Random Whimsy and Laugh

 The sky the other night had a pink glow about it.

 Graffiti on a fence.  She looks happy!

The blue deer watching traffic in the rain.

Just thinking about my word for the year, LAUGH.

This has been a hard word for me, as I have realized more and more,

I just don't laugh.

On Facebook when someone posts something that they said

really made them laugh, I might smile, but there isn't a good belly laugh.

A word that has begun walking beside laugh is FAITH.

I am beginning to think I need more faith in laughter.

Allow it to just be and open up to it more.

Life is too short not to LAUGH.

So for today I will savor the pink cotton candy sky, 

smile with the girl on the fence

and laugh at a blue deer standing by the roadside.

Monday's Quotes

Polly put the kettle on,
Polly put the kettle on,
Polly put the kettle on,
We'll all have tea.
Sukey take it off again,
Sukey take it off again,
Sukey take it off again,
They've all gone away.

A nursery rhyme published by

Joseph Dale in London in 1803. 

Now sing along~

Sit and Dream

 I have an affinity for chairs of all shapes and sizes.

 They call to me, they enchant me.

 They call to me to sit awhile and dream.

 A chair is a piece of function, but of beauty too.

Dream along with me and enjoy the view.

It is pear season here and the view is to treasure and dream by.

Happy Weekend dreaming!

Do you have special plans for playing and dreaming?

Enjoy!

photos taken at the Lavender Farm just outside of Hood River on the way to Mt.Hood.

Second Spring

The whimsy of this display at a local antique mall just made me smile.

"Autumn is a second spring, when every leaf is a flower."

Love the thought of what was written on the wall.

Hope you are enjoying color in your "second spring".

Celebrating Autumn because there is no alternative.

Come celebrate along with me.

I See You Autumn!

Almost like magic, the light changed to a golden glow and the rain began to fall.

 Fall or as I like calling it, Autumn had arrived.

 Right on schedule pumpkins appeared.

And the leaves began to fall.

The flower pots just outside my door now have nuts buried 

here and there by the squirrels.  I have never seen them quite so busy.

Does that mean it will be a long, wet, cold autumn and winter?

I hope not, but for today I will just sit back and enjoy the feeling of tucking into the nest.

Happy Autumn!

Tea Time at Fly Awake Tea Garden

 The late summer sunlight glistened through the trees.

 Sunday afternoon tea time at Fly Awake Tea Garden.

Kevin sharing with the group stories of the three teas we would be sipping.

Darjeeling, Assam, and a China Black tea were all consumed.

We were encouraged to bring our own cup to show and sip from.

Mine is from the gift shop at Kensington Palace in London.

To nibble with our tea we had fresh made crumpets

with homemade marmalade.

If you find yourself in Portland, Oregon,

for a unique tea experience of sipping tea in the garden, visit:

Fly Awake Tea Garden

3514 NE 13th Ave. 

They have a chai happy hour on Fridays from 3-7

and open late night music on Saturday's.
flyawakepdx.com

Monday's Qoutes

The sun was going down and the moon was rising in the east.

Keep love in your heart.

A life without it is like a sunless garden

when the flowers are dead.

~Oscar Wilde

My garden flowers by moonlight.

Out of focus, but I love the Monet look of it all.

Life sometimes is like this, out of focus; but then the

sun comes again and we can see more clearly.

Here is to a week of seeing more clearly.

Announcing Tea Outdoors

From my heart I am sharing Tea Outdoors

with recipes and photographs

of celebrating tea in the open air.

The book has 40 pages filled with 44 photos, recipes, tips, and quotes.

Hardback including shipping:  $30

Paperback including shipping:  $17

Email at marilyntea at gmail dot com if you are interested.

 

 

Books and Tea

A quiet morning with the rain pitter-pattering outside my window.

The perfect time for a book and tea.

It truly delights my soul.

This morning I finished reading My Heart Wanders by Pia Jane Bijkerk

and sipped Yunnan Gold in my cup.

Have you read this book?

Pia shares what is often in my heart, yes! a heart that wanders and dreams.

You can also find her here: http://blog.piajanebijkerk.com/
Hoping you find some time to savor the quiet with a good book and cup of tea.
Happy Thursday!

Zinnias

Zinnias, just because I can't get enough of them.

The colors of early fall are enchanting me.

They capture my heart and hold me hostage.

They delight me as if with a song.

Oh to be surrounded with this beauty.

The zinnia is singing to my heart.

What is singing to your heart with the beginning of Autumn?

Tea in Oregon

Last year there was a campaign to have tea growing in every state in the United States.

In some states it is just a single plant growing in a pot.

Gradually there are farms growing tea around the country.

I had read about Oregon's tea farm and since I would be nearby on Saturday,

 I had to visit Minto Island Growers in Salem, Oregon.

What a thrill to see a newly planted plot of tea.

I didn't see the plants they were picking, but right here in Oregon tea was growing.

There is a farm stand at the farm where they sell produce, tea (green and oolong), and tea plants.

I haven't been able to find them selling online yet,

but as soon as I know they do I will let you know.

I bought some oolong, it was a first flush (first picking) in the spring (May).

With a sniff I was captured with the floral scent.

Looking at the leaves, they were just beautiful.

Then steeping and tasting was pure delight.

So if you ever find yourself traveling through Salem, Oregon,

stop by Minto Island Farms for tea.

Monday's Quotes

  Mad Hatter:  What's the matter my dear, don't you care for tea?

Alice:  Why, yes.  I'm very fond of tea.

March Hare:  If you don't care for tea, you could at least make polite conversation!

Photo:  Deepwood Estate, Salem, Oregon

Autumn Tea in the Garden

 The first of the falling leaves.

Wood stacked for the coming Winter days.

 Autumn is coming!

 Time to tuck in and enjoy the last few days of harvest.

Sugar cookies with the scent of orange are perfect for an Autumn Day.

Roses still coming from the garden.

A French tablecloth I adore.

Apples, the gift from God.

Tea in a special cup.

Tea in the garden.

A Delight to the Heart.

When Fairies Travel

 

The End of Swain Woods:

Yes, the evil ones did come, the bulldozers and the trucks.  No longer was Swain Woods 

full of bird songs, bunnies that cuddle, and fairies living there.  They call it progress, it is said; but sadly what is called progress for some is devastation for others.  Most humans living nearby didn't know there were fairies in the woods.  They thought their dreams were big enough to destroy the trees and ferns, uprooting the unseen little people living there.  Their hearts were sheltered and they couldn't see, they couldn't hear the sweetness of the music.

The fairies knew it was time to leave, to find a new home.  They must travel far.  There was a gathering one last time with their forest friends as they said a fond farewell.  They packed their bags and invited Scamp to travel with them.  There were new places to explore and soon they would leave Swain Woods.  Oh yes, they would be sad to leave.  The music would be silent, it would leave with them.

The eagle came swooping in and soon they were aboard.  He would carry them deep into a newly discovered woods where again they would dance, sing, and scamper with delight.  Tea parties would abound with sweet nectar's of violets and pine needles in their cups.  If only I knew where they lived, I would once again join them to savor the music and watch with enchantment.

Today there are houses built in Swain Woods.  I wonder if they ever find a fairy wing or hear the music?
Though my story of memories of Swain Woods are done, I will never forget dreaming and dancing there.

Focus

The new camera lens presented me with some challenges at first.

I insisted it go with me everywhere and took no other lens as a back up.

Yes, this was the solution to learning for me.

For as you see the first few snaps didn't focus so well,

but now I am learning.

In a way I like the photos not quite focused.

What do you think?

Do you challenge yourself to learn something new?

How do you feel about learning new things?

Is it scary?

Is it exciting?

Enjoy and Challenge yourself each day, it is so worth it.

Soft Tea Review

How to head this review?  Soft came to mind.

All three of these teas remind me of the softness of Spring,

a gentle touch of sweetness and new growth.

Chamomile Rose Silver Needle White Tea was beautiful in appearance.

It would be a lovely tea for an afternoon of shared tea with friends.

Light, floral with just a touch of chamomile.

Blending chamomile and rose is a delight.
Easy to drink.

Organic Silver Needle White Tea (Bai Hao Yin Zhen)
Soft green color.
Reminded me of a field of fresh mown hay after a Spring rain.
Simple, straight forward, and pleasant to the palate.

White Peony Tea (Bai Mu Don)
A sweet scent.  This one caused me to be poetic and a favorite of the three.
Nature speaking words yet unheard,
but softly speaking in my throat.
Color of golden light
Shines in my cup.

All three of these teas can be found at teavivre.com.
Enjoy!

Monday's Quotes

Look deep into nature,

and then you will understand

everything better.

~Albert Einstein

Do you see the deer?

Usucha and Sweets

It was an honor recently to be served usucha (thin matcha tea and a sweet) by my friend, Stephanie.
The ritual of the ceremony intrigues me and I am so proud of my friends that are learning this ceremony.
For me, I don't have the patience to do each step just exactly so.
From the flower on the wall, the lovely gelatin with bean paste sweet, to the beautiful bowls
the tea was served in, it was a treat.
No pictures were taken in the tearoom during the ceremony,
but after I snapped this and just thought each tool was beautiful.
Never having been served tea at a Japanese Tea Ceremony I found watching a video helped me
understand what was ahead on that particular day.
If you are curious to learn more, here is the link to the video.
Stephanie's blog is also a fun place to learn more about the way of tea.

http://stephcupoftea.blogspot.com/
By the way, Stephanie did a great job and I loved her movements like a dance.

This quote came on the invite:
Every day is a journey,
and the journey itself home.
~Basho

EAT!

 Waiting for them to ripen.

Grapes nearby are just a memory.

 Over abundance is a JOY.

Shared with neighbors.

 Still zucchini and more squash coming soon.

Fennel and Kale in the garden.

The summer has been a time of harvest for our little grandson.

His parents have taken him to pick blueberries, huckleberries, and cherries.

He loves it all.

Now he has discovered that our yard is a place to forage for food

and forage he goes.   He knows where every little strawberry plant,

blueberry, raspberry, plum, grape, fig, tomato, and kale is tucked in the garden.

He has helped us pick the tomatoes and kale to take home.

Yesterday he found the plum for the first time

and was thrilled to eat from the tree.

As his mother walked past the plum tree to take him home

the last word I heard was "Eat".