Word Magic

 The word for this week is CHANGE

definition:  the act or instance of making or becoming different.

 

 Change of seasons

Yes, that is definitely worth noticing. Yesterday it was about 91 degrees here and felt hot. Today it is 69 degrees so far and feels like fall is just around the corner.

There are often changes in our world from climate change to political change.

Making change or changing a dollar for four quarters.

As we drive down the road, both in actuality or figuratively, do we sometimes change direction?

Growing and learning, do we sometimes have a change in our perspective?

It seems like change is part of life and to tell you the truth I am not sure I would be happy living without it.  I sort of like it. How about you?

Does change scare you or do you embrace it?

Small Ceremonies of Tea

 "Pouring out a proper cup of tea from a china teapot is a truly soothing experience that seems to engender a disproportionately high sense of well-being for what is such a simple act." from an article called Time for Tea in The English Home magazine.

I know, I know - tea again!

Tea is indeed a ceremony, sometimes a meditation, a time to share with a friend, a group, or alone.

Here I am sharing tea with a friend outdoors in a park. It was a small ceremony of friendship.

 

The tent is ready for a large gathering to celebrate tea with others. This was my British tent at the TeaFestPDX last year. The cup below was what each attendee sipped their tea.

The next three pictures are the WuWo Tea Ceremony from Taiwan. 

You can find a video of the ceremony on the website, www.nwwuwotea.com

 

 This tea time was the sharing of dear friendship.

 A friend shared making tea over a charcoal burner in her own backyard. What a treat to be honored by this ritual of tea.

 

 

Tea in my garden/green house is also a ritual or ceremony of friendship over cups of tea.

 

Sometimes the tea is served in different ways. Here is a teatime at the Chinese Gardens, served from a gaiwan.

This was a tea offering to our ancestors. A ceremony in the Chinese Garden.

 

Another teatime celebrated in the apple orchard, celebrating friendship and a quiet time.

A Japanese tea ceremony taking place at the Camilla Festival this year.

 

A celebration of the season. Easter time and the renewal of the earth.

 

A Russian teatime.

 

The samovar is the center piece of a Russian tea celebration.

 

 Do you celebrate with tea? or another drink? Do you often feel it is a ceremony?

It can be a time to celebrate the simple things of life or a more elaborate celebration.

 

Have a terrific weekend, dear friends!

Celebrate each day!

Word Magic

 

The word this week is French, joie de vi·vre

noun French. a delight in being alive; keen, carefree enjoyment of living.

 

The yellow chair sitting in my garden makes me think of this word. It sits there beckoning me to sit in the garden and just delight in the day.

 

The flowers in this field do the same for me. They just make me smile.

 

In writing this post I am realizing for me the color yellow and the outdoors give me that feeling of joie de vivre.

 

And going to places where I can dream of adventures.

Can you picture just sitting at the end of this dock and dangling your feet in the water? Would that delight you? On Pinterest I have a folder for pictures such of this, it is called "Sitting and Dreaming too". This is where I would do just that with Joie de Vivre. I would be dreaming of adventures, soaking in the late summer sunshine, and watching the birds swim by.

Where is your dreaming place?

Where or what gives you that feeling of Joie de Vivre?
 

Happy new week, dear friends!

 

This week's Adventure

Have any of you watched Pinocchio on Netflix? I tried to watch it, but found it a bit scary and dark; so I didn't finish it. This week for my adventure with my grandson, D, we ventured to the Portland Art Museum for the show on Pinocchio. It wasn't as scary to me seeing it like this. I found the artwork and creativity were amazing. My D told me I shouldn't take pictures, but here you are - my pictures.

I think this set was my favorite. I felt like I could just step onto that stage and sing along.

But I sort of liked the gypsy wagon too. Could you imagine living in a gypsy wagon? Of course I noticed there was tea on the table. I think that chair is waiting for me.

 

My D has seen the movie; so he had to explain some of the characters to me.

Such amazing creativity in just developing each character.

 

Mister Cricket had some tea.

I think the ones most spooky are the ones with no eyes.

The artists work studio was reproduced here. There were boxes of different expressions in the studio. I kinda thought it would be fun to be one of the creators of these characters and sets.

 Now that I have seen the art show I think I need to watch the movie from an artists perspective. Maybe I won't think it is so scary.

 Happy weekend, dear friends!

Word Magic

 The word this week is ASK

definition:  "say something in order to obtain an answer or some information."

"people are always asking questions"

 

 

What time is it?

 

Where is this?

 

Who was on the phone? 

 

In the Bible it says:  “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you." Matthew 7:7

A couple weeks ago the word came up in church and it reminded me once again of my word for the year of VOICE. One of the things we use our voice for is asking. Do you find it difficult to sometimes ASK? I do! I know if I don't use my voice to ask many requests will never be known by others and often I cannot solve all on my own without help from another.

Do I ask my "live-in gardener" (husband) for money when I want something special or even for groceries? Do I ask a friend for help when I need it? Do I ask for directions when I am lost? (Thankfully, now there is GPS) Do I ask a friend to come for tea? In starting a conversation, do you ask another a question?

 

I know someone close to me that thinks by being asked questions the person asking is being critical of them. That makes it very difficult to being in conversation when that happens. In that situation ASK becomes a two edged sword and much thought must go into how to ask.

It seems like ASK encompasses a lot of different emotions and thoughts.

How do you feel about the word ASK?

 

Have a terrific week, dear friends!

Stay cool! Embrace asking!

First Capital of the Oregon Territory

 The view is of the falls and paper mill in Oregon City on the Willamette River.

Recently my grandson and I visited the Museum of the Oregon Territory.

Oregon City is the end of the Oregon Trail.

From the windows of the museum we could see the waterfall in the Willamette River and the paper mill. This area was not to long ago given back to the American Indian tribe, which originally fished these waters. They have plans to redevelop it. I can't wait to see what they do. D and I learned that the falls provides electricity for about 6 cities including Portland. There are locks there and after reading my blog friend, Jeanie's, blog about locks in Michigan, I think this lock should have a tour boat too.

After we left the museum we visited the grounds of the McLoughlin home and burial sight of Dr. John McLoughlin and his wife. John was the chief factor of the Hudson Bay Company and later became the mayor of Oregon City.

As you see this sight is part of the National Register of Historic Places. Though it was not open when we stopped, it was still fun to walk around the grounds. The little yellow house next to the McLaughlin house is Barclay House, which had been the home of Dr. Forbes Barclay, a Scottish-born physician employed by Hudson Bay Company.

When my daughter, D's mother, was getting ready to start kindergarten, there was a tearoom run by volunteers in the Barclay House. I took her there for tea to celebrate the start of school. It was such a special memory for me in my tea adventures. The tearoom is no longer there, but I think they should revive it.

 

 

 Oregon City was the first incorporated community west of the Missouri River. It had the first newspaper west of the Missouri and the first post office in the Willamette Valley. There are many firsts and historic locations around this community along the river. Since my grandson attends school in this community I hope he gets more opportunities to explore and learn about this rich history. I need to do more exploring too.

 

Do you like exploring right in your own back yard?

Recently I have been trying to do more of that and quite enjoying it.

 

Happy exploring this weekend, dear friends!

Word Magic

 

‘If you fall in love with the imagination, you understand that it is a free spirit. It will go anywhere, and it can do anything. ‘~Alice Walker 

The word this week is IMAGINATION 

Definition:

the faculty or action of forming new ideas, or images or concepts of external objects not present to the senses.

"she'd never been blessed with a vivid imagination"

 

 

I have always had a bit of a child's whimsy in my thinking. When I see a toadstool I can imagine little people hiding underneath them. When I hear the word "imagination" I often think child-like or whimsy. In a way it seems like it could go along with curiosity too.

A bit of magic also can go along with imagination.

This dream catcher I find to be rather magical and whimsical.

Dream catchers were created by American Indians to hang over the bed and catch dreams during the night. I am wondering if imagination might show up in those dreams?

Sometimes, especially with my morning tea, I love to sit in the quiet of the house and let my mind free float, imagining delightful stories and dreaming up whimsical things. I love mind play, I love going outside and finding whimsy in nature.

 

In my office I have a shelf designated the "shelf of whimsy".

On the shelf are miniature tea sets, a tiny chair, a marble, sea shells, a paper boat, some mice, a dormouse, a hedgehog, fake flowers, a tiny car, and a few very cute rocks. This might sound silly and whimsical, but for me when I look at that shelf my mind floats to silly stories, sad stories and my imagination becomes quite active.
 

Are you fascinated with imagination?

Do you enjoy letting your mind play a bit?

 

Happy Monday, dear friends!

Let's play a bit this week.