Garden Quotes 2019

 Two roses from the garden, tended by my "live-in gardener"

who is also called "the rose guy".

 The Gardener

Have I lived enough?

Have I loved enough?

Have I considered Right Action enough,

 have I come to any conclusion?

Have I experienced happiness with

 sufficient gratitude?

Have I endured loneliness with grace?

I say this, or perhaps I'm just thinking it.

 Actually, I probably think too much.

Then I step out into the garden,

 where the gardener, who is said to be a

 simple man,

       is tending his children, the roses.

~Mary Oliver

Love Mary Oliver and often refer to her poems.

Vacation - Let it Be

This morning as I sat sipping my tea I noticed the flowers on my table.

The flowers needed to be freshened up for sure.

The water was no longer fragrant and the leaves were brittle.

The flowers could be trimmed and put in a new vase.

That was added to my list of little things around the house that needed done this morning.

Yes, a simple thing you might say; but some days it is this list of simple things

that can overwhelm me.

Sitting there thinking on my list and feeling a bit overwhelmed

I thought about a vacation. If I were sitting and sipping tea in a restaurant and

noticed the flowers I wouldn't be adding it to my list to freshen.

Such a simple thing, but one someone else would be doing.

It is those simple things that make a vacation and special treat.

We can clear our mind and let it be.

Hope you are having a terrific weekend, dear friends!

World Kindness Day

 Seeing the quote below I thought of this beautiful National Park, Grand Canyon.

 I sat for awhile and just savored the view with a cup of tea.

 It was a dream come true to visit there two years ago.

What a beautiful country.

"...May you walk gently through the world, 

And know its beauty all the days of your life." 

—Apache Blessing

Yes, we must walk gentle and love one another.

Celebrate with me!

Lift a cup of whatever you are sipping to each and every one that walks this earth.

World Kindness Day is worth celebrating

with a smile to those around you and cardigan on your shoulders.

A nod to Mr. Rogers!

Garden Quotes 2019

"How silently they tumble down

And come to rest upon the ground

To lay a carpet, rich and rare,

Beneath the trees without a care,

Content to sleep, their work well done,

Colors gleaming in the sun.

At other times, they wildly fly

Until they nearly reach the sky.

Twisting, turning through the air

Till all the trees stand stark and bare.

Exhausted, drop to earth below

To wait, like children, for the snow."

-   Elsie N. Brady, Leaves

For some of you the snow has begun.
For others of us the air cools and water starts falling from the sky.
On the other side of the world from me flowers are beginning to bloom.
Wherever you are may you day be extra special.

Trust your Heart

Do you sometimes need a sign to tell  you which way to go?

The path is not always as clear as this one.

There may be a fork in the road that confuses us.

Or someone gives you/me information that is not right for us.

So follow the signs in your heart.

Trust yourself to know what is best.

We won't go wrong.

Now be brave, take steps, and go for it.

Happy weekend, dear friends!

Hope the way is clear for an extra special weekend.

When I saw this sign I knew I had to share it with you.

Maybe silly, but I loved that it was telling me the way.

Thunderbolt Tea

Not long ago I received my annual order of Darjeeling teas from Thunderbolt Tea.

It is always so exciting to get to taste this years teas from India.

You will notice they are either first or second flush.

The first flush is the early spring, first plucking.

You guessed it then, the second flush is later spring plucking.
I invited a few friends to come and help me taste in the garden house.

My tasting notes for Thunderbolt Tea:
Darjeeling is sometimes referred to as the land of thunderbolts,
sitting up against the Himalayan mountains.

Arya Diamond (Gold Edition) 2nd flush, 2019

Slight sweet with a back of citrus tang.

Turzum Himalayan Mystic (LC05) First Flush, 2018

Yumm! Light delight! Oten I compare some top Darjeelings to oolongs,

but instead of the floral I taste in Taiwanese oolongs I taste more fruity in this tea.

Turzum Himalayan Mystic (DJ-47) Second Flush, 2018

Not the lightness of a moonlight, but a more musky flavor

with still a touch of a citrus, fruity after taste.

Sungma Organic Musk (DJ-146) Second Flush, 2018

Generally I go for a light spring Darjeeling, but decided to try a "musk".

I definitely could taste the muskiness in this tea and decided it made a nice

fall tea to head into cooler days. Not quite sure how to describe "musk",

it is a bit more black than the lighter moonlights. It tastes of autumn grapes

at the front of the mouth and doesn't linger like some teas do.

The two steeped teas in this picture are on the left the Castleton Moonlight 2nd flush
and on the right the Castleton Moolight 1st flush. Even the color is different.

Castleton Moonlight (DJ-248) Second Flush,  2019

Though I will say this is my second favorite, it is the first flush that delights me.

Both are light, more like a oolong tea, but still there is something different that 

comes from the hills of India. A bit musky, a bit citrus, almost like a
lovely gypsy dancing in the moonlight and incense following through the air.

Castleton Moonlight (DF-4) First Flush, 2019

This tea tops my list of favorites. When I opened the tea the scent just takes my breathe away.

How can I even explain, but the sweetness, the fresh blossom just delight me. It just speaks

to me of springtime steeped in the sun and sipped in my cup. As I shared it with friends, it

reminded them of grapefruit juice, a touch of citrus, sunshine and a bit sultry.

And just because we must always have flowers to enjoy when tasting,
there were flower.

For those of you tea connoisseurs, I hope you love Darjeeling teas as I do.
For those of you that just dip a teabag from time to time, there is delight in savoring
a good quality tea when given the chance. Come by and I will make you a good cup of tea.

Garden Quotes 2019

"I can smell autumn dancing in the breeze.

The sweet chill of pumpkin,

and crisp sunburst leaves."

~Ann Drake

Picture taken in my backyard.
I loved the light on the little bonsai trees recently
and ran to grab a picture.
This just speaks to me of autumn.

Happy November and more autumn days.
Are you making plans for the holidays?
I had to sneak in a pumpkin pie the other day.
This time of year just grabs me in it's warm embrace
of cuddly sweaters, warm socks, and pumpkin.