Another Year at the Tea Festival

Welcome to my coverage of TeaFestPDX, which took place last Saturday. Warning, this is picture heavy. I look forward to this event all year long. I plan for it, work for it, and then enjoy it.

The festival started in 2017 and has only missed one year because of Covid. The first three years I organized and ran the British Tea Tent by myself, with some good volunteers to pour the tea. After Covid I determined I needed someone to pick up some of the heavy work and work with me. So at the festival in 2022 I found an attendee, someone I didn't know; she was at my tent most of the day and I could really tell she was into the whole thing. At the end of the day I asked if she would like to work with me the next year and she said "yes". We have established such a special team and I couldn't continue to do it each year without her. She does the organizing of the tent with setting up, instructing the volunteers, and the tearing down and storing of supplies. Whew! That's a lot!!!!  I do the behind scenes part of getting 6 presenters, getting volunteers, and getting product donations. All stuff I can do on my computer. Then the day of I introduce the speakers and sit back and enjoy. 

Across from the British tent is a booth for selling gently used and some new teaware to support the festival in the coming year.

And then the door opens and about 3000 attendees entered and enjoyed.

Each year my first speaker is Lisa Hand and her sidekick, Lynelle.  They come in costume. This year their presentation was a celebration of 250 years with Jane Austin; so their costumes were from that era. 

The second speaker was Mike Raab. He came from the teashop, Tea for Two, in New Jersey and spoke on taxation issues with the tea party rebellion.

Our noon presenter was Marisa from Oranges and Blossoms, vegan bakery in Portland. She shared a lot about scones, from the difference between a British scone to an American scone, then vegan and gluten free scones. We thoroughly enjoyed her raspberry/pistachio scones. Marisa's bakery has won awards for her vegan bake goods and I had been working for about 4 years to get her to come and speak. What a treat!!!

And then there was Raj Vable from Young Mountain Tea Company. He and his wife, Mitra, came from Michigan for the festival. It was a treat to hear him talk on the influence of the British on the tea industry in India. Raj shared a black tea and a white tea. The black tea he had carried back from the new factory he was instrumental in helping to get built in Nepal.

The fifth speaker was Anthony "Tony" Tellin. He has been in the tea industry for a long time, having worked with Steven Smith at Tazo Tea, then later at Smith Teamaker. He shared his story of getting involved with tea and then introduced his new tea company, A.Tellin Co. The two teas he brought to share were both beautiful and tasted amazing.

Note the cup on the table in front of Tony. It was our festival cup for this year. 

The volunteers were all amazing. Hoping they can be in the tent again next year.

Our last event of the day was including a boxed afternoon tea. What a treat and I think everyone enjoyed having it.

Leah Murray from Eugene, is the director of a historic house/museum there. They sometimes host afternoon teas; so she share tea etiquette with the attendees.

I did take a little time late in the afternoon to stroll around the grounds of the festival.

This was Jeni Dodd serving tea in her booth. Crossing my fingers she will come next year and share her story in my tent. She comes from New York just for our festival. What a treat.

Tony Tellin left some tea for my volunteers and myself; so this week I am again celebrating tea from the festival.

 If you ever want to travel to a tea festival plan on coming next year. We are already making plans for another year with tea at the end of June.

 

Wow! I just read what I wrote and see I used the word "treat" a lot. Well the tea festival for me is always a treat and I love the connection with tea and tea friends. 

 

In the meantime, raise your cup in celebration for another successful festival.

 

Just to let you know, I am shutting down comments later today. I will be away from my computer for a couple weeks. It's been a long time since my "live-in gardener" and I have just taken off on an adventure for more than a couple days. Looking forward to the adventure. I will share when I return. 

 

Sending love,

Marilyn 

Focus on the Stars

“The best remedy for those who are afraid, lonely or unhappy is to go outside, somewhere where they can be quite alone with the heavens, nature and God. Because only then does one feel that all is as it should be and that God wishes to see people happy, amidst the simple beauty of nature. As long as this exists, and it certainly always will, I know that then there will always be comfort for every sorrow, whatever the circumstances may be. And I firmly believe that nature brings solace in all troubles.” 

 

Anne Frank, The Diary of a Young Girl 

 

 

What wise words from a young girl in captivity.

 

 

Nature definitely soothes my soul. I watch for it. Just this morning while sipping my tea I notice a golden butterfly pass by my window and I wondered where that touch of beauty was headed and who else was going to be touched by seeing him.

 

I probably have shared this eagle before, but when ever I visit my sister-in-law I watch for eagles out her window. Most often I am not disappointed. 

 

 

A field of mustard always grabs my heart with joy and memories of my childhood. I loved carrying my little cousins through mustard fields and seeing how the tall flowers just surrounded us with the glory of yellow blossoms.

 

And of course, California poppies make me smile because they remind me again of growing up in California. Aren't they just so cheerful? 

 

 

 

What in nature makes you smile with a happy heart? 

Sending love,

Marilyn 

Women Holding Things

On social media I have followed @MessyNessy in Paris for quite awhile. Several months ago she showed pictures of women holding things and ever since then I have thought about what women hold. Women hold: a child, a job, emotions, the home, the family, food prep, bills, structure of the home and sometimes it is hard to let go.

 Here is my mother holding me.

 I grew up and she had to let me be me by letting me fly and find my own wings.

Hands are unbearably beautiful.

They hold on to things.

They let things go.

~Mary Reufle 

https://mairakalman.com/womenholdingthingsbook 

 Could you see how gently my mother's hand held me on her knee?

And my daughter holding her son (my grandson).

 I see as he gets older there will be a time to also let him fly. Yes, I had to do it for my own little ones.

And here is me holding my teacup, a time now for meditation and self care. Being surrounded in nature touches my soul. And I hold each day in my heart and cherish those moments of both holding on to life's joys and sorrows and then releasing them to fly away.

 

 

A personal story. When I was in junior high school my gym teacher taught the girl's to hold there breathe and suck in their tummies to make them flatter. I realized all these years later that sometimes holding ones breathe is not really good for me or anyone else. I am learning to release my breathe and in that hold joy right in my belly, even if that means I don't have the flattest tummy in the world. Why do we teach girls to hold their feelings in, not breathe, and not release what is good into the world? I hope this makes sense, it's something I am still learning.

 

Let's hold on to what is good and release the stale air, laugh and find joy each day in the little things. What are you holding on to today? Does it bring you JOY? 

 

Sending love,

Marilyn 

Focus on the Stars

 Sparkle and Shine

When our world is dark and scary, it's hard to find the "sparkle and shine" . It's in those moments that we must pause, sip a cup of tea or maybe something stronger, tuck into your comfy place, read a romance novel or look at a pretty picture and rest for awhile.  The first picture is my cup of tea in my comfy place.

 

 

 

"Look for the small things that delight to hold on to hope." Anonymous   

 

And sometimes when venturing out, take yourself to a happy place that delights you. Look for the things that make you smile and sparkle. The below picture was taken Sunday when I told my "live-in gardener" that I just wanted to walk through the antique mall and snap a picture or two. I found this headless lady with nothing on but her sparkle around the neck. It just made me smile. She had a wrap and hat nearby, but without a sense of decorum or modesty she chose to exhibit her body in all it's brokenness and she sparkled.  

What is making you smile today?

Sending love,

Marilyn 

Running to Catch UP again

 Taking a breath today, a day of recuperation! I knew I had scheduled a crazy schedule the past week. It has all be fun, but then just sitting down to visit you and say hello again has not fit into my schedule. 

On Friday my "live-in gardener" celebrated another anniversary with a beautiful dinner at my favorite Spanish tapas restaurant. The picture is our starters. The egg is sitting on top a sausage and bun. The bottom starter looks like dessert, but it was banana bread with fois gras on top, sprinkled with hazelnuts and two dots of strawberry puree. Very unusual, but very delicious. 

 

  

Then early Saturday morning we picked up daughter, Jill, and grandson, Desmond, and headed to a little local airport to sail away in a hot air balloon. Now my daughter said it was a dream come true. My grandson was scared, but ended up loving it. I had a slight trepidation until I got there and saw how well it was managed.

 

Standing in that basket, 2500 feet above the ground was magical. It was so quiet, it almost felt like a spiritual experience. Even the people in the basket said very little. It almost felt like we were floating into heaven. 

 

 

Then that afternoon my "live-in gardener" and I were out on the street for No Kings Day. My picture doesn't do justice or show how many people were there.

 

 

 

Sunday was Father's Day where we enjoyed fish and chips at a local British pub.

 

Monday I celebrated a friends birthday with pedicures for both of us.

 

 

Tuesday was time spent with a cousin and his wife.

 

And yesterday I got invited to a Bachlorette party. Have you ever gone to a Bachlorette party? It was fun to celebrate the upcoming nuptials of a friend. I had never been invited to a gathering to celebrate an upcoming wedding before. 

 

Since I was early to the party I had a few moments to stop at a favorite rose garden and enjoy some silence in the day. 

 

 

So today I am staying home and taking a breath. Here is the view from my patio at home. Oh! I still call my husband my "live-in gardener". I mean he hasn't quite been able to surrender to no gardening at all, as you can see on our patio there are about 25 pots of plants to tend and bird seed and water to put out for the birds.

 

 

And in between times I keep sipping tea. You know me, there is always a cup of tea.

 

Hope your week of transition from Spring to Summer is terrific.

 

Sending love,

Marilyn 

Pathways

 

“Pathways” by Rainer Maria Rilke

Understand, I’ll slip quietly
away from the noisy crowd
when I see the pale
stars rising, blooming, over the oaks.

I’ll pursue solitary pathways
through the pale twilit meadows,
with only this one dream:

You come too.

Join me as we wander roads less traveled, into the unknown. What will we find just beyond the bend in the road? What beauty lies there? Hold my hand and I will walk with you.

Sometimes the path is rocky, curved or straight, and sometimes it takes us through the dark night until we reach the light.

Wherever we travel, wherever we walk, let's walk together. Let's share the darkness and the light.

Happy sharing and walking with dear ones through life's ups and downs. Sometimes the road is less travels and sometimes it is a bit crowded. Keep walking and stop to take in the view. The view can be more beautiful as you notice what you notice.

Sending love,

Marilyn