Happy Halloween

In the Dark of the Moon

In the dark of the moon,

Beware! Have a care!

Of the ring at the door

And nobody there.

Of the soap hieroglyphics

On the clean pane;

Of hushed, ghostly giggles;

Of steps down a lane.

Beware! Have a care!

Of the small shape in white

With a pumpkiny lantern,

Its features alight.

No use to be looking

Stern, staid and sober-

Better turn goblin

This night in October.

~Kitchen Sonnets by Ethel Romig Fuller

Aurora Colony Quilt Show

 Every once in the while the Aurora Colony Museum here in Oregon

calls to me to come and visit;

so when I saw they were having their annual quilt show I had to go.

I always love imagining living in Emma's house on the grounds.

Wouldn't it be fun to sit there with a cup of tea and a friend to watch the world go by?

 The theme this year was Stars!

 What I loved seeing was all the variations on the theme.

But even more than that, I loved feeling wrapped in the love of these beautiful quilts.

 It isn't a large museum, just the size I can really savor for awhile.

 I  kind of like them all close together.

It just fills my senses and my heart.

 Though I loved them all this one was my favorite.

Wondering if it was the inclusion of the flowers with the giant star.

 The blue squares were the submissions from local quilters.

Each year after the theme is chosen quilters can submit a square

and the top 24 are selected by a panel to be made into a quilt.

One year I submit a Sunbonnet Sue for that year's theme

and even though I am not a regular quilter my square got selected for the quilt.

It was fun to see it in the final quilt.

 After viewing the quilts I took a stroll through the grounds.

There is alot of Oregon Trail history in this museum

and for awhile I love imagining a different time.

The local herb society cares for the herb garden

and it was fun to chat with one of the women involved.

I came home with a natural herbal salve, which

helped to heal the remainder of some sun damage I had from the summer sun.

Do you search out small museums and quilt shows?

If you ever come to Oregon I would love taking you here.

Aurora Colony was originally settled by a religious sect.

Jane Kirkpatrick has written some wonderful historic fiction

on people that settled this community.

Hope you are having a good week, dear friends!

Monday's Tea Quote

There is something in the nature

of tea that leads us into a world of

quiet contemplation of life.

~Lin Yutang

So true!

Teapots lined up for "quiet contemplation of life".

Ready or not it is sweet to sit quietly over a cup of tea. 

Tea with Konishi-san

Drinking tea with Konishi-san is always a treat for me.
So this week I was off to Jasmine Pearl teashop to sip.
Most of his teas are green, which isn't my go to teas;
but I must say they were good ones.

What came home with me was a twig oolong, which is quite good.

A twig tea means they included some of the twigs from the tea plant in the process

and not just the leaf, which is the usual process.

I do love a good oolong and had never had one from a farm in Japan.

Konishi-san is the farmer that comes to Portland each October to share his tea with us.

What a treat to sip tea with the farmer.

Have a very special weekend, dear friends!

Hope you have opportunity to sip tea whether sitting in your favorite chair 

or in a place least expected. I am off to sip tea with a friend today.

Pumpkin Cake

About this time of year all things pumpkin tickle my thoughts

and I get hungry for pumpkin pie or pumpkin lattes;

so I went exploring for something pumpkiny and found the following.

It was quite delicious.

The recipe calls for icing on the cake, but I thought it was good enough without it

and eliminated a couple calories.

Sour Cream Pumpkin Bundt Cake

Ingredients:

1/2 cup packed brown sugar 

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

2 teaspoons butter

Cake:

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

2 cups granulated sugar

1 cup butter, softened

4 large eggs

1 cup canned pumpkin

1 container (8 ounces) sour cream

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preheat over to 350degree

Grease and flour 12-cup bundt pan

Combine steusel brown sugar, cinnamon, and allspice

in small bowl, then cut in butter with pastry blender.

Cake: Combine dry ingredients in small bowl.

Beat sugar and butter in large mixer bowl until light

and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after

each addition. Add pumpkin, sour cream and vanilla; mix well.

Gradually beat in flour mixture.

Assemble: Spoon half of batter into prepared pan. Sprinkle

streusel over batter, not allowing streusel to touch sides of pan.

Top with remaining batter. Make sure batter layer touches

edges of pan.

Bake: 55-60 minutes or until wooden pick inserted comes out

clean. Cool for 30 minutes in pan, invert onto rack to cool

completely. Sprinkle with powder sugar.

The recipe came from www.verybestbaking.com

It was the perfect slice of cake with a bracing cup of tea.

Are you thinking pumpkin these days?
What is drawing you to bake?
What cup of tea are you adding to your pumpkin?

Garden at the Fort

Just a few days ago a friend and I decided to take an Autumn walk.

I wanted to see this garden along the way; so we walked here at Fort Vancouver.

Fort Vancouver is part of a National Park and just across the Columbia River from me.

I guess being so close I often forget to stop and enjoy the beauty of this place.

The garden is outside the fort wall, right where the original garden stood many years ago.

The garden has been made true to historic information.

There is also a fruit orchard nearby.

Big bumble bees were enjoying the garden too.

Though you can't see in this picture, Mt. Hood was back there by the two big trees.

It was a beautiful day!

In the basket were freshly picked green beans.

Tobacco was also grown in the garden.

Flowers and the fort wall delighted my heart.

How special to have this garden open to the public.

While I was standing here a group of school children walked through.

Farewell sweet garden, until I come again.

I will try not to be so long in coming.

If you visit in my part of the world definitely put Fort Vancouver

and the garden on your list.

Happy Unity Day: Kindness, Acceptance, Inclusion
Take someone for a walk today.

A Road Trip - Along the River

 Have a said how amazing Autumn has been in my part of the world.

The light and colors has enchanted me.

So off on a road trip my "live-in gardener" and I went this past weekend.

 The McKenzie River area delighted our hearts.

 It just plain made us smile.

 And the secrets out, but we listened to the first of Christmas music for the season.

Bet you didn't think I would say that, but I love Christmas music.

 Can you imagine this with snow on the ground for Christmas?

I can, but I also could see with my own two eyes the beauty of this season.

Wouldn't you love sitting in one of those chairs and sipping something delicious.

 But the stroll was indeed delightful.

 There were even red roses spotted hanging out by the river.

 Now isn't that the best?

 How I loved strolling right here among the trees while listening to the

water rush by.

Then down the road we went, discovering other delights.

This covered bridge always makes me smile and I must stop for a picture or two.

Do you love a road trip?

What season touches your heart?

This one definitely did it for me just a few days ago.

Monday's Tea Quote

The simplicity of the equipment and decoration of 

the tea ceremony allows minds to think about the natural 

beauty of things they may not have noticed otherwise. 

Remember, it is not a grand display of artwork that

impresses people here, but the simplicity

 and beauty of the smallest items.

Bringing attention to these things is the most 

important aspect of the tea ceremony.

~Shozo Sato

I find just leaves from the garden to be a beautiful decoration at any table.

Beauty in a Cup!

 Autumn has been amazingly beautiful here in Portland, Oregon this year.

Recently I ventured out to Lan Su Chinese Gardens for

some time of quiet reflection  and a sip of tea.

I loved how the surroundings reflected in the cup of tea.

What beauty surrounded me.

And that sesame ball, ohhhhhh delicious!!

 As I walked I noticed what I noticed.

Flowers around every corner.

 Don't you just love this time of year when there is a crispness in the air

and blue skies up above?

 The colors of the chrysanthemums just delight me.

Pomegranates and persimmons start showing up in the market and I can't resist.

Oh the colors and flavors!  Amazing!

This was an artist date just for me.

Have you read The Artist Way by Julie Cameron?

In the past I have read it twice, but recently I was reminded

I still need artists dates.

Times that inspire me and delight my soul.

Time away and time for just me.

It heals my heart

and encourages me in so many ways.

Isn't it funny how we get so caught in in life

we forget to take time for ourselves?

I am trying to do that.

So happy to share it with you,

a day away!

Since I will be away tomorrow,

Happy Weekend, dear friends!

Gentle Breezes

 WuWo Tea Ceremony in my backyard.

 The gentle breezes of Autumn surrounded me

as I sat in the sun of an October day.

Sipping tea,

feeling the breezes blow around me,

and quietly meditating on the day

with small cups of tea.

They delighted me.

The flavor of sweetness or plums,

 a smokey flavor slipped down my throat;

I smiled and lifted my head to the sun.

I notice the breeze blowing my hair

and tickling my face.

The colors swirled around me

in a joyous song of Autumn.

Oh Autumn, you just make me smile.

Your colors make my heart happy!