Farewell to Autumn

I told myself I would share only a couple final autumn pictures,

but then the Japanese Garden called to me this past weekend

and I couldn't resist snapping away.

 The light was amazing on this November day as we entered the garden.

 My "live-in gardener" and I do enjoy visiting gardens anywhere we travel

including right here in our own part of the world.

 This winter camellia was in full bloom.

 I particularly loved seeing the teahouse in the distance

and remembering having tea with a special friend there.

What looks like a bus stop in this picture is where you wait to be greeted

and escorted down the path to Japanese tea.

 The teahouse was quiet on this day except for the trickle of water.

 Many of the ponds had autumn leaves floating about,

which I thought was the perfect way to celebrate with golden leaves.

 This Buddha both greeted us and said farewell.

Rain is coming soon; so this was the perfect way

to celebrate the end of autumn.

Sunshine and a nip in the air were truly a delight.

Happy end of Autumn!

Monday's Tea Quote

The daintiness and yet elegance of a china teacup

focuses one to be gentle,

to think warmly,

and to feel close.

~Carol and Malcolm Cohen

Dear friends,

I hope you have moments over a cup of tea

this Thanksgiving week

to feel the warmth and closeness of dear ones

around you.

Bathe under the Stars, Sit Cozy in the Woods.

The trees bend down to greet me.

Tenderly I walk through the forest.

Finding an old bath tub, I dream.

The water inside is steaming hot.

The stars shine above the branches.

I quietly slide inside.

Ahhhh!

The delight of it all fills my soul with JOY.

Wrapped in a fluffy robe with toes so bare,

I tiptoe to the cottage in the woods.

There is still the last remnants of light as I arrive.

The warm fire inside beckons me.

I am greeted by a warm cup of chocolate.

A cookie too.

Come join me as we sit by the fire and chat awhile.

The door has been left ajar just for you.

What a perfect autumn night with you by my side.

Oh friendship by the fire,

a lovely dream or reality.

Come and gather, sip a cup of frothy chocolate with me.

We will laugh, sing, and share stories.

Our hearts will be full.

An imaginary story, but oh so delightful.

Have a weekend full of imagination, delights, and laughter!

For it is magic!

Keep Dancing

Not my normal photo, but one I took in London and altered in photoshop.

The sculpture was found at the Chelsea Flower Show

and it just spoke to me.

The flow of the body,

the exuberance in being open to movement.

It delighted my dancing heart.

And then I listened to Leonard Cohen sing in a video,

Dance Me to the End of Love.

 And the song touched my heart.

It's all about the dance, the flow of our heart.

How even when our heart is breaking,

when our heart is so heavy,

we must keep on dancing.

Keeping our heart open,

being vulnerable.

And Dance!

No more words, just keep dancing

until your heart heals and you feel the JOY once again.

Monday's Tea Quote

 (The tea ceremony) is just another way of celebrating

another act of living.

The water must be boiled so that it goes through

the appropriate stages.

The tea must be tasted and tested before it is selected for steeping.

When the tea is plucked,

where the water is chosen,

who is invited to share the tea

are of enormous importance.

~Francis Ross Carpenter

Yesterday was tea ceremony day for me.

It is always a delight to see each friend gather together

and share their tea and creativity in serving.

I thought the top picture was so perfect for this season.

The center one carried out shapes and colors so beautifully.

I decided to go with glass in the bottom picture

with a few flowers from my garden.

The ceremony of tea always delights my soul.

My Heart is Heavy

My heart is heavy for all those that have lost their homes in the wildfires in California.

Some have lost lives also.

My cousin lives in the midst of this chaos and had to evacuate,

but miraculously her home was saved even though all the houses around 

her's were burned to the ground.  

Three friends lost their homes, one of which was a tea farmer

that lost his farm too.

All the natural beauty around them is burned to the ground.

The pictures are from here, but I am imagining their natural beauty gone

when I look at these pictures.

Please pray for those that have lost their homes 

or are still in danger.

Also remember those that have been killed by mass shootings.

It is a sad world we live in these days.

Somehow healing and change must come

Sending love to our world that is suffering each day.

Sorry for writing about sadness, but my heart is heavy.

A day late, but have an extra special weekend.
Sending love to each of you.

Letting Go, Is it a Wish, a Dream?

At Lan Su Chinese Gardens recently you could hang your wishes, dreams, and poetry here.

I have thought long and hard about what I would have left there.

Maybe even a burden I needed to let go.

There are times when we need to let something go,

but don't know how to do it.

It is stuck right in our heart.

I struggle with it there, do you?

In the past I have written it on a rock and tossed it away

or I have heard of those that have written it on paper then burned it,

letting it go up in smoke.

The ceremony of letting go, releasing does help,

but then again it is a decision too.

The ceremony just gives it structure and says "it matters"

in a visible way.

I thought about sharing some of the words written there,

but then decided it was personal for the person that wrote it.

Do you know what you would write and walk away from,

leaving it behind you?

You don't have to tell me, but tell your heart.

Maybe write it down for yourself.