Word Magic

 Apricity: the warmth of the sun during winter.

This is a new word for me and I love it.

I shared this picture in my last post, but it just speaks to me of the sun in winter and the warmth of sitting at this sweet little table with someone special.
 

Tell me how the warmth of the sun affects you in winter.

Does it make you smile, as it makes me smile?

 

And the sun warms the earth, holds it under it's spell.

Apricity surrounds us at this time of year.

And on a clear day I feel like I can see forever,

dance in the light

and

sing with the birds.

 

Happy new week, dear friends!

A Washington State Adventure

 January is birthday month for my "live-in gardener" and his sister. So we traveled to the peninsula of the northern part of Washington State for a visit and celebration. I made the small chocolate cake and a friend in my sister-in-law's life sent the party in the box.

There are many gorgeous mornings from the window of my sister-in-law's home. This is the first morning as I watched with my tea. On Wednesday I was sitting by this window for a zoom call with friends and four deer came meandering by the window. No picture, as my phone was occupied and camera was not in the room.

My camera hadn't had much snapping recently; so I took my camera along to play. We just drove and explored the area. Ajax is a very nice restaurant nearby, but it wasn't opened that day. It still was a fun stop with camera in hand to play a bit.

I loved, loved how the light shined into the restaurant window on this table just waiting for guests.

Then I had a request to stop at this road sign. Does anyone remember a very old movie by this name?

Another morning view from the window.

 

 Crossing the bridge to the peninsula. Snow on the mountains.

Lots of places to pause and watch the water and birds.

You may not be able to tell what's in the little row boat, but it was a man and his dog just enjoying an adventure on the water. The dog seemed very content and happy to be riding along.

I have always loved this little cove with boats and little cottages all in a row.

There is a boat building school right out of camera shot.

It was very good to get away for a few days and just play with my camera and celebrate birthdays.

Do you make time to play a bit and put responsibilities aside for a few days. It is good for the soul.

 

Happy Weekend, dear friends! 

Now go out and play.

Word Magic

The word this week is SYMBOLS

Symbols surround us everywhere we go. Even in our own cupboards and closets there are symbols that tell us something. What do the signs tell us as we drive down the street?

When I was out driving and see a sign with circle and arrow with a X through it tells me to not drive that direction.  The red STOP sign indicates I must stop. And then there is an arrow showing me which way to turn. The "P" tells me I can park there.

Looking on products we find the square with squiggly lines that can give us all kinds of information. The straight bar lines also have a job to do.

Just looking in my cupboard and seeing a large cat on a bag tells me what is in the bag is  for my cat. So even a picture tells us a story and becomes a symbol.

 Colors tell a story too. I remember as a young girl people telling me that black stood for sin and white was purity and clean. Red was for love.

Doves stand for peace.

A logo or trade mark such as Nike swoosh on my very dirty walking shoes. Just seeing that swoosh I know it is Nike.

A picture of Mary and Baby Jesus has religious significance and often called an Icon. So again a picture becomes a symbol and a story, it is telling us something.

Happy Monday!

What other symbols can you think of?

 

Book Reviews

I don't often mention or review books I have read, but my blogger friend, Jeanie, at The Marmalade Gypsy, writes great reviews. She has even inspired me to read and stretch a bit in some of my own reading. So I thought I would share a few books I have recently read.

I follow a much younger, sort of hipster, tea drinker on Instagram and recently he mentioned a book he read. Plus a couple of my tea friends had also mentioned this book; so out of curiosity I decided to read the book. A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers.

There is definitely tea in it, but also a robot.

"Everybody knew what a tea monk did, so Dex wasn't too worried about getting started. Tea service wasn't anything arcane. People came to the wagon with their problems and left with a fresh-brewed cup."

"Everybody thinks they're the exception to the rule, and that's exactly where the trouble starts. One person can do a lot of damage." 

"Deciding on your purpose is one of the most valuable things there is."

There were so many little glimpses/words that were so profound in this little book. The conversations between the main character, Dex, and the robot, Mosscap. I really enjoyed it. I understand there is a second book, which I plan to read soon. I love that I can learn new things even at a "certain age".

State of Terror by Hillary Rodham Clinton and Louise Penny

Most often I read historic fiction, especially from the early part of the 1900's and taking place in Europe; so the State of Terror was stepping out of my favorite reading comfort. It was historic fiction for sure, but a more recent time period. This book indeed had intrigue and I was particularly impressed with what each author brought to the story. Louise Penny is an impressive mystery writer and Hillary Rodham Clinton added all the basic truths of being Secretary of State to the story. It felt so real, it was a little scary to think what could happen in government intrigue and real life.

After reading this book I will be planning to read more written by Louise Penny.

The Stolen Lady by Laura Morelli

Having stood in the Louvre Museum in Paris, France and view the Mona Lisa this story really brought home to me all that took place during World War II and the saving of art in France. As I have said before this is my favorite genre to read. Having traveled several times in France and being intrigued by YouTube shows on French chateaus, I could really picture the adventure and intrigue in this story. Since it was based on what really happened, I was thankful once again for the brave souls that risked their lives to save historic pieces of art.

 Allie and Bea by Catherine Ryan Hyde

I was sure I was not going to like this one, but after I got into it I loved how the author brought two lost souls together in this magical friendship of an older woman and a young girl. They certainly captured my heart. And in the end life went on in a different way for each of them.

Daughter of Moloka'i by Alan Brennert

My cousins wife and I often exchange books we have read and this book was in a recent pile of books she shared with me. Strange in my case because I mostly like to read female authors, in a way I feel like I am supporting them. So I told myself I probably would not have picked this book up to consider, but here it was in the pile. 

The book was in three parts. The first part was the story of a young girl in an orphanage in Hawaii that was adopted by a Japanese family before World War II. Then in the second part the story continues with the family at the time of the bombing of Pearl Harbor and the encampment of the Japanese people living in the US, and finally after the war it was a time of healing and recovering. There were a few moments of tears for me in this book. The descriptions of survival in camps here in the US saddened me and made it more real. Sometimes it is easy to forget and a book such as this, though fiction, is a lesson to learn in human survival. 

There have been other books read, but each of the books here have been surprises I hadn't planned on enjoying. All five were a bit out of my normal reading, but I am so glad I read everyone of them.

Happy reading, dear friends!

I hope maybe I have inspired you to pick up something that surprises you too.

Word Magic

 

 This week the word is HOPE

'Praedyth, there's always room in the back of the mind for hope. It's the crack that let's the light in.

 A friend sent this poem to me just this week and I thought it was fitting to share with the word of HOPE.

Hope

It hovers in dark corners
before the lights are turned on,
it shakes sleep from its eyes
and drops from mushroom gills,
it explodes in the starry heads
of dandelions turned sages,
it sticks to the wings of green angels
that sail from the tops of maples.

It sprouts in each occluded eye
of the many-eyed potato,
it lives in each earthworm segment
surviving cruelty,
it is the motion that runs
from the eyes to the tail of a dog,
it is the mouth that inflates the lungs
of the child that has just been born.

It is the singular gift
we cannot destroy in ourselves,
the argument that refutes death,
the genius that invents the future,
all we know of God.

It is the serum which makes us swear
not to betray one another;
it is in this poem, trying to speak.

“Hope” by Lisel Mueller from Alive Together. © Louisiana State University Press, 1996.

 

Yesterday my tea group celebrated the Chinese New Year over zoom. What you see here is my tea table for the celebration. Of course, there was a rabbit in attendance. Do you see her? She will be my guiding force this year reminding me to have hope, gentleness and creativity.

 

As it is the beginning of a new lunar year the following came in my inbox this morning from one of my favorite tea companies, Grass People Tree.

"The rabbit symbolizes longevity, peace, and prosperity in Chinese Culture; thus, 2023 is predicted to be a year of hope.⁠
Furthermore, the Rabbit of 2023 falls under the wood element, with water as the complementary element. Since water helps wood (trees) to grow, 2023 will be a strong wood year."
⁠
Wishing you all a hope-filled 2023! ⁠

 

Related by Love

 

This is Myrtle. She was my grandfather's second wife and never had any children. I loved Myrtle. She was like a grandmother to me. My grandfather met her at an American Legion dance. He loved dancing. He fell in love with Myrtle and married her when I was going into the 4th grade.

Myrtle would have me come over for tea and a visit where she attempted to teach me how to knit. I have to say attempted because I just never quite got it. My knitting was always so tight I would need to rip it out and keep trying to relax and re-do. It just wasn't my thing; so I smile when I see my daughter knitting away.

When my mother fell and broke her knee Myrtle took my sister and I in for awhile so my mother had some time for recuperation. Myrtle didn't quite know how to get two young girls ready for school, but she did her best. We both had long hair; so though we had never worn braids, Myrtle would braid our hair and wrap it around our heads with ribbons. I am sure it was beautiful, but by the time I got to school I had taken the braids down and just told Myrtle they undid themselves. She would try harder the next day. Oh my, I guess I was a bit of a stinker; but Myrtle loved us. 

Here is Myrtle with a couple of her sisters and then again standing among the flowers.

I always said I was her favorite because I would go visit her and talk to her. The summer before I left for college my grandfather helped me get a job in the apple cannery for the summer and I stayed with Myrtle and my grandpa. When it was time to leave for college Myrtle opened a bank account in her name and mine and would put her dividends from an egg ranch into the account for me to use for college. Wondering what those dividends would be worth today? Hummm? They did help me pay for college for the two years I attended and then I got married.

When I was getting married she asked what I would like for a wedding present. I said I would love my grandfather's china. Her response was that if no one else voiced a desire for the china she would give it to me when she was finished using it. About 6 months before she passed she gave me the china, which I cherish still today. The picture just shows part of the china. It is Haviland and somehow my grandfather acquired it from the Burlington Railroad, as it was their china pattern of Daisies and Violets.

Reminiscing today, thinking of Myrtle. The fur coat inspired me to reminisce, as Myrtle offered to give me her mink coat and I declined it. Later I thought, now why did I decline a beautiful gift of that coat. I was sharing that story with my friend Emily, who sells the vintage clothes, and that was when she said she was giving me a fur coat in memory of Myrtle. So I am sharing this story with you. For one, accept graciously and always acknowledge the love of another even if not related by blood, but by love.

Have a blessed weekend, dear friends!

Word Magic

The word this week is ADVENTURE

One of my favorite quotes: “Would you like an adventure now, or would you like to have your tea first? ” -James M. Barrie.

I think this is one of my most favorite words for conjuring dreams. 

One of my friends recently asked me what adventure's I have planned for 2023. Where will I travel? I am addicted to travel and adventures, I love them. I started thinking more about that word adventure. I realized life is an adventure. There are small and large memories of adventures taken. Even just to hop in the car and drive to the market, the post office, or the beach nearby can be an adventure. My "live-in gardener" struggled this past year with turning 80 years old; so when I was again asked by this same friend how I felt about turning 80 this year I started thinking about it. My response was it is just another day in my adventure of life. Each step of the way I want to savor and enjoy for what possibilities there are for me.

 Each picture shared was an adventure from the Columbia River, San Francisco Bay, to the Atlantic coast. 

Where will your next adventure be?

Do you love an adventure?