Tuesday, April 05, 2011

Thinking of Japan


I spent a lovely hour recently drinking matcha thin tea in a serene tea room among friends and tea enthusiasts.  Our host, M (in the light kimono above), prepared our tea with beauty, precision and grace.  Her teacher (on the right), of the Sweet Persimmon blog, provided us with context and guidance on how to be a guest.  I felt very welcome and at ease, despite my novice participation. 

Enjoying a bowl of tea was educational and centering for me, yet I never lost sight of the reason we were gathered -- to honor and offer our thoughts and prayers for the people in Japan, and to make a donation to a non-profit agency helping with the recovery.   

One kind word can warm three winter months.
Japanese Proverb

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Sounds like a lovely event. Thank you for sharing your experience.

Angela McRae said...

Now THAT is a great tea event! Sounds perfect for you, too. Thanks for sharing!

Marilyn Miller said...

I have met Sweet Persimmon blog owner. What a lovely time of tea.

La Tea Dah said...

It sounds like a great experience. Thank you for sharing.

massagematters said...

What a wonderful event! I am so excited that you have so many "tea" things to do in Oregon. That might make up for you being so far away. :)

Marlena said...

I love the Japanese tea ceremony and I am so glad there were donations to help those poor souls, who just had another earthquake, further north. I love the word grackle, too, it seems like something you could have a lot of fun with.