Word for the Week

Cozy, dictionary descriptions

noun

noun: cosy; plural noun: cosies; noun: cozy; plural noun: cozies 

a soft covering to keep a teapot, boiled egg, etc., hot. 

"a photograph of Smith pouring tea from a pot with a knitted cozy" 

a soft decorative cover for an object. 

informal

verb: cosy; 3rd person present: cosies; past tense: cosied; past participle: cosied; gerund or present participle: cosying; verb: cozy; 3rd person present: cozies; past tense: cozied; past participle: cozied; gerund or present participle: cozying

give (someone) a feeling of comfort or complacency.

"she cozied him, pretending to find him irresistibly attractive"

To me cozy is holding a cup of tea in one hand and a book in the other, sitting by a fire or wrapped in a soft blanket, or sitting in a beautiful quiet place visiting with a friend over a cup of tea.

Above is a breakfast set and it says cozy because I can imagine toast and tea in the mornings while wearing a warm fluffy robe.

A secret garden says cozy because I can imagine a quiet, peaceful place with the scent of freshly blooming flowers.

This bottom picture is a tea cozy, well you knew I had to include that.

The sewing pattern for this cozy is my #1 selling item on etsy.

It does keep my tea warm in the pot for quite awhile, it is cozy.

What says cozy to you?

 

Housekeeping: Google will be discontinuing "follow by email" in July. My recommendation is to bookmark blogs you follow and keep a list of the bookmarks to check from time to time. If I find a better solution for free I will let you know.

 

Writing Challenge

 After reading what I have written, does this lady staring out at the world fit with the story? Is she bold to assume we can accept and love her just for who she it?

The Pedestrian Woman by Robin Morgan

She stands at the intersection, waiting

to stride across in the inimitable way of hers,

shoulder bag banging against one hip, head high,

her hair promiscuous to the wind.

Or sits at the typewriter, inconspicuous

as any other woman,

writing messages to the universe

which will get her in trouble with the boss.

No past, no future, flickers like a clue

in all those chance encounters

that accumulate a life.

See her ride the subway. See her

warm the leftovers for her supper.

See her feed her dog.

And can you see what vision

fires its shape in her sleep's kiln,

what passion, irony, and wit,

what love, what courage

are disguised

in all her daily movements? 

Thanks, Stephanie for this poem shared recently.

This poem was my inspiration in a recent writing class to play with the line "her hair promiscuous to the wind", particularly intrigued with that word "promiscuous" and wondering if the word needed to be a negative word or maybe something playful. This was what I wrote after sipping a particular tea that teased and enticed me. Enjoy!

 The image of the wind blowing through my hair as I walk through a field of yellow mustard, outdoors, stumbling at times, but ever bold. My head is held high and the feeling of being alone though surrounded by others around me. I don't notice them for I am in another world. A song touches my tongue and I sing out boldly, wrapping my tongue around each word and embracing them. I sing for the losses of a life once dreamed of. I sing for the world that hurts. I sing a song that laments, but yet searches for the nuances that delight my soul. I grab each moment while I continue the way forward. I toss my hair and my head in the wind and I smile (or is it really a smirk?) For I know what is surrounding me and even more what is a part of me.

If only as a young girl I was taught to fling my head and hair in the wind and walk boldly through the muck. Would I have become someone I don't know today?

There is a boldness that causes my tongue to wrap around words yet unsaid. It is a bit promiscuous as it calls me to ponder, it sits in my mouth. It wants me to embrace it and take it in, but I am tentative in my acceptance. It teases me with it's scent. Do I love it? It asks for me to do so. Yet my own boldness pauses. Let me go to places yet unknown, be a bit promiscuous, let the tea embrace me and gather me in it's arms.

BTW - It was a green tea I was sipping. 

The picture was taken on a recent visit to my favorite antique mall.

Happy weekend, dear friends!

Delight in each day and let your imagination fly free. 

Word for the Week

 

                             The photos were taken just moments ago in my garden just for you.

The lilacs are beginning to bloom, the plum tree will soon start growing little plums (yummm),

the grape hyacinths are coming to an end, soon the tulips will be finished, and then there will be roses.

No April Words

There are no words for saying

How wistful is the push

Of April through the budding 

Of a lilac bush.

There are no notes for making 

A little elfin air

Of new leaves on a willow;

No phrases to compare.

With tapering blue hyacinths;

The first white butterfly;

With plum trees misted sudden

Silver on the sky.....

One may only listen--

Hand at throat--to rapture

More lyrically lovely

Than any song may capture.

Ethel Romig Fuller, Kitchen Sonnets 

lilac buds

One red tulip among the grape hyacinths.

And cherry blossoms too!

Now if only the birds, squirrels, and raccoons would leave cherries for me!

This time of year just makes me smile as the earth comes alive and GROWS! Yes, the word for this week is grow. Everything in my garden speaks to me of GROW. Grow little ones, blossom for me, and delight my soul.

Have a great week, dear friends!
 

Earth Day is Coming

Earth Day is April 22nd, but every day should be a day to appreciate and care for the earth.

One day this week I ventured to my favorite apple orchard just to appreciate the trees, the earth, the sunshine, and time with a friend. It always sings to my heart to come, to savor the day, and sing a new song in my heart. Looking at several books I have on my shelf I have found a few quotes that speak to our earth and to us.

"We call upon all those who have lived upon this earth to teach us, and show us the Way."        ~Chinook blessing

 "(Our task is to widen) our circle of compassion to embrace all living beings and all of nature."  ~Albert Einstein

"We have left no mark on the country itself, but the land had left its mark on us."  ~Sigurd Olson

All life is your own,

All fruits of the earth

Are fruits of your womb

Your union, your dance

Lady and Lord,

We thank you for blessings and abundance.

Join with us, Feast with us, Enjoy with us!

Blessed be.

~Starhawk

May we send blessings and care to our earth.

May we walk softly over the grasses in the field.

And may we treat the earth with kindness and love. 

Have an extra special weekend, dear friends!

May we savor each day.

Go for a walk and notice what you notice out there in our world.

*Side note: I have been notified that the email feed to my readers will go away in July. I am hoping to figure out how to update that and will let you know. I would be very sad to lose the 1300 followers on the feed.

Word for the Week

 

This morning I walked in the woods near a friend's house. She joined me there and we walked and talked for awhile. It was a precious time and I thought of the word "care". The definition of care as a verb is to look after and provide for the needs of another. While thinking on this I kept spotting the sweet flower in the woods and snapped this picture just for you. You had to really pay attention to see them, for they were rather small. As I paid attention my thought was that our creator cared enough for us that even these small flowers were put in our world to bring us joy.

My word for this year is "receive", but I am learning that I need to be open to others that care about me in order to feel the joy that is around me and receive it. It is in these tiny things and noticing that, our world becomes a better place.

Recently Tealet.com Elyse chatted that it is better to give than receive. I said for me it is hard to receive. Giving is much easier. I absolutely love giving and giving care to others touches my heart, but when it comes to receiving I wonder if I am worthy. I wonder if others feel this way too? Or is it just me?

I am not sure where this is going for it seems there are three words all tied together in a bundle: Care, Receive, and Give.

 

 

If you have followed me awhile you might remember other chairs I have photographed at the antique mall. Here are some new ones from the mall. I am imagining us sitting in these chairs chatting about these thoughts: How do we show care to others? Is it easier to give than to receive? Do we feel worthy to receive? Have a seat and think on these things.

 Sending caring thoughts your way as you ponder.

Have an amazing week.

Fortune: Pure love is a willingness to give without a thought of receiving anything in return.

tea-a collection of three

My front porch doesn't usually have teacups sitting on the bench.

The bench usually has pinecones and rocks collected in my pocket when I walk or if I am lucky the mailman/woman has left a package there just for me. Well it does happen occasionally.

But today I am sharing my collection of only three teacups with saucers. After all, a collection is when you have three or more. When you look closer you can see something strange about these cups.

What is missing?

Yes! they don't have handles!

I haven't found many teacups made in England without handles; so

I decided they were worth collecting.

The reason they don't have handles is because when England really got into tea

in the late 1700's and 1800's all they knew was what came from Asia and teacups in Asia

didn't have handles. So when they began making teacups in the 1800's they didn't add handles.

With more than a few burned fingers they decided it might be wise to add a handle, thus

inventing the cups you know today.

I think they are really pretty and I love having my collection of three.

Most often I just admire them because they are so old, but there have been

a few times I have sipped tea from them. It is getting to feel a bit of history in my hands.

Table of Your Life

At the table of your life

Make room for tea,

And make room for me,

And make room for friends and family

And we will make room for thee.

~by Earlene Grey (aka Susan Patterson)

 

Come for tea with me

and if you wish I will serve you in a special cup

of history. 

Happy weekend, dear friends!

Celebrate springtime and maybe have a cup of tea.

Word for the Week

 From the dictionary, Amazed: greatly surprised; astonished.

 "You are like a flowering tree,

amazed when I praise you for your gifts."

 ~Rabindranath Tagore, Fireflies*

The plum tree in my garden is blooming right now. It's gifts are the beautiful blooms and a bit of hope for fruit this summer. This time of year, as everything begins to bloom, I am again amazed at the beauty of springtime.

There are 35 camellia plants bordering my property. Here is just one of the many flowers on the trees right now. They decorate my heart with joy and amazement.

“Our goal should be to live life in radical amazement…get up in the morning and look at the world in a way that takes nothing for granted. Everything is phenomenal; everything is incredible; never treat life casually. To be spiritual is to be amazed.”          –Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel

At the beginning of this new week, let's go out and be amazed each day.

*The book Fireflies (1928) was a gift given to me recently. I love the garden quotes, so they may show up once in the while. I hope you enjoy them.

Springtime and Easter is on It's Way!

 I'm Feeling Fabulous, Possibly too much so, but I Love It

It's spring and Mockingbird is teaching himself

new ways to celebrate.

If you can imagine that - that gutsy talker.

And the sky is painting itself a brand-new

robust blue

plenty of which is spilling into the pond.

I don't weigh very much, but right now

I weigh nothing.

And my mind is, I guess you would say, compounded.

One voice is saying, The pond never looked

this blue before.

Another voice says, There couldn't be a more

splendid world, and here I am

existing in it.

I think, just for the joy of it, I'll fly.

I believe I could.

And yet another voice says, Can we come down

from the clouds now?

And some other voice answers, Okay.

But only for a while.

~ Mary Oliver, from Blue Horses

 

Joy freed from the bond of earth's slumber

rushes into numberless leaves,

and dances in the air for a day.

~ Rabindranath Tagore, from Fireflies

 Flying and dancing, an awakening of the earth in springtime

lightens my heart and gives me a new song.

Happy Springtime and Easter, dear friends! 

 

*pictures are from my home this spring/Easter season. 

The doll in the last picture scares my grandson, so I must hide it before he comes to visit. I love her. She came from a doll museum I once visited many years ago.