Tuesday, February 17, 2026

Celebrating The Year of the Horse~ Tea On Tuesday

Welcome to Tea on Tuesdays!
Today is the start of Chinese New Year
I'm celebrating with friends at a local horse barn where 
we played Mah Jongg, enjoyed a cup of tea, 
and noshed on delicious Chinese bites. 

It's always a treat and an honor to 
join my talented and generous friends,
Pam and Mary, for their monthly Tea on Tuesdays.
Links to their beautiful teatimes are below my post.
Thank you, Pam and Mary!

Let me introduce you to Rhonda of Lookout Stables.
Rhonda graciously invited my dish sister friends to
set up a Chinese New Year table in her stables.

When I mentioned to my Dish Sisters, Ritz and Elizabeth, 
that I was posting for Tea on Tuesday today, they generously 
invited me to join them to horse around with dishes in a real stable.

I'm not one to look a gift horse in the mouth!
Meet Sir Redmac Splash, my handsome teatime partner for 
Tea on Tuesday.

So, I packed up my favorite Famille Rose 
tea service by Williams Sonoma, loaded my car, 
and off I went on country roads to join in the set up a
2026 Chinese New Year celebration.

The teapot is oh, so elegant in both form and design.

celebrates centuries of Chinese porcelain tradition
reimagined with delicate florals and graceful motifs.

What's your pleasure?
~ Straight Tea ~ Orange Tea ~ Ginger Tea~

I also used the William Sonoma salad plates and dipping bowls 
in this year's Lunar New Year mix and match pieces for the table.
 The antique pieces of porcelain shown in the photo 
were wedding gifts when we married in 1975.

The horse is significant in Asian tradition 
as it represents hard work, bravery, and resilience.

Off to the side, we set up a game of Mah Jongg 
with Sir Splash wondering what we were doing.

Perhaps he was eyeing the fortune cookies in our bowls.


Though we play American Mah Jong
the game originated in China during the 1800s.
I've been playing Mah Jongg for a dozen years, 
but never have I played in a horse barn.  
What fun to play a game in this unique setting!
Tell me, do you play Mah Jong?

Mah Jongg!
It was my lucky day!

The afternoon also included a long serving table filled
with charming details and delicious treats.

Beautiful flowers highlighted with red lanterns on bamboo stalks, 
fans, oriental brushes, and a stately red horse served as the centerpiece. 

Let's zoom in on the delicate flowers.

The table featured an abundance 
of tasty Chinese food and interesting details.

A highlight was this antique Chinese Mah Jongg 
set in it's beautiful chest with drawers.  
My Dish Sister, Elizabeth, has a wonderful and varied 
collection of Mah Jong sets, both antique and new.

Table linens reflected an Asian theme.

Tasty Pot Stickers and Dumplings

Chicken Egg Rolls

Crunchy Sweet Sesame Asian Salad

Mandarin Oranges offer a sweet citrus treat!

Of course my buddy Sir Splash had 
to trot in for a closer look.

He invited his stable buddy, 
Sir Sterling to join in the celebration.

At the end of the afternoon, 
we all agreed a good time was had by all, 
Dish Sisters and the horses!

I want to thank Rhonda of Lookout Stables 
for graciously allowing us to play with 
our dishes in her horse barn.
What a generous, lovely lady!

Wishing you a prosperous year!

Remember to be kind.  
Give a hug to those that need it!

Enjoy Pam and Mary's Tea On Tuesday 

Pam @ Everyday Living



A look back at previous Chinese New Year Posts

Year of the Horse ~ 2014 ~ Here

Year of the Tiger 2010 
E is For Envelopes of Red and More ~ Here

The Year of the Rabbit 2011 ~ Here

Celebrating With the Dragons 
Year of the Dragons ~ 2012 ~ Here

Year of the Rooster 2013 ~ Here

Year of the Sheep, Goat, Ram ~ 2015 ~ Here

Year of the Monkey ~ 2016 ~ Here

Gung Hay Fat Choy

11 comments:

  1. Oh Sarah…you and your dish sisters outdid yourselves! I can only imagine how long this took to set up. What a fun day at the stables with your horse companions…Sir Splash and Sir Sterling were such good sports and handsome participants. I’m drooling over your spread of tasty bites, beautiful display and Famille Rose tea service. I’ll have some ginger tea! That antique Chinese Mah Jongg set is gorgeous! I don’t play Mah Jongg but have always been intrigued by it. So happy to have you join us today with your fun TOT post in celebration of the Year of the Horse! 🐴☕Wishing you a wonderful week ahead. ❤️

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  2. How fun was this! I never had tea in a horse stable before. Your dish friends made it special but so did Sir Splash and Sir Sterling!
    Congratulations on being a winner. Thanks for bringing us along. And Enjoy the Year of the Horse!

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  3. Sarah, I cannot articulate enough superlatives for the beauty of this setting and display! It is truly spectacular! The Mahjongg antique set is so beautiful! I have played once but never pursued it, even though my girlfriend who shared her knowledge has now gone on to play regularly. The horses, the stable, the authenticity of elements, foods and flowers - just gorgeous! You girls did a wonderful thing! And you look like a fine horse lady with Sir Splash!

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  4. Just wow..Surely dish sisters..So much work! Like planning a wedding! You look beautiful :) A fine homestead would have suited you with paddocks and barns:)

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  5. Wow- everything is so impressive. What a wonderful celebration and with your horses too!! The table is outstanding and I was interested in the Mah Jong. I know American is different than the Chinese but I never actually saw a Chinese Mah Jong chest . You really did it up for the Chinese New Year. A wonderful post. Thank you.

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  6. Sarah, I love your tea time setting as it brings back memories of times on our New Mexico ranch. Only we did not have tea time in the horse barns but we did have BBQ set up in our chuck wagon as we roped, branded (and other 'things') to our calves near our horse barns. (Similar to Ree the Pioneer Woman). It usually started with riding our horses to round up the cows and then a day spent doing all the meds and other things. Certainly not as glamorous as your delightful tea time which I would much rather have done. I have always been intrigued by Mah Jong and your vintage set is amazing. Thanks for sharing such a beautiful tribute to the Year of the Horse.🥰

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  7. When you party, you know how to party! Oh my! Everything looks both beautiful and delicious. Being a bit of a dish fantatic, I love it that you have a group of Dish Sisters! I'm hoping my cousin can show me how to play Mah Jong this summer. I can't imagine a more fun and festive way to kick off the new year. Brilliant. (And a marvelous setting, too!)

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    1. Sarah after seeing your preview photo I couldn’t wait to see this amazing setup in the stables. Your handsome friends Sir Sterling and Sir Splash were the perfect hosts to invite you in and they seemed very friendly. All of the details are fabulous and how fun to have your dish sisters with you! I think I know Ritz from Instagram. The food looks fabulous and I am sure delicious. I would love to learn how to play Mah Jong and have friends willing to teach me. The vintage set is incredible. I know it took hours to load up and carry everything and unload and set up in the stables and then take it down. You certainly pulled out all the stops to give us the feeling of being there with you. A special thank you to Rhonda. What a fun celebration for the beginning of the Year of the Horse! It is always a pleasure to have you join us for Tea on Tuesdays!

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  8. What a fun afternoon this might have been - the horses didn't try to eat any of your goodies? The feast looked delish and the horses are so beautiful - what a great celebration!

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  9. Looks like a wonderful day playing with your dish sisters! Beautiful table, delish luncheon and winning mahjong! What a great day!

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  10. Sarah, such a beautiful setting, including the horses. A great way to celebrate the Lunar new year with dish sisters. Love the dishware and the lovely food display is so perfect. A special call out to Rhonda. A wonderful way to celebrate the year of the horse.

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