Sunday

"Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better."

~Albert Einstein

Wishing YOU well and much joy.

At The Tea Garden

I've been collecting Portmeirion for years.
I pick up a piece here and there -- always on sale.
I have bowls from the botanical and from the garden bird series.
I use them for everything: soup, cereal, fruit, yogurt, pasta.

On my last trip to Tuesday Morning,
 I found these lovely mugs and two bread and butter plates. 

I'm going to brew a large pot of Assam making it extra strong.
I'm going to ice it later.
Yes, you read that correctly.
Iced Assam.
It is summer after all!

Maybe I'll have a slice of blueberry bread, too.
*

Garrison Keillor shared poetry by Margaret Hasse in his Writer's Almanac.

I bought EARTH'S APPETITE, a small collection of her poems and they are wonderful.

Here's an example.

AT THE TEA GARDEN

by Margaret Hasse

My friend and I mull over the teas
displayed in square jars
with beveled glass labeled by type.
Each name seems part of a haiku:
"After the Snow Sprouting." "Moon Palace."
"Mist Over the Gorges."
I'm drawn to green teas
with unoxidized leaves that don't wither,
hold their grassy fragrance
like willow under snow in winter.

The proprietor offers real china for the Chinese tea.
Animal bones, fine ground, give whiteness,
translucency and strength
to the porcelain that appears delicate,
resists chipping.
The rim of the cup is warm and thin.

My friend's lips are plush: her lovely
mouth opens to give advice I ask for.
We talk about memory of threshold events,
like a first kiss or a poem published.
She can't remember...

I tell her about my brother-in-law's
chemotherapy—his third bout of cancer.
He wants his family to put a pinch
of his ashes in things he liked:
his banjo, the top drawer of his desk, the garden.

I wouldn't mind becoming part
of a set of bone china that serves tea
in a cozy teahouse smelling of incense,
cinnamon, musk, and carved teak.
I'd like to be brought to a small table,
sit between friends' quiet words,
held in hands so close that breath
on the surface of warm drink
makes mist rise over their faces.

"At the Tea Garden" by Margaret Hasse, from Earth's Appetite. © Nodin Press, 2013. 

Tea Party with Lois by Wilson Henry Irvine, 1920

Wishing YOU well, much joy and a wonderful cup of tea!

I'm joining the following tea parties.

Thank you to the hosts of:

Tea Time Tuesday

Teacup Tuesday

Friends Sharing Tea

Tuesday Cuppa Tea

Share Your Cup Thursday

Little Things

I went to Whole Foods yesterday.

I don't know why ... I just did!

I did have a grocery list (of sorts) of those things I forgot on my regular run to my neighborhood store. 

Whole Foods is a little "out of" the neighborhood.

I found these pretty little Calla lilies there.

I'd forgotten how pretty the flowers are at Whole Foods.

The callas were grown in California.

Thank you, California!

I'll be making more trips to Whole Foods and next time,

maybe with a "real" grocery list!

Oh, before I forget.

If you like Hatch Green Chile.

Whole Foods has the best chicken salad made with Hatch Green Chile!

May you be filled with loving-kindness.

May you be well.

May you be peaceful and at ease.

May you be happy.

Japanese Garden

This was the first year that I made it in time to the Japanese Garden

to see the crepe myrtles in bloom.

In the past I've used the excuse that it is just too hot to go.

Armed with camera, cold water and a fan -- off I went.

I wasn't disappointed.

The crepes were mostly pale pink and white, but every now and then the dark red appeared.

The sound of running water is so soothing. 

It was a lovely, but hot, morning.

Wishing YOU well and much joy.

I'm joining the lovely Judith for Mosaic Monday.

Tangents and Tactics Number 2

This is Number 2 in Tammy's Tangents and Tactics series at Daisy Yellow.

Tammy is determined to keep us busy.

Tammy's instructions were to be messy and so I was messy with gelatos.

The stamps were done with acrylic paint and items found around the house:

bottle and jar caps and the squares are from an empty plastic candy holder.

I "Googled" on Half Empty and Half Full and included some of what I found as 

journaling on the page. 

This was fun.

Thanks Tammy!

Wishing YOU well and much joy.

Teatime Treat

Isn't it lovely?
The Aynsley teapot was a gift.
I found the sugar and creamer in a thrift shop.
They are marked Aynsley Pembroke reproduction of an 18th century design.

I paired the tea set with my favorite Aynsley teacup.
I love the aqua shade and the beautiful interior design.

Aynsley sure knows how to make teatime a treat!

Speaking of a teatime treat.
Here's an oil painting by John Charlton done around 1883.
It's title is Teatime Treat.
Looks like my house when three kitties realize there is food around! 

Wishing YOU well, much joy and a wonderful cup of tea!

I'm joining the following tea parties.

Thank you to the hosts of:

Tea Time Tuesday

Teacup Tuesday

Friends Sharing Tea

Tuesday Cuppa Tea

Share Your Cup Thursday

Important Mission

I had never been to the Japanese Garden when the crepe myrtles were blooming.

(Probably because it's always too blooming hot.)

This year I was determined to visit and I made it.

Camera, water bottle and fan in hand.

It was worth the visit.

I almost always see a whistling duck or two and a yellow-crowned night heron.

Not this time.

This time it was the elegant great white heron.

All of a sudden -- there he was.

I walked around the water fall and tried not to disturb him.

He was there on an important mission.

Dinner!

Wishing YOU well and much joy.

I'm joining:

and

Eileen at Saturday Critters.

Tangents and Tactics: Starburst

The Index Card A Day Challenge may be over,

but Tammy is still busy keeping me busy!

She has started a new Art Journal Tangents and Tactics Series.

The series includes art journaling techniques, video tutorials and creative prompts.

 Need new ideas for your journal pages?

This is the place!

Tangent #1 is the Starburst.

Here's my Starburst.

I took my time with this one.

I doodled.

I had new stencils I hadn't tried yet, so I did!

I collect quotes, words that I like and you can see some of them here.

Some watercolor pencil, brush markers, micron pen.

Thank you Tammy!

You can see more Starbursts here.

Wishing YOU well and much joy!

Spotted Photo Theme: Animal Love

I'm joining Hanna for her Spotted Photo Theme.

Each month she will have a theme for photos taken in the past.
It's a way to show off your photos.

She chose Animal Love for the month of August. 

Here are a few blasts from the past.

I had to start with the three kitties that I live with.

Mina

Cassie

Teddy

This is Mtembei.

He really believed that yellow flower was going to be a tasty treat.

If only he could reach it!

Belle and Willow

Black Bear Cubs

This is 6 day old baby Duncan with his mom Shanti.

Cougars Shasta and Haley

There's something about a wart hog that makes me smile! 

Ring-tailed Lemur

Wild dog

That was fun.

Be sure to visit with Hanna.

The theme for September is your favorite color.

May you be filled with loving-kindness.

May you be well.

May you be peaceful and at ease.

May you be happy.

Cat and Mouse

The kitty and the mouse came out to play on my tea mug!

Isn't it cute?

I found it at the Victorian Trading Company.

Mug, saucer, lid and strainer.

It is stoneware and keeps tea nice and warm.

Fun to brew more than one cup, too.

Purrfect for lazy days in the heat and humidity and curling up with a book!

I've spent the last two months taking a blogging break -- sort of.

I made one post a week of the little pieces of art I was making on Index Cards.

That challenge is over and I'm going to slip slowly back into blogging.

It will be nice to catch up with everyone.

Here's a litte bit of tea art by Mary Cassatt.

It is called The Tea Cup and was painted around 1880.

I wonder who she is visiting.

That's way too many clothes for this heat and humidity!

A big thank you to our tea party hosts:

Tea Time Tuesday

Teacup Tuesday

Friends Sharing Tea

Tuesday Cuppa Tea

Share Your Cup Thursday

May you be filled with loving-kindness.

May you be well.

May you be peaceful and at ease.

May you be happy.