Tchaikovsky at Tea Time

I recently received (from Alice - thank you!) the CD called Tchaikovsky at Tea Time. If you are a Tchaikovsky fan (and I am), this is a great CD because it's a compilation of his most famous stuff. Some Swan Lake, some Nutcracker Suite, some Sleeping Beauty, etc.

It's quite clever marketing, really, that this company has done. Other titles include:

• Mozart in the Morning
• Mozart at Midnight
• Bach for Breakfast
• Chopin and Champagne
• Vivaldi for Valentine's
• Baroque at Bathtime
• Beethoven for Book Lovers

And so forth....

Inside the sleeve, I read:

You may be interested to know that Tchaikovsky was a devoted
tea drinker. His most productive years were spent on his country estate
where he would go for long walks in the afternoon, during which ideas came flooding to him. Every afternoon he returned home for tea at 4:30 p.m. He adored strong tea. A pinch of soda added to the tea made it look much stronger than Russian teas normally do. He could not play Whist (a popular card game of the day) without his strong (soda spiked) tea.

Fabric Dreams

I've recently had a windfall of gorgeous fabric! The first comes all the way, hand-delivered, from Mauritania, Africa. It's a wonderful batik. My friend who brought the fabric offered several choices, and it was a very hard decision!

The second fabric came from a Hancock Fabrics in Denver. It was the last of a bolt, and my good tea-loving friend snatched it up for me! Look at these gorgeous teacups!

Now comes the hard part - what should I make? I'm sure at least one skirt will be on the plan. Both of these fabrics are so lovely, I have a hard time cutting into them! Whatever I make, I will do a trial run on some less special fabric! Ideas for projects welcome!

Work Travels and Tea

I'm on a mega-work trip starting next week. I'll be gone the 22nd - Aug 1, but I'll still be blogging. I am spending part of my time in Oregon and part in California. I am hoping to mix in a bit of fun along with the productive work time.

One thing I hope to do in Oregon is visit the Tea House in the classical Chinese garden.

Photo courtesy the Tea House website.

And I'm looking forward to walking the Wharf to Wharf in CA next weekend.

In addition to these excursions, I plan to blog about my July tea party theme - Tea and Travel. Expect exciting tea parties in unusual places!

And, by the way, do you have any recommendations for tea spots in Portland?

Pretty Food

Who needs ice cream when garden produce is this pretty?

Poems

Today, I'm sharing two poems I wrote for a women's writing retreat this past weekend. (And a reminder that while this blog is often about tea, it's sometimes not.)

As you read these poems, I'll share a principle that our writing class uses - assume these are fiction. The "I" isn't necessarily me in the personal.

Dream State
"I have trouble telling what's real and what's a dream," says the grandfather.

The baby sighs as she sleeps. Does she dream?

I dream of past romances, but with different endings. Like I'm writing a romance novel as I sleep.

Husband leaves his body as he dreams. An adventure. The return is hard.

She doesn't dream. The meds put her to sleep, away from herself.

He doesn't remember his dreams, but he paints a world unknown to him.

They dream of not dreaming. The violations are unending.

That man has lost his dream. The zephyr no longer comes to him.

This woman calls upon her dreams to heal. Inner spirit, lead the way.

I have trouble telling what's real and what's a dream.



Untitled
I am the lightness, the teasing, the time taken for a kiss.

I am the hand-written letter, the knowing someone thought of you in specific.

I am the unexpected little gift.

I am the compliment from 20 years ago that you never forgot, that you believed, and that shaped your path.

I am the warm bath and the cool, gentle settling of the dew.

I am the red cardinal, its reminder to pause and look.

I am the brownie batter you lick from the bowl.

And I am the moments when you think of fear but do not find it.

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I'm interested in your reactions to these poems. Not so much whether you like them, as liking isn't the purpose, but rather what thoughts/emotions/images did they evoke for you? If you'd like to leave a comment, I'd eagerly read it!

Book Review: Tea Bliss

I've been reading Tea Bliss by Theresa Cheung. The best thing about this book, in my humble opinion, is the incredible photography. I enjoy thumbing through the photos and taking in all their exquisite detail.

I picked this book up at the library. When I began to read it, I was a bit surprised. The book is more about lifestlye, using tea as a metaphor, than about tea itself. The book's subtitle is, "Infuse your life with health, wisdom, and contentment." Each chapter starts with two short statements, one about tea and the other about life.

Once I began to understand what the book was really about, I enjoyed it more. There is beautiful writing and sentiment in the book. I also enjoyed the quotes sprinkled throughout, many of them ones I had not read before. Here are two of my favorites:

Find yourself a cup; the teapot is behind you. Now tell me a hundred things. -- Saki, British writer

Meanwhile, let us have a sip of tea. The afternoon glow is brightening the bamboos, the fountains are bubbling with delight, the soughing of the pines is heard in our kettle. Let us dream of evanescence and linger in the beautiful foolishness of things. -- Kakuzo Okakura, Japanese writer

If you are interested in this book, here is my advice: Browse it carefully before purchasing. Make sure you're getting what you expect. If, after opening, it resonates with you, it is a book worth keeping. If you were expecting more on tea and less philosophy, then leave it at the store. Or, do as I've done, and get it from the library!

Have you read this book? If so, please share your opinion of it in the comments!

Tea Review: Queen Catherine Tea

I recently received a wonderful surprise gift box from Alice at Tea in My Cup. The gift was part of the "Pay it Forward" blogging event. Included among the wonderful tea goodies was a tin of Queen Catherine Tea by Harney & Sons.

Description from the website:

"As lovers of good tea, we have many reasons to be thankful for Catherine of Braganza of Portugal. By marrying King Charles of England, she brought tea drinking to the British and thus on to the Colonies. We have created this blend of select Chinese black teas in her honor."

More on Queen Catherine.

The tea is a blend of chinese leaves, from three regions. The instructions on the side of the tin tell me to steep this tea for 5 minutes, but I've found I prefer it steeped between 3-4 min. I take this tea plain or with just a touch of honey.

Would I recommend this tea? Yes. It's a sophisticated black - full of flavor but not overpowering.

Since I'm discussing tea and Queen Catherine, here's a poem written by Edmund Waller in 1663, in honor of Queen Catherine for her birthday:

Venus her Myrtle, Phoebus has his bays;
Tea both excels, which she vouchsafes to praise.
The best of Queens, the best of herbs, we owe
To that bold nation which the way did show
To the fair region where the sun doth rise,
Whose rich productions we so justly prize.
The Muse's friend, tea does our fancy aid,
Regress those vapours which the head invade,
And keep the palace of the soul serene,
Fit on her birthday to salute the Queen.