Author Archives: Cristy

Sweet Shalom Tea Room – April 2020

I recently posted about our June and July visits to Sweet Shalom Tea Room in Sylvania, Ohio. For April and May, our visits to Sweet Shalom were a bit out of the ordinary to say the least!

In order to stay in business during the COVID-19 shut-down, co-owners Chris Kruse and Sara Velasquez, along with their dedicated staff, needed to get creative. They decided to offer full “take-out” service of the month’s themed tea menu.

Not to break our record of visiting Sweet Shalom each month…David and I decided to go to Sweet Shalom the last weekend in April even though it was still iffy traveling around in Michigan and especially crossing the state border into Ohio.

We made our reservations with Sweet Shalom and were given an allotted time to be there for our take-out pick-up. When we got there, we parked in their back parking area, called the staff to let them know we arrived, and the masked staff proceeded to deliver the full tea menu offerings in take-out fashion to our van.

The warm scones were packaged in white paper bags complete with butter and jam, each in their own little lidded cup. Soup was next and presented in a lidded container. Then the items normally served on a tiered server were all beautifully arranged in a brightly colored covered tray complete with the usual fresh flower garnishes.

As for drinking hot tea, David and I had brought our own personal Thermos of tea.

Our dear tea friends, Betty and Ron Hill met up with us in the back parking area to enjoy our respective take-out tea meals. It was a warm enough day that we could sit in our vehicles with the windows down to converse and still have social distancing.

I have to say…it was great FUN! Different, delightful and delicious! Thank You Chris and Sara (and staff) for your devotion to keep Sweet Shalom going for yourselves and for your tea patrons. You found a way to work around the COVID-19 challenge and present such a unique tea experience! It was beautiful in so many ways!

Michigan Peaches

David and I, Soapy too, had a little road trip last Friday to Phillips Orchard and Cider Mill located north of St. John’s, MI (about 1/2-mile further north of Uncle John’s Cider Mill) on the southbound side I-127. Our mission was for some sweet Michigan peaches which I learned at their Facebook page are in season now.

We like going to their apple orchard in the fall to pick apples and enjoy a cool apple cider slushy on a warm autumn day…yum! And we enjoy their donuts…we think they are better than Uncle John’s! So in addition to the peaches we bought, we also brought home 1/2 dozen donuts to enjoy an early taste of fall!

We are enjoying the peaches sliced in a bowl every day…twice a day actually…they are soooo good and juicy…nothing better than a fresh Michigan peach!

Phillips Orchard Cider Mill north of St. John’s, MI

Entrance sign requiring masks to be worn

Display of fresh picked peaches inside the building

A variety of Red Haven peaches are ready for purchase in different size containers

David with our haul of peaches…each box is a 1/2 peck. One box is going to my sister’s house.
David’s mask is hanging off his left ear.

Soapy and me taking a look at our peaches in the back of the van.
I am wearing my newer mask I ordered online that has a hand embroidered design.
I think it is a little big for my face…but it is comfortable.

Soapy and Tara

Soapy is our 7-pound toy poodle who has been with us for almost 10 years. Before Soapy, we had Louie, also a toy poodle who was with us for 9 years. Tara is (and has been) their groomer.

Tara has been grooming dogs for many years, working and being employed either by our vet or with other dog grooming businesses. This year changed things…when she was laid-off due to the COVID-19 shut-down in March.

Tara has been wanting her own business for some time but how to make that happen…and did she want a brick and mortar location…or maybe…possibly a mobile pet grooming business? During this lay-off time, she got busy with making her dream come to life…establishing a business plan, securing financial support…and finding a converted van suitable for her business.

Sittin’ Pretty Mobile Pet Grooming Salon was born and is now in full action mode…pet grooming on wheels! This past Thursday, Soapy had his second grooming experience in Tara’s van. At the appointed time, Tara pulls into our driveway, I hand over Soapy, and he is bathed, trimmed, clipped, and dried, all in the inclusive and comfortable surroundings of her van.

When I see Tara’s van in my driveway I can’t help but be filled with such joy, amazement and gratitude…here is Tara’s dream…parked right here in front of me! TOTALLY AWESOME! Just in the few months since Tara started her business, she has a waiting list of customers! All the best to you Tara…you are the BEST!

THANK YOU for all these years of your special TLC of our pets, Soapy and Louie!

Here are some pics from Thursday…

Tara’s mobile pet grooming van in my driveway

Sittin’ Pretty Pet Grooming Mobile Salon

Soapy and Tara – before Soapy is to be groomed by Tara

Soapy all bathed and trimmed! Love that bow tie! THANK YOU TARA!

Sweet Shalom Tea Room – July 2020

David and I visited Sweet Shalom Tea Room in July for their “Salute to America’s National Parks” Themed Tea. It was another wonderful visit with a delightful assortment of National Park themed food!

Decorated fireplace mantle in Main Parlor Room

An assortment of National Park Themed Teas

Arcadia National Park Popovers with Maine Blueberry Jam

Tiered Server: Denali National Park Salmon Pasta Salad, Apostle Island National Park Cucumber Tea Sandwiches, Independence National Park Philly Cheese Steak Tea Sandwiches, Glacier National Park Sherried Mushrooms on Baguette, Death Valley National Park Date Nut Bread with Orange Cream, Yellowstone National Park Morning Glory Cookies

In The Garden – August 2020

As the month of August continues, many blooms that colored the garden earlier in the season have faded. But others are now showing up to continue to give the garden color, texture and beauty. Here are some current blooms in my garden…

Limelight Hydrangea – I love these gorgeous heavy blooms in the back of my yard!

Golden Yellow Rudbeckia – so tall, brings height and color to the border!

Chicago Red Daylily – a later blooming daylily one of my favorites!

Purple Russian Sage – the honeybees are loving these blossoms!

Mauve Pink Coneflower – the butterflies are enjoying these beauties!

Beautiful Dahlia blossoms – these are all on one plant!

Another Dahlia blossom – I love Dahlias!

Elephant Ears

I love Elephant Ears! In late Spring, I planted two large Elephant Ear bulbs, each in a large pot where I added deep pink impatiens. By the end of June the impatiens had filled in but no sign of the Elephant Ears. I began to think the bulbs were duds. Then their leaves started to break through the impatiens and now in mid-August they are putting on quite a show!

Intro to Ikebana

Earlier this year I took a morning class at Meijer Gardens on Ikebana – the art, study and philosophy of Japanese Flower Design. I have wanted for some time to learn about Ikebana and this was my first opportunity. After the class I asked our instructor for more information on how and where to study Ikebana. She emailed me a list of several books about Ikebana plus some contact resources. One contact, Ilse Beunen, offered an online e-newsletter so I signed up to receive it.

Ilse Beunen, who lives in Belgium, is a world renown Ikebana designer and teacher. During the month of July, she offered to teach a four week Introductory Ikebana class via ZOOM to only six students. I GOT IN! Each Monday at Noon Eastern Time (6:00pm Belgium time) the six students from around the world gathered in front of our respective computers to see Ilse demonstrate a design which we then “replicated” at our end. We were given advance instructions of what floral materials and vase(s) to have ready to use. Ilse was able to see our work and offer constructive comments during our sessions via ZOOM. We each also emailed pictures of our designs to Ilse so she could share them with all of us. Here are my four designs…each represent a different technique that Ilse wanted us experience.

Week One: Design using flat floral materials floating over a shallow vase of water to create a sense of calm and reflection – Shasta Daisy and Hosta Leaves from my garden.

Week Two: Arrangement using multiple vases and kitchen forks to link together the leaves and vases into an unified design. Plant materials include pink Dahlia, pink Alstroemeria, yellow and lime-green Button Mums and Daylily leaves.

Week Three: Traditional tall vase design focusing on interior structure using a criss-cross of sturdy stems below the inside rim of the vase. Plant materials include Limelight Hydrangea branches and assorted Daylilies from my garden..

Week Four: Our final project was to incorporate “paper” into the design. I used silver foil Christmas wrapping paper torn into pieces to emulate leaves. A long white branch was used as support and white pipe cleaners tied the paper to the branch. Floral material include a deep pink Dahlia blossom, pink Astilbe, Limelight Hydrangea blossoms and Hosta leaves – all from my garden.

Sweet Shalom Tea Room – June 2020

Sweet Shalom Tea Room in Sylvania, OH re-opened for dine-in service in June after offering only take-out Tea meals for the months of April and May. The co-owners, Sara Velasquez and Chris Kruse, along with their staff, are like family to us. Each month Sweet Shalom presents a different theme and menu. My husband David and I have not missed going each month for years…we even went in April and May for their take-out Teas! It is a two-hour drive door-to-door and we have never tired of the drive which takes us across southern Michigan’s beautiful Irish Hills countryside.

The theme for June was “A Sumptuous Summer Strawberry Tea”.