Tea Bliss

A dear friend and I were running errands when we drove past The Guild Shop.
We both said out loud, The Guild Shop, the car turned around and
off we went to an adventure.
I've been in The Guild Shop a dozen times and there won't be a tea cup anywhere.
There are always tea pots, but no tea cups.
On this visit there were tea cups!

I found the little Price&Kensington tea pot at T.J. Maxx.

It makes a nice tea for one for my new Clarence tea cup.

I really like the dainty flowers and the unusual shape of the cup.

I'm still reading The Chinese Art of Tea by John Blofeld, it is interesting, but can be very dry, so I picked up the next tea book in my never-ending book stack, Tea Bliss byTheresa Cheung. The reviews on Amazon are very mixed, but I found this at less than half price and just couldn't pass it up. The illustrations alone were worth the price! I've enjoyed scanning through the book to oooooh and ahhhhh over the photography. The book is full of tea quotes. Here are a few:

"In the taste of a single cup of tea you will eventually discover the truth of all ten thousand forms of the universe." ~ Kyongbong Sunim, Ch'an (Zen) master

"Pour me a little more tea, would you, dear? I can drink it till it comes out of my ears." ~Garek, Star Trek: Deep Space 9

"It's liquor is like the sweetest dew from heaven." ~Lu Yu (733-804), Chinese writer

"Tea is a religion of the art of life." ~Katuzo Okakura (1862-1913), Japanese writer

"Drink your tea slowly and reverently as if it is the axis on which the whole world revolves -- slowly, evenly, without rushing toward the future. Live in the actual moment. Only this moment is life."

~Thich Nhat Hanh (1926 - ), Vietnamese-born Buddhist monk and author (one of my favorites). 

I have some fun reading ahead of me, just reading the tea quotes! 

Thanks to our tea party hostesses.

These are just a few of the tea parties in the Land of Blog.

Teapot and Tea Things Tuesday

Tea Time Tuesday

Teacup Tuesday

Tea Party Tuesday

Tuesday Tea For Two

Wishing YOU well and a wonderful cup of tea! 

Our World: Cicada

I went outside to turn on the water and waiting for me at the faucet

was this little guy.

Staring right at me.

He molted recently and his shell is in the  back on the right.

Look carefully.

Can you see his three extra eyes?

(Between the two large ones.)

Did you know there are over 2500 different species of cicada?

Only the males sing.

Believe it or not, even in our horrible heat, the guys have been singing

late in the evening.

Be sure to see what else is happening in the world and visit

My World.

Wishing YOU well and a JOY filled week.

A Look Back: August

It is almost the end of August and time for a look back!

Zentangle Bird, 2. Amineko, 3. Houston Wading Pond, 4. ICAD #41, 5. Drink More Tea, 6. Dinner at Dry Creek, 7. Wedding Day, 8. Crochet Scarecrow, 9. Color Pencil Sketch Robin, 10. Fung's Kitchen, 11. Street Art, 12. Tea and Scones, 13. Japanese Garden, 14. Rain and Rose, 15. Bench, 16. Ganesh

Looking forward to September!

Thank you to our hostess:

Mary for Mosaic Monday

Wishing YOU well and a JOY filled week!

Elephant Bath

Earlier in the summer, before it got too hot for man or beast,

the Houston Zoo had a open house at the elephant barn.

Tess and her calf, Tupelo were the stars.

They love having their bath.

                                   

Little Tupelo was helping.

Tess was a very happy elephant!

Be sure to visit Camera Critters to see the other critters.

I'm also linking to and thanking 

The Tablescaper for Seasonal Sunday.

If you are on the east coast, please stay safe.

Wishing YOU well.

This and That

It's time for a little This and That.

One of the churches in the neighborhood has a Sticks and Hook group.

This knit and crochet group would like to make 400 scarves to distribute

to the homeless during the holidays.

I thought that was something I could help with and hit my stash.

 

There are no rules for the scarf -- just that it be 6 ft in length.

They didn't care about pattern or what kind of yarn.

Here are my first three ... one skein of Homespun in each scarf.

Each is a little different in pattern -- to keep me from getting bored!

I think this one is my favorite.

A girl can't live by scarves alone, so I took a little break and am

making 14 of these.

Fourteen before I can go on with the pattern.

Hmmmmm ... what is it going to be?!

(A big thank you to Mr. Brown for being the model. He is my grandson's

lovey when he visits.)

***

I am sure at least one of these is in my future!

Who knew there were so many Amineko fans on Flickr?!!!

***

I wanted to share with you my very FIRST color pencil sketch.

Mr. Robin at the bird bath in Musashi's Garden.

***

A little story.

Mr. Dragon always bought a teddy bear for me --

on my birthday, our anniversary (we had two).

On February 1st this year, he looked at me and said he was

sorry he didin't have a bear for me on our 30th anniversary.

To be sure, when it was all over, to get a bear.

I promised him I would ... a very special bear.

I'd like you to meet Holland.

He arrived yesterday.

He is the perfect -- very special bear.

Holland came from Ginger.

She is a wonderful bear artist and has a delightful blog.

You can visit her at Bearbits.

Wishing YOU well and a wonderful weekend.

To my friends on the East Coast ... hunker down and please be careful.

Hurricanes are no fun. 

I know.