Tea Tuesday

I found this little book: 365 Things Every Tea Lover Should Know.

It's just one of many small tea books on the market from Harvest House Publishers.

I thought I'd start sharing some of the tidbits from this book every week on my tea post.

1. When making a great pot of tea, pour hot water into the teapot to warm it while the kettle of water is heating.

2. "My dear, if you could give me a cup of tea to clear my muddle of a head I should better understand your affairs." ~ Charles Dickens

3. Iced tea was invented at the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair by an expatriate Englishman named Richard Blechynden. His hot tea wasn't selling so he poured it over ice and had an instant success.

I have some fun teapots and mugs that I like to use when Halloween is on the horizon.

The dragon teapot with the wizard.

The dragon mugs are from the Texas Renaissance Festival.

When we first moved to Texas some 20+ years ago, we went to the Festival every year.

Fifty three acres of New Market Village, filled with food, beverages, shops with unique arts and crafts, games of skill and human-powered rides.

This year there are eight themed weekends: 

Octoberfest, 1001 Dreams, Pirate Adventure, All Hallows Eve, Roman Bacchanal, Highland Fling, Barbarian Invasion and a three day Celtic Christmas celebration.

Anyone getting into the holiday spirit?!!!

I'm linking to Teacup Tuesday hosted by Martha and Terri!
They host such lovely tea parties. Be sure to check out the teacups on parade!

Sandi hosts Teatime Tuesday.
So many tea parties.
So little time!!!

Wishing you well, a great cup of tea, and a JOY filled week!

"The path to heaven passes through a teapot."
Ancient Proverb

Tea Tuesday

The Guywan (Chinese Covered Cup) has been used in China since about 1350.

It is a brewing vessel and drinking cup in one, consisting of saucer, bowl, and lid that all function together.

(Image from the Atlantic)

The lid is used to stir the tea, serves as a filter holding back the leaves when you sip, and covers the cup and keeps the liquor warm. You keep sipping and adding water as long as the leaves yield flavor. With a high quality green tea, you should be able to brew three cups.

There is a Chinese saying that the first cup is most fragrant, the second sweetest, and the third strongest.

There is a wonderful article on the Guywan at the Atlantic if you interested in further reading.

This is my modern version of the Guywan.

I found it at World Market.

I had to have the mug with the dragons ... of course!

Complete with infuser.

It makes a fine cup of tea.

Teacup Tuesday is hosted each week by Martha and Terri.

Be sure to visit all the tea parties and see the teacups on parade!

Wishing you well and a JOY filled week!

Tea Tuesday

Tuesday is coming and that means time for TEA!

I was listening to Music from the Tea Lands while I composed this post.

Fun!

 

I'm sharing two teapots we purchased in New Mexico from the husband and wife team that makeup 

Rabbit Art Works.

He makes the pots and she does the painting.

Both teapots are signed and dated: one made in 1989 and the other in 1990.

The top row of the mosaic shows a close-up of the smaller pot and its lid.

The second row shows the larger pot and its lid.

The third row shows the back of both pots.

 

I have other porcelain pieces from Rabbit Art Works:

 some candlesticks and a vase with a beautiful kitty illustration.

I wondered if they were still in the ceramics business and I googled and YES -- they are shown in several galleries in Santa Fe.

I think I like these pots because they have personalities besides making a good cup of tea.

They are just the right size and shape (nice big bellies) for brewing tea. 

Tuesday is time for tea in the blogging world!

Teacup Tuesday is hosted by Martha and Terri.

Join in the celebration of Tea by visiting.

I have a couple more tea blogs for you:

Angela  at Tea With Friends

and

Lisa at A Cuppa Tea With Me

Have a wonderful Tea Tuesday and a JOY filled week.

Tea Tuesday

If it's Tuesday, then it is time for tea!

I'm sharing another of my tea sets from China.

It was a gift from a dear friend.

I love the modern floral designs in brown, blue and green.

The other thing I love about this set are the cups (five of them).

They fit perfectly in the hand.

They can be cradled to feel the heat and smoothness of the porcelain.

Do you like to read?

Do you like cozy mysteries?

Have you read the Tea Shop Mysteries by Laura Child?

You should!

There are so many memes that love tea and tea things. Too many to count!

Since I found Teacup Tuesday first, I will continue to link to Martha and Teri each week.

I also thought that I'd start to post other tea links so that you, dear reader, can visit them if you are interested. I'd love to, but I don't have the time each week!

Tea Things Tuesday with Wanda Lee and Pam

Tuesday Tea For Two

Wishing you well and a joyful week.

Teacup Tuesday

Teacup Tuesday is hosted each week by Martha and Teri.

Be sure you visit to see all the teacups on parade!

I'm going to do something a little different this week.

I have quite a collection of books, including cook books and books on tea.

Culinary history is an interest of mine and developed while I was a docent at the museum.

I did a food and feasting tour for a local community college once a year and I loved it.

Of course, I needed books to do my own research!

Today I'd like to share a lovely little book on green tea: The Green Tea User's Manual by Helen Gustafson.

Helen Gustafson is the tea sommelier for Chez Panisse so she knows her stuff.

This delightful little book covers sixteen of the most popular types of green tea.

She includes interesting anecdotes, quotations, and bits of tea lore and recipes.

COMMON EXPRESSIONS DERIVED FROM TEA

A nice old cup of tea (British): A sweet person.

Chali (Chinese): A tea gift given to a woman upon her engagement.

He has no tea in him (Japanese): Said of a person with little life in him.

Hock nit kein Chainik (Yiddish): Literally means, "Don't bang a teakettle." Don't make such a big fuss. Don't bother me.

Let the tea steep (German): Forget about it.

Na Chai (Russian): Literally, "For the tea." The tip one leaves in a restaurant.

Not for all the tea in China: Not at any price.

Not my cup of tea: It isn't anything I like.

Teetotal: To abstain from intoxicating drinks.

Tempest in a teapot: Much ado about nothing.

That's another cup of tea (British): Another angle on a story.

What's that got to do with the price of tea?: Why is that important?

Gustafson is also the author of The Agony of the Leaves: The Ecstasy of My Life with Tea.

I haven't read it yet, but I will!

(Image from Art and Tea by Karen Park Buddha's Palm Oolong Tea)

Lastly, I'd like to share a blog with you that I've been following since I first started in the blogging world: Art and Tea. Karen Park knits, makes jewelry, enjoys mixed media, and works for the Upton Tea Company, one of the tea companies that Gustafson recommends. Karen shares a cup of tea with her readers on Saturday. She describes the tea, tells how the tea is brewed, shares the history of the tea. Please drop by and visit with Karen and learn more about the world of tea.

Happy Tea Tuesday!

Wishing all of you well.

Teacup Tuesday

Teacup Tuesday is hosted every week by Martha and Teri.

Be sure to visit to see all the teacups on parade!

If you've been visiting with me for any length of time, this may look familiar to you.

Mr. Dragon and I enjoy visiting The Path of Tea.

You pick the cup you'd like to drink your tea from and have a delicious goody, too.

My favorite is the Owl cup.

(Yes, I collect Owls and I'm thinking I collect too many things!)

The owner of The Path of Tea tells a story about a woman who would visit the shop almost everyday when she first opened and would ask if she could buy the Owl tea cup. The owner would tell her No, that she couldn't sell her cups or she would soon have no cups for her customers to drink from and the Owls were particularly difficult to come by.

The woman kept coming in, asking and making offers, until one day she came in and made an offer that the shop owner couldn't refuse!

Along came Christmas, and you can imagine my surprise when I opened the package and found this:

Mr. Dragon found an Owl teapot and tea cups that look exactly like the ones at

The Path of Tea.

The teapot comes with a strainer.

Isn't the Owl cute?!

No wonder I think Mr. Dragon is my Knight in Shining Armor!

We both smile and chuckle when we have tea from this set.

Yes, we still visit The Path of Tea and we need to return soon.

They now have origami lessons once a week!

Wishing you well!

Teacup Tuesday

Teacup Tuesday is hosted each week by Martha and Teri.

Please visit to see all the tea parties and teacups on parade!

I think I'm the only woman in America who hasn't read Eat, Pray, Love.

I went to Cost Plus World Bazaar to look at some handmade wrapping paper I read about on one of my Yahoo Groups.

When I walked in the door I found these.

The book, the tea and the tea pot.

Now I ask you.

How was I going to pass on the adorable elephant tea pot?

Me, who loves the zoo, who went to the elephant open house and had her picture taken with a very pregnant elephant.

There was just no way.

So, I picked up the book and the tea and the teapot.

(I also got the handmade wrapping paper.)

I wish we had smell-a-blog abilities.

The tea smells heavenly: Blood Orange Cinnamon Black Tea from The Republic of Tea

"Italy brings us succulent crimson-flashed blood oranges which are praised for their luscious juice.

India brings us smooth black tea leaves which are grown in the beautiful, tranquil hillsides of Southern India.

Indonesia brings us heartwarming cinnamon, known as "sweet wood" for a spicy, fingering finish."

In case you didn't know, Eat, Pray, Love the movie opens in theaters August 13.

We have a girl day planned.

(I'll read the book someday, too!)

Enjoy your tea!

Wishing you well.

Teacup Tuesday

Teacup Tuesday is hosted each week by Martha and Teri.

Visiting means you get to see all the teacups on parade!

I have a short post for you today.

In case you didn't see the previous post, I was interviewed by the delightful Julochka at one of my favorite blogs, Moments of Perfect Clarity.

In the interview I mention the two ladies who got me interested in tea.

The teacups I'm sharing today were a gift from them and they are perfect for tea leaf reading!

(I promise a future post on reading leaves.)

You can see the Japanese Porcelain Ware stamp along with decorated in Hong Kong on the bottom of the cup. They are quite ornate and the porcelain very thin -- perfect for transferring vibes to the tea!

They were my first teacups, one of my most treasured possessions, and have been used often.

I hope you have a wonderful week and drink lots of tea!

Joy to You!

Teacup Tuesday

Our hostesses for Teacup Tuesday are Martha and Teri.

Be sure to visit to see the Teacups on Parade!

I have a soft spot in my heart for Belleek, perhaps because of my Celtic background.

Their work is gorgeous and the Parian porcelain so thin that the cups are perfect for tea leaf reading, but that's a whole other post!

I'd like to share with you my Belleek Shamrock teapot and teacups.

I love the distinctive harp shaped handles, the hand painted Shamrocks, the rounded edges of the cups in the Shamrock shape.

You can see the shell pattern on the teapot and cups.

I also have a set of 4 mugs hand painted with the Shamrocks and with a woven embossment.

In 1849 John Caldwell Bloomfield inherited the Castlecaldwell estate, which encompassed the village of Belleek, from his father. Mindful of the plight of his tenants in the aftermath of the potato famine he sought to provide some form of worthwhile employment. An amateur mineralogist, he ordered a geologic survey of his land. To his delight it revealed the necessary raw materials to make Pottery - feldspar, kaolin, flint, clay and shale.

Porcelain was featured by Belleek for the first time at the Dublin Exposition of 1872. Their display was the largest in the Irish and English industrial areas. Among the pieces listed in the catalogue for the event are Parian china statues and busts, ice buckets, compotes and centerpieces.

The history of Belleek is interesting and you can read more here.

Have a wonderful week filled with tasty tea!

Joy to You!

Teacup Tuesday

It's time for Tea Cup Tuesday, hosted by Terri and Martha.

Be sure to visit to see the tea cups on parade!

It has been raining almost everyday here.

That's good because it keeps the temperature down to 92!

It also means it's a good time to stay home, read, go through the mail and look at catalogs!

I'm going to share my shopping trip through the Old Durham Road catalog.

I have my eye on this tea and toast set and enjoyed reading the description:

"Specially designed saucer-plate to hold your toast and tea cup, with tea and toast graphics (in case you are prone to forgetting what you are doing.)"

Love it!

I like the English Cottage Tea Cozy

Ann Hathaway's Cottage Tea Pot

Ann Hathaway married William Shakespeare in November 1582, this teapot features her family home near Stratford-upon-Avon, a major tourist destination. "Thoughts of Shakespeare will pour out."

(As you can tell, just reading the catalog is entertaining. If you blink you might miss Shakespeare will pour out!!!!)

Isn't this little toile bird covered tea set cute?

It even has a strainer.

Do you need a Buckingham Palace Imperial Crown Tea Caddy?

How about a recipe book with "over 150 step-by-step recipes for delicious homemade teatime treats"?

I haven't placed an order yet, but I've had a good time letting my fingers do the window shopping!

Hope your week is cool!

Joy to You!

Teacup Tuesday

Teacup Tuesday is hosted each week by Martha and Teri.

Be sure to visit to see other Teacups on Parade!!!!

It's hot here! Summer has arrived and the AC is going strong. The feels like temperature is over 100. We went out this morning to run a few errands: bought a new barbecue grill (the old one was losing its legs) and more charcoal (hurricane preparedness); bird food (have to keep the buffet going) and stopped by Targais to pick up some sandwiches and salads. Yes, you read that correctly. Targais makes good sandwiches (the Caribbean chicken wrap with fruit is delicious). It's summer and I didn't want to cook!

I thought it was time to use the green glass. It is so soft and cool looking.

Hot tea or iced is ready. I think I'm going to put my feet up, get a tall glass of lemonade,

munch on these delicious cherries and read a good book.

I also have lemon bites and orange-chocolate scones to go with the cherries and tea.

Delicious!

Summer time and the reading is good!

A garden book, a book of poetry, and a good novel.

Happy Tuesday!

Stay cool!

Read

Relax

Teacup Tuesday

Teacup Tuesday is hosted each week by Martha and Teri.

Be sure to visit to see the other teacups on parade!!!!

I've had a love affair with hand-made for what seems like my whole life.

Mr. Dragon and I lived in New Mexico for many years.

The Land of Enchantment.

Hand-made heaven!

One of my favorite tea pot and tea cup sets was made by a potter by the name of Jenny Lind who lives (in 1977) in LaCienega, New Mexico.

It is a porcelain set with eight cups.

Please excuse the reflection, but I wanted to show you the base of the tea pot.

It is has a beautiful magnolia motif circling the base.

I don't know if Jenny is still in LaCienega.

I can only say that her tea pot makes a fine pot of tea. The tea cups are perfect for holding in the palms of your hands, feeling the texture and thinness of the cups, the heat of the tea, the ceremony of drinking tea.

Happy Tuesday!

Joy to You!

Tea Cup Tuesday

Tea Cup Tuesday is hosted by Martha and Terri.

Be sure to visit to see all the other tea cups on parade!!!!!

Aren't these sweet?

They are tea bag holders.

They are designed by Alberto Pinto for Raynaud.

Made of fine Limoges porcelain.

Handcrafted and hand-painted.

Measure 4.7 inches long x 3.5 inches wide

(Mr. Dragon says that's one big tea bag!)

Si Kiang Tea Bag Holder

Villandry Tea Bag Holder

Metamorphoses Tea Bag Holder

Wing Song Tea Bag Holder

Cristobal Tea Bag Holder

Alle Royale Tea Bag Holder

Another Wing Song Tea Bag Holder

Hope your week is off to a good start!

Joy to You!

Teacup Tuesday

Today is my first day with the meme Teacup Tuesday!

My mother was the teacup collector, not me. I kept several of her cups, but most I gave to her friends and fellow teacup collectors. However, I do LOVE tea and tea pots, so I thought this was a meme I'd enjoy. Thank you Martha for being our hostess.

We have a dear friend who visited his family in Taiwan shortly before Mr. Dragon had his surgery. He visited with us in the hospital and brought these wonderful gifts.

Almost too pretty to open!

Look what was inside!

They are lucky cups.

The lucky cup originated in the Sung Dynasty.

Made of porcelain clay and fired at 1260 C after shaping.

How to make it "sing"?

Just pour tea or water in it, one hand holds the bottom of the cup and with the other hand use your forefinger, rubbing the edge of the cup slowly and gently, and the cup will create melody.

And it does!

What about the design?

"In our memory, we could often see the colorful floral print bedding in the old granny's home, which was very trendy in Taiwan during the early 50's. True red color with peony, floral prints which represent luck and wealth, are often used on the beddings of the newly wed couples. Shin Tay Yuan Co., Ltd, with 38 years of experience in the transfer-printing industry for ceramics, brings the retro floral print into the new era by application of the prints onto the ceramics for daily usage."

Jim knows how I love ceramics and also included this wonderful book on the exhibition of Blue and White Wares. Like so many other cultures, there has been some dismay over the loss of their artisans, with mass produced wares. These exhibitions bring together ceramacists who keep the art alive.

I wanted to include this wonderful blue and white multi-functional tea set from the catalog.

"The set has 12 individual pieces, including a fruit plate, a candy box, tea plate, tea pot, tea cups, tea saucers. It combines practicality, an attractive appearance and is easy to put away!"

Be sure to visit the other Teacups on Parade!!!!!

Joy To You!