying mines and railroad shares, building hotels, polo clubs, and theaters. All places where he and his friends could play and could act as monuments to himself and his over inflated sense of self worth.”

Ruby was a bit surprised to hear Vi speak about her father in such a way but still she said nothing.

“Though, as I said, I had money, I had very little freedom. Oh, at first when Richard and I dated and were married he seemed to be interested in and enjoy my unconventional ways. As time went by however, it became more and more evident that what he had really wanted in his heart was a wife that would stay home and raise his heirs. Not someone to help him run the company my father was giving to him. My father was giving the company to my husband, not to me. I made my decision at the time not to say anything and to involve myself in volunteer work like every other rich house wife in town.

Everyday, though, when my husband would go to work, my heart would go with him even though it was clear I could not. After a few years of trying, it became clear that we would never have children of our own. My father discouraged us form adopting. It wasn’t as accepted in those days as it is now. Twice now in my life I was not to have the desire of my heart and I had to live with the knowledge that my husband had lied to me to get me to marry him so he could get to my father’s business. Even though he ran it well, I always felt cheated and since divorce was unheard of then I kept my mouth closed and lived life the best that I could but always wanting more. I’ve seen you work hard at the tearoom, Ruby. You have the freedom I never did. You have the same drive and desire to make something of yourself but the lack of funding is what is holding you back. I had drive and money but no freedom. Now, take the money I’ve given you and live your dream. If that means you want to open your own tearoom, you can even do that here in this very house. It’s old and has original Victorian furniture and decorations. You can use it all. Every piece of furniture, picture, china, linen, is yours. All I ask is that you allow me to live here until God calls me home. Can you do that? Can you live with an old lady? There’s also a quit claim deed in that envelope giving you this house, now.”

Ruby’s head was spinning.

“But with the house and all the ‘trimmings’ included, there wouldn’t be much to buy.” Said Ruby. “Some paint here and there and some minor repairs, I would need to commercialize the kitchen to bring it up to the heath department’s codes but certainly nothing costly enough that would use up all this money.”

“Oh no, the money is for you whether you open a tearoom or not. I have more than enough and I’m not getting any younger so I may as well give some to those I love and enjoy watching them spend it. You’re my friend, Ruby and I love you and I’ve enjoyed our visits so very much. It’s very lonely here.

Not much ever happens. It’s just me Daphne and Myers, oh and my great-nephew who’s visiting for a little while but soon he’ll be gone and it’ll just be me and Daphne. Oh won’t you say, ‘yes’, Ruby?”

Ruby thought about what Vi said as her eyes looked around the room. Seeing the time on the clock on the mantle, she stood up as she said, “Vi, I’m sorry, I did not realize how late it has got. I need to leave before the roads freeze up.”

“Oh Honey, I hope I didn’t say something to upset you!” Genuine concern washed across Vi’s face at the prospect of having offended her young friend.

“No, no, Vi! Of course not! It’s nothing like that. I had planned to leave by three and it’s almost four. You know how the shady parts of the road get glossed over after the melting snow has left behind all that water.”

Ruby called for Maxine. Maxine came running into the room excited to see her leash in Ruby’s hand. However, once it was on her and she realized they were going home and not for a walk, Maxine’s ears drooped in disappointment.

Ruby looked down at her, “I feel the same way, Girl.”

“So stay,” Vi said.

“Stay?”

“Yes, the roads are getting bad and you can see the part of the house you’d be living in if you decided to take me up on my offer. Sort of a trial run.”

“I don’t know,” Ruby hedged.

Ruby looked down at Max. She was panting and wagging her body. She had obviously enjoyed her day with Daphne and Ruby was dreading the drive home. She could hear the clock on the mantle ticking, waiting, as was Vi.

Though her mind was spinning, Ruby heard herself saying, “Ok, I’ll stay.”

Vi clapped her hands in excitement and rang the silver bell for Ms. Myers.

“Myers! Show Miss. Cross to her room so she can freshen up and have a tour before dinner.”

“Yes, Ma’am. Follow me please, Ma’am.” Myers turned to leave the room.

With sweaty palms, Ruby bent down to hug Vi then followed Myers out of the room and up the stairs to her wing of the house. Her wing of the house?! It was all so unreal. Ruby griped the banister as she ascended the stairs. Max tried a couple of times to rush past her but Ruby held her back. Once she had been shown to her room and left alone, Ruby fell back onto what might be her new bed. She looked around the room without really seeing it then reached into the envelope, pulled out and read the letter and deed that were inside and looked again at the check amount. It was the biggest check she had ever seen. She could take it and pay off every debt she had and still have enough to live comfortably for the rest of her life without even having to think about working. Ruby exhaled slowly then took a deep breath and read the deed. It was straight forward and gave her complete ownership of the house and land on which it sat and every single item within the house. Everything. Ruby’s breath caught in her throat. No one in her whole life had been so generous to her. She had had to work, and work hard for everything she had in the world which as of this morning wasn’t very much. Try as she might, she couldn’t think of what she could have done to impress Vi so much to give her the money and house nor what she might have done to earn such a gift. Isn’t that how things worked? Didn’t you have to work hard and hope you didn’t die before your dreams came true? Who handed someone something so large without them having first done something to prove they were worthy?

It reminded her of the salvation God offered to everyone who answered His knock on the door of their life. Not one could do anything to earn it, it was freely given.

Ruby laid her head down on the bed with her arm across her face and felt hot breath in her ear but not soon enough to avoid the tongue that always followed. Smiling she looked over at Max who lay beside her slowly wagging her tail. Max had wanted to make sure Ruby was ok and this was her way of ‘asking’.

“Well, Girl, should we do it? Should we pull up stake and move in here lock stock and barrel?”

Maxine cocked her head to one side and wiggled closer. Ruby gathered her friend into her arms and prayed.

The Supreme Court has over turned a 32 year old ruling, prohibiting the citizens of D.C. from carrying hand guns these many long years. Here is the story from the BBC News.

LINK