Tea Tuesday

Today I'm having a cup of Tazo Lotus Green Tea 

in what I call my rice with dragon set from China.

The pattern in the clay is made using rice. Once it is fired, only the pattern is left.

You can see a flower outline on the tea pot.

The dragon (painted in a lovely blue) is found on the inside bottom of the cup and on the saucer.

I had dim sum and tea with a friend and was reminded of one of my favorite tea stories from China when my friend tapped two fingertips on the table after I poured the tea.

Over the years the Chinese imperial court adopted the custom of drinking tea. They drank it in the ornamental gardens, or in special small buildings dedicated to making and serving tea to family or friends. In the cities, pavilions for taking tea became meeting places and were visited by men who would talk politics or business or simply relax. Special equipment was developed, culminating in the decorative pots and cups that we see today. Taking tea became a formal process and different styles of making and drinking tea developed. Some of these special traditions remain today.

One such tradition is to tap on the table and there is a story behind this. An emperor was concerned about the living conditions of his subjects and wished to see for himself what life was like outside the court. He dressed as an ordinary man and, taking a few guards with him, also dressed in ordinary clothes, went to a tea pavilion in the town. He asked for tea, and a pot of tea with cups was brought to the table. The waiter poured the tea and set the pot beside the emperor. When they had drunk the cups of tea, the emperor served more tea to his men. The men needed a secret way to show their gratitude and respect to their emperor and, using two fingers, his guards bent their knuckles and knocked then on the table. This was to signify kneeling before him. A reference to this tradition survives today: when your host pours you a cup of tea you should tap your first two fingertips twice on the table as thanks.

There are lots of Tea Parties in Blogland.

Two of my favorites:

Tea Pot and Tea Things Tuesday

and

for tea cups on parade be sure to visit Teacup Tuesday.

Thank you ladies!

Silver jasmine is a delicate flower that adds a sweet fragrance and light flavor to green tea.

(365 Things Every Tea Lover Should Know)

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

Thanksgiving is Coming!

Thanksgiving is coming!

The neighbors are getting ready!

Last year my blogging buddy Christina found a fun Thanksgiving MEME.

I thought I'd repeat it this year.

(Thanks again, Christina!)

1. Which do you like better: Cooking at your house or going elsewhere?

I like cooking at home. This year marks one year since Mr. Dragon's cancer was diagnosed. We are going to have a quiet day at home.

2. Do you buy a fresh or frozen turkey?

For several years I bought a fresh heirloom turkey, but was disappointed the last year I tried one. This year I'm preparing a turkey breast (frozen).

3. What kind of stuffing?

Granny's cornbread dressing and this year, I'm going to add a few cranberries for color.

4. Sweet potato or pumpkin pie?

Neither. Apple pie!

5. Do you believe that turkey leftovers are a curse, or the point of the whole thing?

Can never have enough turkey leftovers!!! So many wonderful things to make with them!

6. Which side dish would provoke a riot if you left it off the menu?

Bourbon sweet potatoes

7. Do you save the carcass to make soup or stock?

You bet!

8. What do you wish you had that would make preparing Thanksgiving dinner easier?

After all these years, I think I have it all figured out. Don't know what (or where) I'd put a new gadget!

9. Do you get up at the crack of dawn to have dinner ready in the early afternoon, or do you eat at your normal dinner hour?

I learned early on to get as much done before Thanksgiving as possible so that I just have to warm things up. We'll be watching parades and football games. We eat in the early afternoon and snack the rest of the day! 

10. If you go to somebody else's house, what is your favorite dish to bring?

Pumpkin cheesecake or apple pie

11. What do you wish your guests wouldn't bring to your house?

If you have a cold, please stay home!

12. Does your usual mix of guests result in drama, or is it a group you're happy to see?

A group I'm happy to see.

13. What's your absolute favorite thing on the menu?

Dressing!

14. What are you thankful for this year?

I'm thankful that the love of my life, my knight in shining armor, my best friend is sharing Thanksgiving with me. I'm thankful for my *family by choice* (you know who you are). I'm thankful for another beautiful day on Mother Earth.

Mosaic Monday is hosted by the lovely Mary.

Each mosaic is different. Each has its own story to tell

Thank you Mary!

Wishing you well and a JOY filled week.

Sunday Morning

 "Our ancestors viewed the earth as rich and bountiful, which it is. Many people in the past also saw nature as inexhaustibly sustainable, which we know is the case only if we care for it. It is not difficult to forgive destruction in the past that resulted from ignorance. Today, however, we have access to more information, and it is essential that we re-examine ethically what we have inherited, what we are responsible for, and what we will pass on to coming generations."

~His Holiness the Dalai Lama

Postcard Friendship Friday

Another postcard for Thanksgiving from the New York Public Library Digital Collection.

This one has memories for me.

I was raised in New Mexico, The Land of Enchantment 

and spent many a Fall feast day with friends at Jemez Pueblo.

It was a different world. Lots of good food that seemed to never end.

Colorful dances to celebrate the harvest.

Another world.

This postcard was published by the Detroit Publishing Company sometime between 1907-08 and titled Hopi Thanksgiving.


The Detroit Publishing Company was an American photographic publishing firm best known for its large assortment of photochrom postcards.

The company was founded as the Detroit Photographic Company in 1890s by Detroit businessman and publisher William A. Livingstone, Jr. The company had the exclusive rights to the photochrom process for the American market. Photochrom is a technique developed in Switzerland which allows the color enhancement of black and white photography with the means of chromolithography. It allowed the company to mass produce photorealistic color motifs long before color photography became economically feasible.

Thank you to the lovely Beth, our hostess for Postcard Friendship Friday.

Wishing you well and a JOY filled weekend.

Good Morning!