Friday, August 01, 2014

Little Things


"In the sweetness of friendship let there be laughter, and sharing of pleasures. For in the dew of little things the heart finds its morning and is refreshed."  ~Khalil Gibran

I really do have wonderful friends!  One of them once observed that I choose little things for my tea equipment.  I hadn't thought much about it and began to take an inventory.  She was right!  I'm drawn to the demi-sized stuff.  Partially because I like the look and partially for practical reasons.  I simply don't drink a lot. Left to my own style, I drink several tiny cups of small amounts of tea in one sitting.


I have a number of small pots useful for brewing in the Chinese style, and yet I didn't have one quite small enough for when I'm brewing solo.  Now I do, thanks to another friend who knows my tastes well.


This diminutive brown yixing teapot (zisha clay) is from the early 1980s.  It holds 70 ml of liquid (just short of 2.5 oz), as compared to the one behind it which holds ~150 ml (a more typical volume).  One little pot produces 3-4 of my thimble-sized cups in one steeping.  At this rate, I can do several rounds.  ;-)  Perfect for me!


Another little treasure: This rock, which I brought back recently from the Oregon coast, has a tiny hole just big enough for one blossom or a very small bouquet.  I'm borrowing from a lesson I learned in my chanoyu studies.  In the summer, suggest coolness...and thus, the dribble of water on the rock.  It reminds me of being at the ocean.

5 comments:

David Galli said...

I love this! I'm so glad I can be part of your tea sessions even if we're not drinking together. I love the pictures, the words, and I love the tiny bouquet!

Your cha xi is cool and beautiful — perfect for summer. :)

Marilyn Miller said...

Love your miniature teapot, just perfect for you. I think it would be too small for me.

What a creative idea for a rock from the coast and so very pretty.

cha sen said...

Beauty in the miniature. That's lovely.

cha sen said...

Beauty in the miniature. That is lovely.

Angela McRae said...

Neat observation about your tea-sipping preferences. And I love your little vase of a rock!