Distractions

 

Today, the latest season of The Crown was released (Netflix). To celebrate, I made homemade crumpets. They're not difficult, basically a yeasted pancake. But they do take an investment of time, and I make them infrequently.  

I made crumpets to celebrate, but also (mostly) to distract myself. As COVID cases rise, we do our part to protect one another. For me, that means the continuation of staying home and not traveling to see my family. This is very hard, but I believe it's necessary. So I distract myself as best I can.

I enjoyed tea and crumpets in the sunniest corner of our home, which I've nicknamed the "solarium." Now, to a little binge watching...

The 9-Year Old Plans a Tea Party

I have so many tea-time memories with my niece!  I can chronicle her life in tea stories.  Such a blessing to me, and hopefully her!  Here's a look into our latest adventure. She's 9 now, and we wanted to host her school teacher and 2 friends for tea. We used the tea set, above. It's one that I snagged long before she was born, in anticipation.

Her diet these days is focused on healthy choices, and so we were working within a no sugar and gluten free plan. I was (in my head) wondering how we would do this. She had no such concerns. Onto Pinterest she went, and in no time, we had a plan!

We started with the creative veggie tray, above. The snails, below, are my favorite.  We used almond butter in the celery. 

Mini cheeseburgers with all the fixings were a hit with the kids!

And so were the mini pepperoni pizzas, made on a bed of zucchini.

For dessert, we used stevia to soften the bite of unsweetened chocolate, and we dipped strawberries and bananas. I was surprised how well the kids took to the bitter edge of the chocolate. No problem!

And we finished with fresh berries in whipped cream. 

Here we are, my tea party partner!  LOVE!

Tea Ceremony for Mom

My mother recently visited  and I was happy to be able to honor her with a Japanese tea ceremony. Thanks to my Sensei, I was able to hold the gathering at the traditional tea house in the Portland Japanese Garden.

Guests arrive and enjoy a welcoming hot water in the waiting area. Next, the host will silently bow to the guests, signifying that s/he is ready.  The guests  walk on a stone path, through the beautiful tea garden (shown below), to the tea house. Guests rinse their hands, symbolically purifying themselves, before entering the tea room.

Upon entry, guests appreciate the scroll, the flowers and the kettle. The scroll below is Ichigo Ichie, often translated as "one lifetime, one meeting."  It emphasizes the importance of the present experience, never again to be repeated.

Flowers for a summer tea ceremony are often presented in a basket. Tea flowers are always freshly picked and are in the spirit of wildflowers. Fancy hybrids or flowers with strong fragrance are avoided.  The host (in this case, me) arranges the flowers "as they grow in the field." Here we have a late summer grass, brown-eyed Susan, scarlet flax, white balloon flower, Rose of Sharon and morning glory.

Once the guests are settled, the host offers official greetings and serves the sweets. I served a moist sweet made from sweetened bean paste (it's delicious!), that looks like the Japanese balloon flower. My mom had helped me shape these sweets, which was extra special. It takes some practice! I also served a pineapple ground cherry (cape gooseberry). 

Next, I made tea for the guests. This is the high point of the experience. The goal is for the guests to feel a spirit of shared heart with the host and other guests.

The host and guests share conversation about the tea utensils and their history, and other things in the tea room. Every item has been specifically chosen. The host considers the season, the guests, the setting, etc., as s/he chooses the scroll, the flowers, the utensils and even the specific tea-making procedure. It's part of the idea that no two gatherings are the same. 

It's hard to see in the photo above, but there is a hosta leaf on the top of the water urn, above my right knee. I chose the Habuta procedure, which uses a leaf as a lid for the water urn.  It's a special procedure for summertime.

After the discussion regarding the tea utensils and final thanks, the meeting adjourns with a bow. 

Tea, in all its forms, offers so much beauty. I hope we all can pause to enjoy the peace that comes with a bowl (or cup) of tea. 

A Teacup Full of Memories

I recently spent several days visiting family, and to my great delight my niece wanted to have lots of tea parties, including Wu-Wo.  Be still, my heart!

Above, she set the tablescape for our Wu-Wo gathering, including her elephant that I brought from Rwanda.

This ladybug tea set worked great for Wu-Wo brewing. We brewed Silver Needles (white), an Oriental Beauty (heavily oxidized oolong), and an Alishan (green, fragrant oolong).  

Then my niece planned and executed her own British-inspired tea party.  

The centerpiece below.  (She loves painting.)

And, the snacks:  chocolate covered pretzels, Smarties, pie crust with cinnamon and sugar, and "Fruit by the Foot".  We drank black tea and it worked well with this creative menu.  :-)

Fun, fun times making memories! I'm grateful to have a fellow tea party lover in the family.

Dr. Who Quote and Tea

This could represent my DH (dear hubby) explaining himself to me.  

Makes me smile.  :-)

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).

Meatless Monday: A Late Summer Picnic

All packed up and ready to go!

The weather has been so nice lately, and with our abundance of garden tomatoes...a picnic was in order!

Our neighborhood has several lovely places to sit and snack. I liked this one for the view of the roses and the large grass lawn. The angled sunlight of this time of year is beautiful and golden.

Garden tomato and basil with fresh mozzarella on baguette, one of my favorites

Lemonade with huckleberries

How are you making the most of these late summer/early autumn hours?

Sunshine on the Water

Sunshine on my shoulders makes me happy, sunshine in my eyes can make me cry.

Sunshine on the water looks so lovely, sunshine almost always makes me high.

~John Denver

(Now we'll be singing that song all day!)

Thinking of my family today and the happy times we spent recently at the ocean where we took these photos.  

"Chief Encouragement Officer" - Thoughts on Marriage

The DH and I enjoyed a few quiet moments together, sharing an herbal tea, as part of our anniversary celebration

The DH (dear hubby) and I recently celebrated 18 years of being married.  It feels good, really good.  I know you're thinking, "Why, Steph you must have been married at 14!"  Not quite that young, but as grown up as I thought I was at the time, I had so much to learn.  It's a serious thing to be an adult living in a committed, conscious relationship with another human.  The DH and I still have our challenges.  But they're much fewer and more preventable now,  if we each stay conscious about our own "stuff".

We've worked hard at making our marriage good and that includes seeking outside help for enrichment and for managing the tough times.  One of the most valuable lessons I've learned is that what my partner needs most from me, and me from him is to be each other's "Chief Encouragement Officer."  He doesn't want or need me to be his mother.  Nor should I be.  I've learned over time that's not my job.  Instead, it sure feels good to have a life partner on my side to believe in me and cheer me on through it all.  That's what he wants from me, too.  We sometimes disagree or need to hold one another accountable.  But for our marriage to work at its best, the ratio of encouragement/praise/thanks/celebration/support/dreaming far outweighs the complaints and dissatisfaction.  And here's the real secret - it's up to me.  Where do I put my focus*?

If you've been in a long-term relationship, what is your #1 tip for going the distance?

*Please note - I'm not suggesting we overlook destructive behaviors.  

Wu-Wo Tea with My Niece

I've been away enjoying some time with my family.  Of course, this involved tea.  I *love* these photos.  They are dear to me because they combine things important in my life - family and tea.  That's my niece with me. We are having a Wu-Wo tea ceremony.  Above, we are brewing the tea together.  Below, we are serving tea to the others in the group.  (Everyone brews tea and shares with three people to the left.)

And finally tasting!  My niece was an adventurous girl, I'm so proud!  She tasted all the teas and we enjoyed quite a range.  She liked the white tea best.  Also pictured above are my sister and two tea friends.  Special thanks to my mom for the photos!  She hasn't lost her touch (and is my photography inspiration).

Sage (doll) joined us, too.  No matter how you do it - afternoon tea parties, tea like this or with a simple mug - tea is a wonderful way to spend time with kids, to expose them to other cultures, to let them play and to make memories.

Tea Party with Grandpa

 

Haiku for Grandpa

 

Grandpa comes to tea

Tho he'd rather be fishing

With you by his side

 

 

Check out the missing front two teeth - she's so proud!

 

Grandma's China

I recently had the joyful experience of hosting a friend for tea, to celebrate Spring, Persian New Year, and March Birthdays.  I pulled out the china set that came from my Grandma T.  I know that she would have loved to join us. 

My grandmother was a very skilled yard sale shopper.  In fact, I believe that's where this china set came from.  A few years ago, I picked up this teapot at a consignment shop.  While not the same pattern as the other china, it blends beautifully.  It's a nice size (6-8 cups) and it pours well.  I can see Grandma T smile at my finding this treasure (for not much money).  She wasn't a financially wealthy woman and she had many hardships in her life.  Yet her life was rich with the things important to her.  I remember her playfulness; her laugh; her funny sayings; her biscuits, dumplings and fried chicken; her sewing; her creativity; her resourcefulness; her walks; her sweet tooth and her love and dedication to family. 

I didn't start out to make this post about my grandmother.  But there you  have it.  Sometimes we write what's in our hearts. 

A Tea Party for the Girls

Me (pouring) and Mom

I recently had the LOVE-ly opportunity to host a tea party at my Mom's house.  Very special guests included my mom, sister, a dear friend, my niece and a friend of hers, and the dolls.

I love digging in Mom's china cabinet to find family treasures as serving pieces.  I also brought the fresh Rosemary sprigs with me from Oregon. 

My niece loves cucumber, and so cucumber sandwiches were required.  I used a Rosemary butter base (my favorite cucumber sandwich).  The picture below shows one.  It is supposed to look like a Christmas tree, but my sister thought it looked like a spade.  ;-)

We also enjoyed thick cucumber rounds topped with two types of hummus:  red pepper and chickpea, and mushrooms on toast.  For scones, I made my favorite yeast ones which we ate with raspberry jam from the local Amish market and mock Devonshire cream.  The savories and scones courses were vegan-friendly. 

And for dessert, we had dates stuffed with pecans (vegan) and wonderful cookies brought by my friend.  The girls  had an English Breakfast tea and the grownups enjoyed a delicious tea, new to me, Capricorn Tea.  I very much enjoyed this blend of black and white tea blended with vanilla and rose petal.

I can't tell you how precious these tea times are to me, especially since I live far away. I'm so grateful for tea's presence in my life.  It brings together people I love.

My Little Tea Fairy

Fairy House

I recently had the great pleasure of spending several days with my niece.  F-U-N!!  We had glorious early fall weather.  We built a fairy house and used acorns for tea cups.  

Aprons by my dear friend Sweetcakes

We made scones for a tea party, wearing these matching tea cup aprons.  By the way, we used Cup4Cup gluten-free flour and it was great!  The magic ingredient to the scones was to top them with pink sugar sprinkles.  

And I couldn't help myself.  I made matching outfits.

Making memories for a lifetime!