Come Sit Awhile

Come sit awhile.

Let the dappled sun coming through the window warm you on a winter day.

Dream the dreams of JOY and envelop you with Delight.

Sip your tea.

Savor a small piece of chocolate.

Pamper yourself.

Pick up a book and read with abandonment.

Do you take time to do this for yourself?

What could you add to the list?

What book is delighting and capturing your attention right now?

The book I am finding fascinating is The Teahouse Fire by Ellis Avery.

It takes place in Japan in the late 1800's.

For those that are intrigued with the Japanese tea ceremony,

you would particularly be captured by this story.

I am half way through the story and can't wait to know how it ends.

Do you ever cheat and read the last couple pages to see how it ends?

Oh it is tempting, but I will wait.

So pamper yourself soon, make a date and stick to it.

Maybe this weekend?

Yes, the weekend is here, have a good one, dear friends!

Winter Happiness

In winter I look for color and light.

These are touches of color I have found in the month of January.

Some are in a greenhouse, but still blooming in winter.

Light is found in burning candles and twinkly Christmas lights.

Often as I drink my morning tea I burn a candle or two to add light to a dreary morning.

I hope just these happy flowers make you smile today.

What makes you happy on a dreary winter day?

Tea for each Season

Springtime teas for me delight.

Looking forward to some new Darjeelings.

Morning tea time gives reason to rise.

Oolong are sublime in any season, but the new growth
of Spring just makes me smile.

The season of thankfulness and family celebrations delights.

The season of giving and receiving with sweets to enchant

is the season I celebrate with a robust tea such as puerh or my favorite Yunnan Gold.

Often I see the comparison in celebrating with tea

to those that celebrate with wine.

There are seasons of growth and seasons to celebrate.

Seasons of JOY and Seasons to sit in quiet reflection.

Do you celebrate the seasons of life with a special tea?

or maybe a glass of wine?

How do you celebrate each day?

Portland's Japanese Gardens

 Having a membership to the Lan Su Chinese Gardens gave us

free passes for the month of January to Portland's Japanese Gardens.

 Sunday afternoon the sun was shining and a perfect addition to celebrating

a birthday in the family.

 We ventured out to the gardens and delighted in seeing

the koi in the pond.  The littlest of us was enchanted by them.

 The daphne was beginning to bloom and add color to this gorgeous garden.

There were little ones all about enjoying the out of doors

with all the splendor of the garden.

While friends in other parts of the world are under snow and freezing temperatures,

Portland has had a touch of spring.

One thing that has amazed me about Oregonians is that they know to immediately

step outside and enjoy a sunny day because tomorrow the rains will come again.

Who knows we may even be buried in snow in a few weeks.

Each day brings a surprise and we are always ready to celebrate it.

I think this is a good way to celebrate life,

be ready for the surprise and jump in with both feet.

Monday's Quotes

It's liquor is like the sweetest dew from heaven.

~Lu Yu

Note:  The teacup is from my grandfather's china of Violets and Daisy's, Haviland.

And a Good Time was had by All

Sunday is my "live-in gardener's" birthday

and the celebration began today.

Our daughter took us to tea and it was pure delight.

 The birthday boy and our sweet daughter.

 It was a Winter Tea at Deepwood Estate in Salem, Oregon

The table was decorated perfectly for winter.

 The tea was their signature rose hip black tea.

 The scone was Oatmeal Raisin Cinnamon.

 The savories were Stuffed Mushroom on Polenta with Balsamic Drizzle (my favorite),

Blood Orange and Fennel Salad, and Roast Beef and Arugula Tea Sandwich.

 A peek as we toured the house through one of the gorgeous stained glass windows

in the solarium.

 The sweets were Lemon Meringue Tart, Peanut Butter Pie Parfait,

and Chocolate Chip Blondie.

Walking through the grounds is always a treat.

This is the carriage house.

What a treat and an adventure on a dreary Winter day.

Birthday celebrations are always a perfect time for tea.

Surprise + Delight

Each season when I visit the Lan Su Chinese Gardens in Portland,

I am surprised with what I find and delighted.

This was fruit of the pomegranate, which did delight me.

Recently when I was walking through my local market where you can often find me,

a sign caught my eye above the jewelry store.

It said surprise + delight.

I have thought of that often since seeing that sign.

It doesn't have to be a piece of jewelry to delight me.

It doesn't even have to be anything with a price tag.

But little surprises such as seeing this pomegranate fruiting

or sitting by my breakfast window watching the hummingbirds feed

are just the surprises that delight me.

 I do love surprises alot and as you can probably tell

I search for those small things that surprise + delight.

What little surprises delight you, especially ones without a price tag?