Poppies

"That we find a crystal or a poppy beautiful means that we are less alone,
that we are more deeply inserted into existence than the course of a
single life would lead us to believe."

~ John Berger

A Second Look...

First look: What do you see?
Second look: What do you see?

Close your eyes: What do you see?
In your heart: What do you see?

Making Space

Photo by Ana Martinez

“When tea becomes ritual, it takes its place at the heart of our ability to see greatness in small things. Where is beauty to be found? In great things that, like everything else, are doomed to die, or in small things that aspire to nothing, yet know how to set a jewel of infinity in a single moment?” 

~ Muriel Barbery, The Elegance of the Hedgehog

Hello, fellow tea lovers - Wow, my blogging has slowed dramatically!  There are a number of reasons, but one is that I am making space for some new things in my life. My tea studies in Chado continue to grow and delight me, and I have recently begun a journey of facilitating writing workshops. Tea and writing are such good friends!

I will continue to blog, though less frequently.  I love hearing from you and appreciate your participation in this conversation about tea and life around it. Thank you!

Today I Must Look

Today I Must Look

Red leaf, the color hard to describe

When I look closely there are many variations

Some tart red

Some wine

Some in transition, red to wine

Like the miracle

Too soon the red will change to clay brown

And so today I must look

And tomorrow, in the midst of winter

When the brown seems muddy and old

I must remember

The red is there, too

These leaves hold on tightly

Waiting, waiting all winter

Until the new growth comes

And releases them

They take flight and become

The soil that feeds all color

Living in Oz

I shared this photo on Facebook recently, and for several people, it conjured images of Oz.  Isn't it cool when other people see things we don't? I hadn't considered the Oz comparison and now I see it so clearly.  The yellow brick road, a red dress (instead of shoes). It was indeed a magical experience, walking into the leaves and looking down to see the hem of my red dress framed by such vibrant gold.  One of those standstill moments.

And like Oz, I walked on into reality. The truth that magic is everywhere in the everyday. That joys abound and that I must solve my own problems. That friends help each other along, and that sometimes the magic is seeing things in a different way.

Where I Grew Up

Scenes from near where I grew up.  The beauty of the farmland always touches me.  (That little hand is my niece.  She started taking pictures, and it made me look outside the window and see a little differently.)

Where I grew up
People know your family
Friendships go back generations
And if you're stranded along the road, a stranger will help

There are places
Where you can't hear the highway
Only the cows, the birds
And the coyotes

Jobs are scarce
The economy suffers
Change is suspect
And people fly away

But I miss where I grew up because
People go to high school ball games
The county fair and visitations*
Standing in long lines to witness the life, the loss


*I've realized since I've moved away from the Midwest that a "visitation" is not a universal experience.  A visitation happens when someone dies.  It's held at the funeral home, and people come to pay their respects and visit with family and friends.  It's typically held a day or two before the funeral (which tends to be a smaller, more intimate affair).

The Background Makes the Foreground

The background makes the foreground

The soft blue to the cobalt
The blur to the focal point
The ground to the fall
The step to the rise
The silence to the sound
The longing to the joy
The fear to the success
The team to the leader
The child to the self

It turns out
   The background makes the foreground

Gorgeous Tea Cups by Potter Steve Sanchez

Tea cup by Steve Sanchez

A very kind friend recently gave me these tea cups by artist Steve Sanchez.  I am blessed with generous and thoughtful friends!  Love these cups.  The wood firing makes the coloring and patterns so interesting! The thumb impression makes a nice hand hold, and also yields an asymmetrical form  (visual interest). These cups hold a nice amount of tea - not so much that the tea goes cold before I can drink it.  I also like the thickness of the rim.  Again, it's a balance of not too thick or thin.     

Look at the interesting pattern in the bottom of the cup. I believe this is a result of the wood firing.  It's golden and glittery and reminds me of tea leaves.

Functional artwork!

I have not (yet) had the pleasure to meet artist Steve Sanchez, but I am now a fan of his work and look forward to seeing more. Other works by this artist can be found at the Jasmine Pearl Tea Merchants.

Watermelon Radish and How I Write a Blog

Watermelon Radish

Way back in 2005, when I started this blog - Wow, really?  Has it been that long?! - I thought first about the message I wanted to write and then maybe added in a photo that kinda-sorta fit.  That was before I dove down the DSLR camera rabbit hole. 

These days, I just as often start with the photo and then craft the message.  That doesn't mean the message has taken a back seat.  Rather, I've thought in generalities about what I want to say much earlier in the timeline.  When I'm taking photos, my mind sees potential story threads to match the experience I'm shooting.  Back at my desk, I let the images weave that thread together with the other parts of the story.

And then...

Sometimes I just have an image that I want to share.  Like the watermelon radish above.  This picture makes me SMILE every time I see it and I wanted to share it with you.  There is a story here:  The DH grew these.  Sometimes they have a spicy bite and sometimes they don't.  And I love them for their cheery colors. 

If you write a blog, how do you go about crafting your stories?  And do you sometimes post photos just because?

Japanese Incense Appreciation

Japanese incense burner, ash, mica plate and very fragrant resin wood

I've been taking the class Introduction to Japanese Culture through the Tea Ceremony via the Issoan Tea School, and it's so enriching!  I told the DH (dear hubby) it's like going to "tea church."  After each session, I leave feeling both more inspired and centered.  I'm so grateful to have access to this in my community. 

Today we explored haiku and the Japanese incense ceremony.  Kodo, "the way of incense," is as intensive to study as the Japanese tea ceremony. Perhaps even more-so, as I learned that one must be deeply versed in literature and culture.  Historically, this incense appreciation was an all-day affair, with the drinking of sake, poetry and guessing games, fortune-telling and of course the beautiful incense aroma appreciation. 

Today, we practiced writing haiku and learned how to inhale and enjoy the incense from warmed resin wood.  Unlike other types of incense, the one used here has no additives.  

Into the incense burner (above), you place a smoldering piece of charcoal.  Look at how beautifully the charcoal are presented (below).

Then you cover the charcoal with pretty white ash, which you shape with a flat metal device (similar to a butter knife). Sometimes finishing touches are even added with a feather.

Before inhaling the aroma, you exhale fully. Then you can pick up the incense burner and inhale.  The aromas were like nothing I had experienced - exquisite!  We tried three different types of wood.

Our teacher, Margie,  has quite the collection of resin woods from different parts of Asia, including Japan and the locations below. 



Many hours after our class, I continue to conjure the aromas from the warmed wood.

Beijing Market in the Morning

Now back to Beijing....Here's a morning market.  I'll let the photos speak for themselves, with this one story.  We learned that there are "two prices" for market shopping.  In the morning, the older folks buy.  The prices are better; they have time to haggle.  In the afternoon, the folks coming home from work are tired and hungry.  They're in a hurry, and they pay a higher price. 

My Morning Cup of Unexpected Contrasts

I'm taking an online photo class, and the instructor assigned us a scavenger hunt of shots...including our morning cup.  One of the points she's making is for us to click away because often, the best photos are the unexpected ones. 

I think the overall image above is so-so, but the contrasts are quite interesting.  Looking through the viewfinder, I did not see the reflection of the slats in the tea or the table ironwork on the saucer.  I only saw it upon reflection, after I downloaded the images.  Unexpected contrasts.  Kinda cool.  Kinda like life.

Spring Around the House

These pussy willows were glorious in their bud form, silvery and downy.  And now that they've popped, I can't help but shoot them against the dark pink wall.

The soft focus is nice, tho an accident.  I was trying to shoot in a medium-light condition, hand held on 400 ISO.  Blurry.  But I like the result.

Found these daffodils in the small field next to us.  Did someone throw out a pot of them?

The symbology here is that I'm planning a tea trip to Asia!

Two types of plum branches.  I love the pink, burgundy, white and green contrasts.

Fire, Sun, Ice

Sitting at the counter, Portland Bijou Cafe

I love this image.  It's incomplete, a small snippet of life, yet it tells me a story:  Cafe, brunch, sunshine, weekend.  Actually, it tells me two stories.  The second story is based on color:  Fire, sun, ice, solstice. 

One of the things I've enjoyed most about this blog is that it's an avenue to work on my photography skills.  I've learned so much, and have so much yet to learn.  One thing is for sure, a good image tells a story. 

What story does this photo tell you?

My New Downtown Bag

Me and the bag, in the heart of the city

For over a year, I've been on the hunt for the perfect camera bag.  I want a cross-body style (instead of a backpack) because I want to be able to slide it around and take out the camera.  I also want it to hold other stuff - my keys, water bottle, map, journal, etc.  It needs to be comfortable for a day-long trek into the city.  And it needs to look good.  Finding a bag that meets all requirements has been tough, but I've finally found one that I'm very happy with, the Lowepro Passport Sling.

Note: I didn't intentionally color coordinate my outfit with the walls (freshly painted in living room)

What I like best about this bag is that it looks cool, and NOT like a camera bag. The bag has room for one D-SLR camera body with lens attached and an additional lens (in padded compartments), plus some extra stuff. (It's a little tight with the cam body and lens together, but it works and doesn't jostle around.).

This is me flirting with the photographer, the DH

I've tested the bag twice now and I can tell you that I really like it!  The bag expands with the black zipper shown down the seam, above, but I haven't had to use that yet.

Ephemeral

I like this picture, because it plays with perception and permanence.  It's ephemeral, yet it lasts.  What is the foreground?  What is a reflection?  I like its depth and its not-quite-clearness.  It also represents how I feel right now.  In a transitional space.  Not quite here or there.  No quite grounded.  To borrow a phrase from a friend, I'm working on establishing my "new normal."

This transition has been both harder and easier than I imagined, both extremes in ways that I did not anticipate.  It's taken longer to reground myself.  I'm grieving the losses from this move.  Yet it's been shockingly easy to adjust to the back-to-the-office routine.  Life without a car has been no trouble (even fun!). 

It's a big mish-mash of stuff.  I ask myself:  What is the foreground? What is a reflection? I try to mine this depth and see into the not-quite-clearness.

Cardamom-Nut Scones

I love the flavor and aroma of cardamom, and I made these cardamom-nut scones for the first time this morning. Mmmm! Both the DH and I liked them a lot.

The recipe came from the book Tea Time by Nancy Akmon. This book was a gift from my Aunt K several years ago, when I gave a tea party for her. It was the prettiest tea party I've ever done, as we used my aunt's pink depression glass. She lived in a historic house, and the setting was perfect!

Back to the scones - here is the recipe. (See my recipe attribution policy.)

Ingredients:

• 2 1/4 cups flour (I used whole wheat)
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar (or honey)
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons ground cardamom
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest (I used orange)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces (I used half butter and half olive oil b/c I ran out of butter. Hmm...it made a really nice dough! I might do this again!)
• 1/2 cup milk (plus I added a splash extra of water b/c the whole wheat was a bit dry)
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/3 cup walnuts, toasted (I used pecans)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. The instructions call for adding all dry ingredients to the food processor and pulsing to combine, then adding the butter bits and processing for about 10 seconds until the mixture is like a coarse meal. I didn't want to drag out the food processor, so I used our antique pastry blender. Worked great and made me smile!

I prefer to mix the milk, egg and vanilla in a separate bowl before adding to the dry ingredients. Then the directions call for turning the dough out onto a floured surface, kneading in the nuts (but not too much kneading!), then patting out the dough with hands to form a 3/4 inch circle. Cut into desired shape. Brush with an egg wash and bake for 14 - 17 minutes, until golden. (I baked for 15.)

Excellent with a cup of strong black tea. This recipe is definitely a keeper, as it does a fine job of featuring the aroma and flavor of the cardamom.

Delicious Things Sold Here...

This sign caught my attention on Saturday as I was walking along our new multi-purpose trail through downtown. (It's not the first time I've been caught by this sign.) This little French restaurant (one of my favorites in town) sits right on the trail and the owners have capitalized on the opportunity, opening a small to-go window. I had the panna cotta and I ate it so fast, I didn't even get a picture.

The photo below is one of the best I've taken, and it was an accident. You see the sign, which makes me smile every time I walk by. "Delicious things sold at this window." Indeed. And then you see me. And if you look closely, you see the graffiti in the background. Three layers. I couldn't have set it up any better. I think I might frame this one. It's just got so much depth - literally and metaphorically.

Do you know a special little eatery, one where you can walk by on a Saturday and get a little something? Tell me about it.