Gifts from the Garden

Gifts from the garden, each one of these.

The hollyhocks grew into beautiful, tall blooms of delight.
A gift from a blogging friend two years ago.
They remind me of her and her struggle with cancer.

The Provence pumpkins are a gift we gave ourselves as
we traveled through France.  I see the pumpkins now sitting
on my porch and I remember travels in that beautiful country.

This miniature geranium with it's soft fuzzy leaves is beginning
to grow on the counter in my kitchen window.
It reminds me of a dear friend and our delightful time
together last summer, sharing tea on her patio.

Do you collect gifts from the garden?
Do you share your garden with others?

I have many hollyhock seeds to share.
Let me know if you would like some and I will tuck them in an envelop just for you.
I probably cannot send them outside of the US.

Random Acts of Kindness

Today I am celebrating Random Acts of Kindness Day.
I just stopped for the past hour to meditate and pray for each of you.
The thought that came to me at the end of this hour was:
And may my words mix with sunshine and be at peace
May each of you celebrate and be at peace.
Sit in silence and feel the peace today.

For more Random Acts of Kindness visit the links at the Necessary Room.

Little Teapots for Grown Up People

Have you ever walked into an Asian shop and seen tiny little teapots and cups?
For many years when I saw them I thought they surely made a lot of children's
teapots and cup sets.  Little did I know.
These little sets are actually for grown ups.

When my husband traveled to China many years ago he said
everywhere he went people were carrying jars with tea floating in them.
They would continually add water to their tea throughout the day.

Well the same goes for these little teapots.
The tea is put into the pot loose, then steeped the appropriate time.
After steeping the tea it is poured into another pot, which is
called a serving pot.  Then the tea is served in the small cups.
A cup traditionally holds three sips.
The tea can be re-steeped up to six to seven times, depending
on the tea used.  Oolong teas work very well for re-steeping.
So if given the opportunity, I hope you can enjoy many cups of tea served from
little teapots and sipped from little cups.  It is a real pleasure.

The Carriage House and Fairies

Yesterday I took some time off.
I don't often make it to holiday bazaars these days,
but The Carriage House is my exception.
While there, I had a lovely get acquainted visit with this lovely horse
and enjoyed walking around the grounds.

My delight was finding products made by two of my favorite local blogger friends.
Coleen of Coleen's Reflections had soulful fairies.
I could have brought the whole lot of them home and loved each one of them.
Cathy of Wives with Knives was also represented there with her
very delicious roasted almonds.  I can't stop eating her wonderful nuts.

Do you like attending holiday events?
What are you doing to prepare for the upcoming celebrations?

Sudden Delights

Sudden delights surprise me
Like the purr of a kitten nearby as I touch it gently with my hand.
The call of a friend who joins me for a walk in the park.
A blossom you find together that you have never seen before
or the sunshine peeking, just peeking through the clouds.
The surprise of discovering a rainbow.
The touch of a smile from a stranger as you pass by.

What sudden delights make your heart sing today?
Notice what you notice

Slay dragons?

A while back Relyn on come sit by my fire asked,
What would you attempt if you knew you could not fail?

What dragons would you slay?
What are your heart's longings?

Here are some things that are on my list:

surfing
sky diving
skateboarding
travel to exotic places
speak to women's groups
photography like a professional
sing and dance
write a book

What would be on your list?

The 7 Cups of Tea

Cleaning my tea cupboard recently I found this green tea.
Placing it in the teapot, it was so beautiful to observe it unfurl and
open up it's beauty to me.

While sitting in the tea room at the Lan Su Chinese Garden
I found this quote sitting on my table.

The 7 Cups of Tea

The first cup satisfies my throat.

The second breaks my lonely sadness.

With the third I find my muse and my art.

With the fourth life's pain evaporates.

The fifth relaxes my muscles,

my bones become weightless.

With the sixth I find the path that leads to

the immortal ancestors.

Oh the seventh cup!

Better not take it!

or I'm off to heaven.

~Lu Tong, Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907)