Garden Quotes 2019

Welcome to a new Monday series for 2019.

Each Monday I will post a garden quote with a picture or two.

It was fun doing the tea quotes for 2018, but now it is a new year with new adventures.

The first quote comes from a book I have been reading over the holiday season,

The Christmas Chronicles by Nigel Slater

It is a very interesting book about the holiday season, stories from the author

and English history along with recipes. To tell you the truth I have never read a recipe book,

but it is much more than that.

What I loved were the word images created by the author.

So here we go, a new year and new quotes:

"Underneath the fallen leaves things are happening 

at a rate of knots;

new life burgeons. Bulbs are sprouting, 

buds are bursting through grey bark,

new shoots push their way to the surface. 

Many plants vernalisation, a prolonged

patch of low temperatures, in order to grow. 

Tulips, freesias, crocus and snowdrops,

for instance.A secret world quietly doing what it

does each year. A study in renewal, rebirth, new life."

Enjoy! 

Top picture taken at Lan Su Chinese Gardens.
Bottom Picture taken in my garden a month ago. 
Believe it or not that bud is still in the garden,
but looking a bit worn.

National Hot Tea Month

January just makes sense to be National Hot Tea Month;

so I am celebrating each day this month with a cup of hot tea.

Easy for sure, but all the same I am celebrating and lifting my cup to you.

Let's celebrate together.

What's in your cup?

Something hot?

Remember each kind of tea deserves to be treated with love.
That means the right temperature for each tea.
Did you know a black tea loves a full boil,
but a green tea shines with a temperature of about 185 degrees.
Oolongs thrive and blossom at about 190 degrees.

I always say we are worth drinking the good stuff;
let's go for artisan teas whenever possible.
Tea bag tea is just not the same. 

But whatever you sip, celebrate with me.
Have a hot bracing cup of tea.

Happy weekend, dear friends!

Climbing

 Like mother, like son, climbing is in their blood.

How fun to watch these two climb on Christmas day.

Were you a climber?

I was once upon a time;

so this doesn't surprise me.

 Peek-a-boo! Here he is!

He picked the highest point to climb.

Isn't that the most glorious view?

Wondering if he gets up on that rock if the view is better?

Does the climb make it all worth seeing more clearly?

 Ahhh, the determination!

Is he going to make it?

 Success! And the smile tells it all.

He warmed up with all the exertion; so coat was tossed.

 What a perfect place to play on Christmas day.

The view was sublime.

The food amazing!

And I didn't have to cook, but just got to enjoy.

I hope your holidays were very special and you also got to enjoy!

Final Monday's Tea Quote for 2018

Did you guess, I couldn't end with just one quote.

A salute to George Orwell~

All true tea lovers not only like their tea strong, but 

like it a little stronger with each year that passes.

I know very well that I am in a minority here.

But still, how can you call yourself a true tea lover if you destroy the flavor

of your tea by putting sugar in it?

It would be equally reasonable to put in pepper and salt.

Tea is meant to be bitter, just as beer is meant to be bitter.

If you sweeten it, you are no longer tasting the tea,

 you are merely tasting the sugar; you could make a very similar

drink by dissolving sugar in plain hot water. 

(note from me: tea does not need to be bitter if made right)

From ~The Wind in the Willow~ 

 
"Come along inside.... we'll see if tea and buns can make the World a better place".
As we all know, the World is definitely a better place because of tea!

Here we are at the end of 2018

with more tea quotes for you. 2019 will have a new Monday happening.

Looking forward to it next week.
Though I am sure tea quotes will pop up in future posts.

An Irish Blessing~

May you always have walls for the winds,
a roof for the rain,
tea beside the fire,
laughter to cheer you,
those you love near you,
and all your heart might desire. 

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

The End of the Year and a Greeting!

 No matter if the way is rocky or slippery with moss

life goes on.

 We must keep climbing, moving forward.

Some days are rough and then out of the rocky way

a flower blooms.

The blush of a new bloom leads the way.

It shares the beauty just in front of us.

I have been rather quiet this week, contemplating the end of the year

and the beginning of a new one.

By now some thought for the future year would have formulated in my mind.

For some reason this has been slow in coming.

I wrote not long ago about being open to the new year, 

but I just couldn't be open.

Just the word scared me.

But I have been paying attention

and finally it came.

My word for 2019 will be Trust.

Yikes!

Trust reminds me of a free fall.

I know it has something to teach me.

So I will be open to Trust and learn as the year goes along.

Happy New Year, dear friends! 

 Now there is one more Monday in 2018

and a tea quote will be here for one more time.

Christmas is on it's Way

 Christmas is on it's way.

It is full of JOY for you and me.

 Only one day to prepare,

we sing songs of Peace and Goodwill to All.

May your celebrating be surrounded with Love, JOY, and Good Will.

May there be Laughter too!

And possibly a sweet treat to savor!

But most of all may it be wrapped with LOVE.

Merry Christmas, dear friends!

Christmas Tea Time

 Usually about twice a year I get in the mood to do afternoon tea for friends.

 One of my "tea friends" recently moved close to me, so as a welcome to

Portland I decided to do a Christmas tea.

Two other friends that always are up to coming for tea were also there.

What a lovely tea time we had.

The savories are always my favorite part of tea time.

There was radish sandwiches with goat cheese, smoked salmon with cream

in endive, cucumber trees, egg salad with nastursiums from the garden,

and wreaths toasted a bit too long with cream cheese and green peppers.

 And yes, there were scones and spicy pecans too.

 There were two teas in the teapot, starting with Da Hong Pao from Yunnan Provence in China

and then Muzha Tie Gun Yin Oolong from Taiwan.

 

 Tablecloth and china was all vintage.

 The white plates were going to be tossed out by my church because they were old

and a bit brown, but I rescued them and love using them for tea times and picnics.

 By the time we got to dessert we were not very hungry, but there were French Florentines

and chocolate cupcakes.

There is something so special about afternoon tea.

It just says, slow down, take a breathe, and enjoy the moments with dear friends.

I do hope each of you are finding time to savor dear friends over a cup of tea

this holiday season. Celebrating with special friends and family are the 

best part of the season.

Happy Weekend, dear friends!