Tea Time with Her Majesty--Jacqueline Gillam Fairchild

Welcome Friends, A lot has happened since you last heard from me. I have relocated and am starting a new online shoppe with my thoughts and precious merchandise. I hope you will follow along to see what is dear and tender that you can hold close be it words of encouragement or something to literally hold in your hands.

Moving can be crazy, as I do tend to own way way too much or in my humble opinion, lots of room for new.... Things I hold dear, memories of a trip or another time, or simply something that is precious because it is so beautiful. I have been unpacking, my life has been my head stuck in a brown box pulling out treasures. For awhile with all the mess, I felt as though I was camping out. Truth be told, a little hideaway camp site might have been a lovely escape.

For all of us in Illinois and many other places for that matter, the weather has been seasonably chilly. Chilly enough that I have barely tiptoed out to my new garden to see what is hidden away. It will wait for me. The cooler days have forced me to continue to unpack and decorate, knowing the garden will wait. And like you have found, the nippier days mean the daffodils will last longer. That alone is a joy.

Perhaps we all have a soft spot for Daffs because they are one of the first. And their brilliant yellow color is such a shock from a season of bleak. Regardless, they are wonderful and it is a treat they are holding their own.

During all my unpacking I had been dreaming of a hot cup of tea. Where is my Yorkshire Gold tea, the same one our beloved Queen drinks? Surely I packed it! Eventually it showed up tucked in a box. Then I was thrilled to find my favorite china tea pot. Life, as I knew it, was returning. What cannot be softened, cured, or just made a tiny bit better when one has a cup of tea. Are there tea moments that have made your day smoother? Let me know, I would love to hear.

Of course there is news every day, yet none of it touched my heart like the passing of Prince Phillip. He stood by our beloved Queen for 73 years. The press never missed an opportunity to report anything that caught their eye, the good and the bad. Yet he was the only person who could make her laugh.

They shared not only a family and their private life, but he was by her side in public when she needed him.

Photo curtesy of Jo and Bishop Ackerman. The Prince is saying Good Morning Mam. I love his sense of humor, so often missed by the press.

Royalty has its moments and is not an easy 'job', but our beloved Queen has held her head and gone on. We can take the best of what royalty has to offer and make it our own.

After all Royalty is a State of Mind.

If you would like to feel royal, this Mary Frances handbag is for you. From jeans to a night at Ralph Lauren's restaurant RL, this is the bag that will make you feel special. Available at a sale price of $169.00 plus shipping. Please contact me if you would like me to wrap and send it to you. jackiegillam@frontier.com 309-370-4507

Just a gentle reminder for those of you who have not read my first novel Estate of Mind, I believe feeling special, feeling royal or just taking a moment for yourself is a state of mind. The story of a young widow who starts as a housekeeper and turns a run down mansion into a bed and breakfast. But look out, when the absentee owner returns and her small son checks him in...the story just takes off. I know you will enjoy it. Autographed copies available through me (which make the most personal of gifts to a friend or family member) or of course through Amazon. Along with all my other novels. jackiegillam@frontier.com 309-370-4507

My newest novel The Mermaid Mansion is due out soon. I will post information as it becomes available. Number 3 in my new Nantucket series, a little arm chair trip to Nantucket. Available from Amazon or through me soon.

It is good to be back, it is wonderful to have the pandemic winding down. What are some of the first things you have done if you have had your shots?

Remember no matter what the day brings you, there is always time for a cup of tea.

Jacqueline Gillam Fairchild