Tea by the Sea

Growing up near the Pacific Ocean I realized that my heart belongs there.

Right there by the sea.

When, at a younger adult age, I lived in Kansas the thing I mourned was the sea.

My heart just has to take me there every once in the while,

to walk or sit and be quiet, letting the sounds of the sea wash over me.

Recently I could hear it calling; so a day trip was planned.

Of course my teacup, a nibble, and hot water went along.

The nibble was a granola bar, which I enjoy making occasionally.

The tea was Darjeeling in a teabag for the simple reason

it just makes it easy.

The day was a bit cool, but refreshing as in the city it felt like summer.

Others were called to the sea also.

Do you have a place that calls to you to come on occasion?

For me it is the sea.

Happy weekend, dear friends!

Follow your heart!

Garden Quotes 2019

 Normally I go for soft pinks and whites in the garden,

but these Welsh poppies have fascinated me for several years.

I tried growing them from seeds to no avail.

I have looked for plants to no avail.

But when visiting the Joy Creek Nursery recently they were spread

throughout their garden.

But did they sell them, why "NO".

Still looking. I love the way they just fill in barren spots in a garden

and we do need a few of those spots filled.

 So a walk in the gardens at this amazing nursery was very special.

Every gardener knows that under

the cloak of winter lies a miracle.... 

a seed waiting to sprout, 

a bulb opening to the light, 

a bud straining to unfurl,

And the anticipation nurtures our dream.

~Barbara Winkler

Happy Monday from the garden!

A Mighty Fine Day

Do you ever have just a normal, everyday sort of day

and then suddenly it turns into a mighty fine day?

Wednesday I went to the gym,

something I try to do regularly.

It was a normal sort of day.

On returning home I needed to go to the market;

but I took a detour and found myself strolling

through the Lan Su Chinese Gardens for a little respite.

Well you know I do that sometimes;

so it was still just a normal sort of day.

And then the docent greeted me and pointed out some

gorgeous flowers.

Well you know that lifts my spirits.

So I decided to stop at the teahouse for some tea.

I was greeted by the manager, well she knows me,

and told me they had a special Competition Style Dong Ding oolong.

Rather than look at the menu I asked her to bring me this special tea.

Traveling alone I thought I would just sit at the table that faces the

garden and enjoy the sunshine.

There was a woman sitting nearby sketching.

After she put her sketch book away we started chatting.

Isabella was from Belgium and she loves to travel a lot;

so you can tell where our conversation went.

When she retired she decided her money would go into travel;

so she lives simply and takes pet sitting jobs all over the world.
The chat brought back travel memories for me.

And just this little detour in my day and

a chat with a stranger made it a mighty fine day.

I love when I put myself out there and take a detour in my day.

Happy Weekend, dear friends!
Take the detour, you will be glad you did it!

Just Last Saturday

With sunshiny weather and the need to get out,

my adventure encompassed some delights that tickled my heart

and just made me smile.

When the camera comes out my grandson can't resist a pose.

We were off to the plant sale and he was on the hunt.

 No, it wasn't flowers he wanted.

Not even some strawberry plants for his garden.

But a venus fly trap was calling to him.

Isn't that what any little 6 year old guy would want?

 Now I spotted teacups and teapots for the garden.

 There were 6 rows like this and most of them were packed.

 Each of us came home with a plant.

Then after the grandson returned home,

my "live-in  gardener" and I took a little hike.

He had never viewed the camas lily; so I showed him where to find them.

 There were meadows and fields full of them in glorious beauty.

And a few trees here and there too.

Now if you look really close between the trees you will see Mt.Hood,

a volcanic mountain about an hour drive from Portland.

But the soft glow of blue and pink wildflowers was what we wanted to see.

I love this trail and it is an easy walk.

If we looked here and there more flowers appeared.

How it delights my heart to walk through fields of flowers 

and spending time with one special guy at the plant show too.

Excuse me for slowly adding posts.

For some reason the internet at my home is quite slow lately

or maybe it is blogspot.

Blogspot doesn't want to load more than two or three pictures at

a time; so I must persevere.

Take time for an adventure each and every week.

Garden Quotes 2019

More than half a century has passed,

and yet each spring,

when I wander into the primrose wood

and see the pale yellow blooms

and smell their sweetest of scents...

for a moment I am

seven years old again and

wandering in the fragrant wood.

~Gertrude Jekyll

Yellow blooms earlier this spring coming up through the snow

delighted my heart.

Now primrose sit in one corner of the garden,

not always noticed but sitting there in quiet repose.

Happy Springtime, dear friends!

Tea by Candlelight

The weather warms and beckons me outdoors.

Both tea and flowers are my delight.

The moonlight is rising into the sky.

Candles lite, it is time for tea.

A dreamer is one

who can only find her way by moonlight.

~Oscar Wilde

 So moonlight it is!

 The Way of Tea:

Follow it, and ever deeper it goes;

Like the field of Musashi

Where the moon is limpid,

With depths that draw us onwards.

~ Rikansai

So the moon creates the ambiance,

tea beckons by candlelight.

Come sit awhile and sip with me.

Poetry we read.

The night is young,

the birds quiet in the evening light,

and now we smile with satisfied delight.

Happy weekend, dear friends!

Go out and find the moon,

sit awhile for spring is here.

I am

I am:

a photographer
a writer of dreams and whimsy

a mom

a wife

a sister

a tea lover

a cat lover

a nature lover 
a flower lover 
a tea lover

an artist

a light spirit

a gyspy

a fairy

a strong woman
a speaker of truth

When I started this list a couple months ago
it really hit me with such power in thinking these things of myself.
Have you acknowledged who you are?
Just making the list will give you power in your soul.

I challenge each of you to do so and if you share on your blog,
let me know.
Writing them down, even just for yourself is a good thing.
I can review it in my mind now
and know I am all those things and more.
It has given me confidence in myself.