Where are the tea drinkers?!

Just to lure in a few folks I offer this home made Bundt cake - no mixes of any type - lemon pound cake with a poured-on icing of powdered sugar, butter, and freshly squeezed lemon juice.

Sugar and fat do not count at Afternoon Tea.

Hi Ya-all I am finally here. Chemo day went well with hubby. We actually went to Arbys after for lunch. He is sleeping now . This is his usual nap time. The steroids should help him through tonight.

Caroline your cake looks delicious. I loved that lemon sugar frosting. No more for me but I can smell it when I use it on hubbies desert cakes.

I could not find a matching Tea cup and saucer so here is my tea set up for today. A little snack for me too.

I never had a saucer for it. I just thought it was so pretty I bought it.

I am lounging on my dinning room couch. Not doing any more today unless it is fun.

Eld 6161 - What book are you reading? I am traveling back in time and reading E.F. Benson's Miss Mapp, written in 1922. I just finished Queen Lucia, written in 1920. I just discovered we cannot underline book titles on this site. :(

They are wonderful books, great fun, and a glimpse into another world. Riotously funny with hoity-toity wanna bees, social climbers, and a lot of Very Big Fish in a very tiny pond in post WWI England.

Shades - That is a beautiful tea setting. Are the green pieces Depression Glass? Your tea cup appears to be hand painted, too. We coordinate! It must be very fine china; I can see through the tea, through the back of the cup, and see the design shadow from the other side. Exquisite!

What is in the custard cup? Could it be bits of sponge cake, or Lady's Fingers?

My cake is a photo of one I baked a few years ago for Wes' birthday. I'm diabetic, and we're both overweight, so sweets are very few and far between. We ate half of the Bundt cake with our "Dinner Guests" (oh now I am being Miss Mapp hoity-toity, too! But then, can a plastic tablecloth be considered hoity-toity ?) and sent the other half home with them.

Caroline the cup is hand painted and it is also very thin and light weight. The handle is so small it is too hard for me to hold so I use both hands to hold it. It is some thing I found at a yard sale who knows when. I have had it for a very long time.

The custard cup and saucer under cup are both depression. I only have the one plate/saucer and another of a different pattern and size. Then 5 custard cups that patch and one that does not. I am fine with that I love the green glass. I also have a small set og the forest green glass dishes I use every day. I really like to mix things up. Even though we eat on trays in our laps and not the table.

What is in the custard cup is my afternoon snack of pork skins. I also can not have sugar. I indulge and even put a little bit of butter on them. And if I need a desert I sprinkle a little Torino sugar free caramel on them=drops not much and microwave and it tastes just like pancakes and bacon.

Caroline, I'm reading My Name is Lucy Barton by Elizabeth Strout.

BTW, your cake looks amazing.

Shades, glad things went well with your DH.

Love both of your settings. I have a collection of Dunkin Donut mugs. Sort of an inside family joke, I use them everyday. But, I should really treat myself to my nicer Lenox mugs that I use for the holidays.

Sorry I'm late! Had to go out of town and just got back to GW : )

Caroline- Such a pretty cup. And I wish I could try that cake!

Shades- Your cup is beautiful...and so delicate looking.

Eld- Please post a picture of your mug. It sounds fun! And are the Lenox mugs a holiday set?

I had tea earlier...Earl Grey of course! LOL Wasn't able to take a picture of outdoor tea today, but I did get a picture of my teacup.

So pretty! Is the brand/pattern stamped on the back?

I think our Afternoon Teas are held in a time warp, or would that be a black hole?

Time stands still from Tuesday to Tuesday. Everyone can drop in for their cuppa without fighting that pesky scheduling.

I like the idea to be able to come in on the Tuesday Tea thread any time of the week to just chat until the next Tuesday.

LL That is a lovely cup and saucer set. Maybe next week we can have tea in your Fairy Garden.

Shades- That would be fun!

....and then I come stomping in, mud on my boots, sawdust all over my clothes, drinking leftover coffee from a chipped mug. I'm glad to see more activity on this sub-forum, though!

Well dust yourself off, for Pete's sake; cut a slice of cake; and sit in this chair. I'll pour you some fresh coffee.

Now tell us what you've sawing, building, or tearing out to get yourself in such a state?

Ooops, let me get that little wood chip out of your hair. You'll have to wear an "I Love Lucy" type headscarf when you're doing such messy work. I know; I came in with dried up white spruce needles in my hair after digging around in the Hosta garden.

Welcome Mushcreek. I came in last night with those seeds off the elm trees. They are everywhere. It is snowing tree seeds. LOL

YES what are you building. Are you healed enough to be building? Sure hope so.

Well, it was mostly a joke, but I have been doing some tinkering out in the shop; mostly electrical work, which is light-duty. I've also been cleaning a very grimy old machine tool, transferring most of the grime on to my self, as I am prone to do.

I need electrical advice in this old house! Now don't get frightened; LOL, it's just an "is this possible?" question. I will have the licensed electrician here do the work.

I have a well on the property! I am not allowed to plumb its water into the house, but it does have a pump that powers well water to the three outside spigots.

To use the well water, I go down to the basement and turn the pump's power outlet switch to "on."

Then I trudge back upstairs, go outside, turn on the spigot, and water to my heart's desire. The well is a real blessing!

The outlet for the pump is 5-6' directly below the kitchen counter.

Could the wire be moved straight "up," inside the walls, and the switch be installed on the kitchen wall next to one of the grounded outlets there?

it would be wonderful to not have to go up and down the dungeon's stairs every time I want to use water outside.

I think I made a social faux pas - again! I referenced a Lucy-type headscarf. Now I think I remember you are a guy; is this right? If so, take off that silly scarf and plop on a ball cap, Fedora, Stetson,Bomber, Panama, Top, Outback, Deer Stalker, or any other hat hat you like! Or, heck, if you like the scarf, keep it. That green and blue plaid brings out your eyes!

Eld6161, Your counters! Your cabinets! Your backsplash! All to die for beautiful!

Mugs vs. Lenox - all are winners!

Yes, I'm a guy. I rarely wear a hat- or a scarf LOL!

The electrical work should be easy for an experienced person. The switch in the basement would get replaced with a junction box, as the wires probably aren't long enough to go up to the kitchen. A hole for a switch box would be cut in the kitchen wall. I hole would be drilled from the basement up into the wall. Using a fish tape, you find the hole so you can pull wire up to the new switch location. Use an 'old work' box in the kitchen wall, wire up the switch, then run the wire down to the basement to the junction box to connect to the original wiring. All kinds of issues could arise, of course. I'm assuming your walls are typical hollow frame construction. An electrician or competent handy man should be in an out in under two hours.

Just as a "heads up," what are some of the more common types of issues that could come up?

Yes, we have 4" hollow-framed walls with nasty old pink insulation.

The kitchen is supposed to be stripped out and replaced, but I really need that switch moved now rather than with the constantly changing "soon" on the kitchen.

I know "my" master electrician can do it; nailing him down to have time is a different story. Last time he was here I fed him roasted ham sandwiches and fresh apple pie. I suppose I could food-bribe him again.

Caroline I can certainly see the advantage to this new switch for the pump.

If the walls are hollow, and the wiring is semi-up-to-date, it should be a quick job. It would be my luck that the house would have knob-and-tube wiring or some other obsolete condition to deal with. Just moving a switch shouldn't involve permits and inspections, but every jurisdiction is different. When you ADD something, like an additional outlet, it has to meet current code. A food bribe sounds good!

Caroline, having the use of the well for outdoor watering is super! my water is in an outdoor tank with a pump. I have a switch to the pump in my laundry room. It's usually left on but since I have a faucet gone bad in the main bathroom and it won't turn off, I just turned the pump off. For now I only turn it on when I need water - until Jed gets here to fix the faucet. But, having that switch in a handy place is a very good thing! There's a switch outside at the pump too, but when I moved out here yrs ago a friend of mine suggested I have an indoor switch. There have been many times over the past 18 yrs I've been very grateful for that indoor switch!

Eld- Your mugs and your kitchen are so pretty!

Caroline- Tea cup is Allyn Nelson Collection. I do have a weakness for floral patterns, especially violets : )

Jay- Glad you could join us! How's the coffee? I'm going to make another cup of Earl Grey...and get back to work. LOL