Seek JOY

 

”Every morning starts a new page in your story. Make it a great one today.” -Doe Zantamata

Recently I read that kindness and joy are as important to a long life as a good diet. I tend to agree with that. What do you think? I have a friend that just turned 93 and he still seeks joy and adventure. He is a delight to visit with and soon I will invite he and his girlfriend to come for tea.

I am in the midst of re-reading Winter Solstice by Rosamunde Pilcher. It's an oldie, but goodie. I went to the library recently to see if they had it on the shelf, but it wasn't there. I probably could have ordered it at the library, but since I want to share from it I bought it. In June I will be speaking at TeaFestPDX (June 27th) on tea in literature. Winter Solstice takes place in England and has so many references to having tea I thought it was worth a re-read to get me into the spirit of offering tea when a friend stops by. For me, sharing a cup of tea with a friend brings a quiet joy. As the next quote says it does make for a smile, a grin.

"Joy is the feeling of grinning inside." — Melba Colgrove

Next week I will be seeking joy and a bit of sunshine/warmth by going on an adventure. See you in 2 weeks. Can you guess where I would be going for a bit of sunshine? Some of you are still buried under winter. Stay warm and find a cup of warm tea.

Now there is only one picture here today, but I thought it was a good one. It is on the Main Street of the town I live in and is also the office where my daughter works. I thought it was perfect for a counseling center.

Sending Love,

Marilyn

March Blessings!

 I love March! I just do! I think March is my favorite month of the year and February is my least favorite month of the year. March gives me hope and a smile.

Daffodils are probably my favorite "happy" flower. They come up in March and just shine for me. And strawberries start showing up in the market in March. What could be better than daffodils and strawberries?

The yellow green fuzz of new leaf buds and pink blossoms begin to show their beautiful faces. 

Even white blossoms rain like snow. 

New Leaves on a Willow

by Ethel Romig Fuller, Kitchen Sonnets

Where yesterday were bare gold stems,

March's windy stratagems

Have today miraculously

Wrought new leaves on a willow tree.

New leaves so mistily winged and small

They seem to spray from a waterfall;

Water cascading headlong to stop

Midway down on its breathless drop.

New leaves so sudden-green they scorch

The somber sky with a fiery torch;

New willow leaves...new dreams again;

New high resolves in the heart of men.

Can you see new life sprouting on those branches by the sea?

And camellias are bursting with beauty?

A friend took me to a new tearoom yesterday to celebrate my favorite month. Oh! Did I say I am a March baby too. This new tearoom is a winner. They serve their tea with low sugar sweets. What could be better?!!!! The white cookie was like a moist shortbread with rose petals. Yummm!

What's your favorite month and why?

Oh! And not to forget, I just finished Nora Robert's book, Mind Games. I quite enjoyed it.

Sending love,

Marilyn

A One Day Adventure

 If you have followed along with me for a long time you will know that occasionally I like to have an adventure with my grandson. Sometimes his mom comes along and even my "live-in gardener". Most often our adventures happen in the summer. Since he didn't have school on Friday I planned an adventure for the four of us. In the first picture you will see the Portland train station. We were up early and caught the morning train, going north.

The train ride took 3 1/2 hours to arrive in Seattle. My grandson had never been to Seattle.

I loved just having time together, plus watching the view out the window.

The weather was perfect, no rain!

We arrived at lunch time and walked to the International district for lunch. Then ordered a Lyft ride to the Seattle Asian Art Museum. None of us had been there and we thoroughly enjoyed it. What a beautiful museum.

Of course you knew if I spotted a tea pot I had to take a picture.

And since grandson, D, hadn't been there before, we made a stop at the Seattle Center to see the Space Needle and do a bit of walking. By now my feet were tired, but there was more walking to be done.

Off we were to Pike Place Public Market. This is definitely a tourist draw. We paused at The Crumpet House for fresh made crumpets. Some crumpets actually came home in my bag.

Oh I should have taken a picture of the fish market, but I did capture a few flowers. The market is near the downtown area and in my daughter's words "a vibrant place". It was very active with people out enjoying the day.

What a special way to spend time with someone you love. We were home by 9:30PM with another adventure together, creating memories.

And that was one extra special adventure day for me this past week.

In the middle of two very different books this week, more later on them. I did finish reading The Perfumer's Secret by Neroli Lacey. It was pretty good, I enjoyed it OK; but not as much as the last book I read before this one.

Sending love,

Marilyn

"Look and See"

 

One of my all time favorite Mary Oliver poems:

Look and See

This morning, at waterside, a sparrow flew

to a water rock and landed, by error, on the back

of an eider duck; lightly it fluttered off, amused.

The duck, too, was not provoked, but, you might say, 

was laughing.

This afternoon a gull sailing over

our house was casually scratching

its stomach of white feathers with one

pink foot as it flew.

Oh Lord, how shining and festive is your gift to us, 

if we only look, and see.

Visiting the Lan Su Chinese Gardens this week just to "look and see". I must go searching to find those little bits of nature that just make me smile. Isn't it amazing what you can find when you pay attention, opening your eyes?

Sending you out and about to "look and see".

With love,

Marilyn

Finding Joy

 Buddhist proverb: Three things will always rise; the sun, the moon, and the truth.

This quote reminds me to search for the small joys in life.

When I lived in my house you often found me early in the morning strolling through the garden in my robe or even in summer just in my pajamas. I loved the early morning hour strolls through the garden. I was always searching for new blooms, new growth. It is what brought me joy. These days I am adjusting and relearning how to do this. I find if I just step out on my patio at sunrise and look toward the sky I can find stars and sometimes the moon. It delights me.

If I spy a flower or take my cup of tea in hand and breathe in the scents, I smile.

My "live-in gardener" was in the hospital for a few days this past week. He is better now and we are both almost back to normal after having the "icky" virus going around. Our appetites aren't quite back to normal; so for Valentine's I thought we would have a simple teatime.

I made cucumber sandwiches, Coronation chicken sandwiches (British), cream scones, mochi with marachino cherries (Japanese), fruit, and moon cakes (Chinese); then tea was rooibos Marco Polo (French). It was a multi-ethnic teatime, but it satisfied our teatime appetite quite well.

Do you enjoy candle light in the winter evenings? Or even in the morning? It also brings me joy and delight.

Then today there was a Chinese New Year celebration with my tea group.

It was a potluck and tea tasting.

Wow! There was a lot of food and tea.

I made the pink mochi balls with maraschino cherries inside.

This week I finished reading Mrs. Endicott[s Splendid Adventure by Rhys Bowen. It takes place during the late 1930's, early 1940's; which is an era that fascinates me. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Even through their struggles, the characters found small joys.

Finding small joys in the everyday times.

What brings you small joys?

Sending love,

Marilyn

Searching for Spring

The callas had been dug up and moved to my daughter's yard. It was so fun to see them flourishing in her garden. They originally came from my sister's house in California. I call them our traveling callas. I found them in the garden just yesterday.

When I get to February every year I start searching for springtime. I don't know about you, but I miss sunshine and roses. I miss seeing blue skies and fluffy clouds. I miss seeing new growth and the softness of yellow greens as they begin sprouting from tree branches.

So even though I am still feeling a bit under the weather, yesterday I had to go out for just a small adventure to look for springtime.

My daughter had sent me a picture of the witch hazel blooming. The witch hazel had been a birthday gift for me a few years ago; so I had to visit it and see in person the blooms. Also my favorite lemon tree was sitting next to the witch hazel; so I said "hello" to the lemon tree too. Usually there are lemons on the tree about now, but I guess since Jill repotted it there were no lemons. However, it was flourishing and full of leaves. Next year there will be lemons again. I just know it.

Aren't the blooms amazing? Or is it just me that is intrigued by these unique flowers?

Tulips are showing up at the market. Who can resist a bouquet of tulips at this time of year. I love, love super-market flowers. Often a bouquet comes home in the grocery cart.

A new calla lily will be added to Jill's garden soon.

The burgundy color sings to my soul.

 What season do you anticipate and treasure the most? Spring is it for me. Spring touches my heart.

Sending love,

Marilyn