Love Letters

I love letters! Writing them and receiving them. Everything about them.

When I write a letter, I experience a moment of closeness with the intended recipient. I picture that person's face, his smile, her tenderness. I love everything about the letter-writing process:

* Choosing the stationery
* Choosing the pen and ink color (I often write with fountain pens)
* Choosing the location to write from (I have a little tea nook that is a common writing corner)
* Choosing the topic and tone
* Thinking of the recipient - bringing that person close to me
* Choosing the stamp
* Sending off with the daily post
* Anticipating a smile when the recipient picks up the day's mail

I also love receiving letters:

* Picking up the mail to find a hand-addressed envelope (or postcard)
* Enjoying the texture of the envelope, the weight, the color
* Opening and taking in the person's handwriting, the type of stationery, the ink color
* Reading the news and thinking of the person who sent the note
* Smiling because I've been remembered

E-mail makes communication so convenient, and I appreciate that. However, there's nothing like a hand-written letter (card, note) to bring a closeness that can't come with e-mail. I keep my most treasured letters and enjoy re-reading them at a later time. The DH (dear hubby) and I even send notes to one another. From this house, through the post, and back to this house. It's a gift and delight to receive his card in the mail! With a letter comes a bit of the person who sent it - the hand writing, the language, the message.

For inspiration about letter-writing, I highly recommend The Gift of a Letter by Alexandra Stoddard. She's one of my favorite authors and does a fantastic job of showing the beauty of this art form. Stoddard says,

"Many people do think their written replies will reveal the vulnerability of their souls. And, of course, they do. That is why letters are such a powerful form of self-expression."

"I have come to realize that a letter written from the heart is an extraordinary gift - something that can mean much more than the mere words on a sheet of paper. The gift, I've discovered, is hard to describe, but it's as much a present to ourselves as to others."

Will you join me in writing a letter? Pull out your stationery that's been sitting too long in a drawer. Make a hand-crafted note. Or simply buy a nice greeting card at the pharmacy. Add a heart-felt message to your intended and send it with kind thoughts.

Blueberry Jam

I spent this 4th of July holiday making blueberry jam. The process started recently when I went blueberry picking with a friend at a nearby farm.

I've made jam a couple of times before, but always at my Mom's. (She could do this in her sleep!) So this was a big step for me, especially given that I seldom cook (tho I love to bake). I did engage Mom in a lengthy pre-jam-making phone consultation.

I don't have a top-secret recipe. I simply followed the instructions on the gelatin package, just like Mom whose jellies and jams always turn out great! Here are the blueberries as I stir in the pectin, then stir and stir and stir and stir. I think it's interesting how the berry juice turns bright pink as it cooks.

After stirring in the sugar and boiling hard for 1 minute I filled the jars, wiped the rims, and added the tops. The method I used for making jam included a 5-minute yoga pose (inversion) for the jam.

I had a little extra jam remaining after filling the jars, so I added it to my double-sided jam server (a treasure the DH picked up for me at the thrift store).

After about 45-minutes, I heard the longed-for sound of the tops popping. (Some of the tops will make a noise when the suction takes hold and pulls the seal down, tho not all will.)

And here is the finished product! Having sampled the extra (gobs of it), I can say that I'm very pleased with the product!

Oh, and where was the DH during this cooking adventure? After having answered my question about which pot to use, he smartly left the house! ;-) He is a wise man. He's the king of the kitchen and sometimes feels compelled to offer helpful tips - which I don't always want to hear in the midst of my cooking experiments. Preemptive evacuation was a smart choice. True love - knowing when to get out of the way! I'll reward him with a batch of his favorite jam, blackberry!

Sweetpeas

These sweetpea photos are for Jes, who has become a blogging friend. She creates an incredible line of jewelry called Junque Revival that I regularly lust over. (I have one of her pieces.) She calls her blog Sweetpeas. Enjoy, Jes - and thank you for sharing your lovely talents with us!

About My Blog and Me...

I've had an influx of several new readers lately - welcome and thank you for your comments! I love comments!

I wanted to let folks know that my blog is loosely structured around tea. In the summer, it's also been called my flower-and-tea blog because I love to post pretty pictures of flowers from my garden! ;-)

My tag line reads: "Blog on tea and the larger world around it." I think that sums up my "focus" pretty well. I write about what moves me in the moment.

I want to be more disciplined about using tags (labels) for the blog posts. Common themes you'll find on my blog (I'll turn these into labels):

Tea
Garden
Books
Environment
Inspiration
Travel
Simplicity

In terms of tea credentials, I'm a life-long lover of tea and read anything I can get my hands on about the subject! I think that's the most important credential. It's something anyone can learn about, and deeply. In addition, I've completed the Protocol School of Washington's Tea & Etiquette training. I also had the recent joy to complete the Tea Master's class, sponsored by the UK Tea Council and co-taught by Jane Pettigrew and Tim Clifton. This was a highlight of my small tea career!

I have a full-time day job, but on the side I love sharing my tea passion. I teach classes through the local continuing education department about tea, I serve as a guest speaker at tea parties and other types of programs, I host tea tastings and I sell a few high-quality loose teas to a handful of friends and customers. (However, this blog is non-commercial.) I try not to buy any more lovely china! My cupboards overflow!

My husband (the "DH" - dear hubby) and I try to live life simply and consciously. We try to be ever-evolving souls who walk very lightly on the earth, leaving no scars but rather love and joy. I sometimes fall short, but this is my goal.

Back to my blog - I try to share something tea-related out here at least once per week, often more.

Steph

Eating Day Lilies

Did you know that Day Lilies are edible? Here are a few beauties we enjoyed the other day. I like them in a salad where they impart a mild onion flavor. I also like them battered and fried, tho I don't eat them that way very often. The DH (dear hubby) munches on them as he works in the garden.

We grew these yellow beauties ourselves (well, that is - the DH grew them), so we knew they were pesticide-free.

More info on day lilies and how to eat them (scroll down to Uses section).

Is Sun Tea Safe?

A reader pointed out to me that sun tea has come under recent criticism for potentially providing ideal conditions for growing bacteria. I was unaware of this concern, but wanted to pass it along to you. Read more here.

Personally, I will continue to drink sun tea. I've done so my whole life and never had problems. However, I will pay more attention. If it's "syrupy," as mentioned, I'll toss it. And, I won't keep it around for long.

Drink at your own risk, I suppose.

On My Desk and In My Head

"People usually consider walking on water or in thin air a miracle. But I think the real miracle is not to walk either on water or in thin air, but to walk on earth. Every day we are engaged in a miracle which we don't even recognize: a blue sky, white clouds, green leaves, the black, curious eyes of a child -- our own two eyes. All is a miracle."

--Thich Nhat Hanh

TRIRI Summary

The Touring Ride of Rural Indiana (TRIRI) was fantastic! It's a really nice way for us to vacation together. The DH (dear hubby) is not much of a typical tourist, but he loves pedaling. The bike tour has a nice balance of physical challenge, adventure, and sitting around doing nothing time - all elements I enjoy in a vacation. We're already planning next year's bike tour.

We rode in 95-degrees with a headwind, and 59-degrees with rain. We rode through flat corn fields and very hilly woods. Most of the roads were extremely rural. Here are a few memories...

Day One - Mooresville to Turkey Run State Park (64 miles)
We rode with Mark, a long-time friend of the DH's. It was a pleasant surprise to find him on this ride. The first 54 miles clipped along well. The last 10 were tough for me - it got really hot (95) and we had a head wind. But I made it with not too much complaining. ;-) This day turned out to be the toughest ride for me.

The tour organizers note any "attractions" along the way. Here's a Statue of Liberty model we passed in the middle of cornfields in Indiana!

The DH having a little fun at our lunch stop.

We didn't plan to dress alike! (Notice I'm on my tiptoes, trying to look taller.)

Home Sweet Home...we got a new 3-person tent for this ride and I am very grateful! Our 2-person tent does NOT hold us and our stuff.

Day Two - Turkey Run
We stayed 2 nights at each State Park. On the second day, we had the options to ride or hike. I chose to hike. Turkey Run is an incredibly beautiful park! Old growth forests and deep limestone ravines.

Day Three - Turkey Run to McCormick's Creek (74 miles)

This was the ride I was most anxious about because I hadn't ridden anywhere near 74 miles prior to this trip. This day was actually easier on me than the first ride because it wasn't hot. The ride was hilly - with plenty of wide, sweeping downhills and challenging uphills. We made good time and I enjoyed it. It was a spiritual learning for me, truly. I learned to trust the DH when he told me I could do the distance; trust myself that I could do it; and trust that if I couldn't make the distance and had to take the "sag" van, that was OK too. I had a fit of hysterical laughing just before we hit a very big and final (or so I thought) hill and then cried the final mile (of hill) into the park - tears of pure exhaustion and joy.

On the way, we passed two covered bridges.

Lunch stop - there's not much to find in some of the small towns we rode through. Here, we have a combo hardware and convenience store. Lunch consisted of Pringles, Coke and Hostess cupcakes. Yummm! (Hey - when I'm burning this many calories, any calories are quickly converted to energy.)

Day Four - McCormick's Creek

Hiking the creek bed...

An abandoned limestone quarry. The limestone from here was used to build the state capitol.

Speaking of limestone, the entertainment for our last night at McCormick's Creek was the movie Breaking Away. It was perfect, because the next day we rode through Bloomington where the story is based and the movie was filmed.

Day Five - McCormick's Creek to Brown County (45 miles)

We rode through Nashville and enjoyed a broccoli, spinach and onion pizza.

And life is still good...

It rained this night, but our tent stayed dry! Wahoo!

Day Six - Shopping in Nashville

I spent this layover day in Nashville, where I enjoyed shopping the JB Goods store. I picked up a "technical" fabric t-shirt with this logo.

I had a great time poking around in the quirky little shops of this artist community. Later that afternoon, I studied the maps for the final day home. Notice the nifty little chair I'm sitting in. It folds up very compactly, but works great for camping!!

Day Seven - Brown County to Mooresville (47 miles)

A rainy and cool ride home. We made great time. Stopped at the Touchable Sculpture Garden. Begun in 1970, these 10 acres are adorned with various and diverse sculptures, all carved by CR Schiefer. It's really incredible! It's also in the middle of nowhere.

We also stopped at an old-fashioned candy shop in Martinsville.

And the perfect finish to a wonderful trip...pie!

And I Forgot!

The best part is the tag on the back of the trunk rack...

Bike, Bell and Tattoo

We're all "geared up" and ready to ride! Here's my trusty steed...

The DH took a mountain bike frame and selected the componentry to make it a very comfortable and functional touring bike.

It's a Specialized Rock Hopper frame with upright "Albatross" handlebars from Rivendell Cycles (a bike company the DH admires). I LOVE these handlebars! They let me sit up and view the world, but I also have a forward position for climbing. The bike's got inverted-tread road tires. I'm riding a leather Ideale (French) saddle. There's a rack on the back that carries a trunk bag. I have 3 chain rings and 8 rear cassette cogs, giving me a total of 24 gears (tho some of them may be duplicate and not all are usable, as is typical ). I have plenty of easy gears to get me up the hills but also some tough-to-pedal gears to go fast on the flats. I'm using old-fashioned toe clip and strap pedals, which I love! I don't cinch them down. I like the easy entry and exit for my foot, but yet I still get some stability and support.

I ring the beehive bike bell each time I reach the top of a big hill.

The tattoo was a recent addition - this morning! A little-known fact about me is that I really like tattoos! I think they are so cool. Alas, I'm too chicken to get a real one. So, on this trip, I will be a well-tattooed woman, albeit temporarily.

Cheers!

Asiatic Lilies

OOOOh, these are so pretty - and they last well as cut flowers, too.

Grandma's Treasures

My Grandma Tressie was a yard sale shopper and collector. I am lucky to have inherited some of her treasures. Here are a few....

She liked to collect dishes. In particular, she gave both my sister and me a collection of china dishes. She also liked to collect depression glass. In the photo, the yellow pitcher on the left is Vaseline Glass. I don't know much about the two items on the right. The small green pitcher appears to be pressed glass and the darker green glass has a pretty filigree pattern.

These gifts from my grandmother are very precious to me. I've also inherited her love of yard sales and china!

From the Seat of a Bike, Things I Appreciate...

The DH (dear hubby) and I did an intense four hours on the bike today. This ride is our last long one before we start the bike tour. I had time to write this post in my head as I pedaled and sweated up and down the hills of south-central Indiana.

From the Seat of a Bike, Things I Appreciate...

• Birds. Today alone we saw three indigo buntings, a bluebird, several red-winged blackbirds, and big vultures. I didn't see it, but two bird watchers we came across had spotted a bald eagle.


• Shade and a light breeze.


• People who wave and smile as they pass.


• People who do NOT talk on their cell phones as they drive.


• Rolling hills that promise as many downs and ups.


• Reaching the top of a really big hill and ringing my bike bell.


• Moments of feeling really in tune with my bike and its connection to the road.


• Wild flowers.


• The smell of honeysuckle.


• Smiling and waving at other cyclists. They get it, too!


• Pringles and Dr. Pepper - nothing tastes better after riding really hard!


• The canopy of green.
  
• Lazy cows on the hill slopes.


• A mama horse and her foal.


• Turtles that stick their necks out and cross the road.


• Deer that skip across the road.


• Chipmunks with their mouths full.
  
• Keeping my sense of humor even tho I'm tuckered out.
  
• Lots of gears to get me up the biggest hills, and not always having to use them.
  
• Water.
  
• Sunscreen and shades.
• The DH's great training plan.


• Knowing I could have ridden further.


• The DH's chiseled legs and cute butt. I seem to be always chasing them.

Indigo Bunting

Our Wounded, Softened Hearts

I heard this phrase recently, "our wounded, softened hearts." The ideas is that in moments of pain and distress, we move into a place of more compassion, more empathy, more love, more patience - rather than the more common and opposite response.

What a powerful image for me! Think how our world would be different if our responses, on the global level, were softened after a tragedy rather than hardened with thoughts of revenge or fear.

What a gift to myself if I allow my defenses to melt and my heart to soften after a painful experience.

You can read more about this concept in the book, Comfortable with Uncertainty by Pema Chodron.

la Coccinelle Chapeau

I've been waiting for weeks to post about this lovely and festive coccinelle chapeau. (If my translations are accurate, this means ladybird hat.) I wanted the perfect picture - I considered one wearing it, holding it, etc. etc. etc. However, I recently snapped this while admiring the beauty from my work desk. You see, this is how I see it every day. It sits atop a small bookshelf next to my work desk and in front of the lovely fabric hanging in my office as a divider. It fits in so well with the fabrics and the colors in my office! When I saw this, I knew I finally had my snapshot!

My cousin made this as a gift for me. She chose stargazer lilies for the top, as those are the flowers I used in my wedding bouquet (11 years ago this August).

Thank you, Kas!

See more of my cousin's artwork at her Next Designs blog. She's amazingly diverse in her creations! Jewelry, hats, paper crafts, paper weights, frames, and much more!

Green Tea Pasta

I picked up this Green Tea Pasta at Trader Joe's a while back and finally got around to eating it. It was tasty, tho the green tea flavor was very, very mild. The DH (dear hubby) wasn't sure he could taste it at all. These Japanese-style noodles are made of organic wheat flour, organic buckwheat flour, green tea powder and water. I'll look for them the next time I'm at a Trader Joe's. (The closest one is about an hour away.)

I ate these warm with just a bit of butter (olive oil and parmesean would be nice, too). I also think they'd hold up well to various sauces.

The House Building Blog

http://luciferousterra.blogspot.com/
Luciferous Terra is what we've named our little piece of land. It means "a place on earth providing light or mental insight."

Self Talk

OK, Steph - Get a hold of yourself/your thoughts. You'll be fine on this bike ride. Yes, you won't have ridden 70 miles prior. Yes, you haven't had as much training time as you'd like. But you've got all day and you're in good shape. Your aerobic base is strong and you're climbing really well. (Plus, you have lots of gears!) 74 miles will come and go. Just keep pedaling. You've got the longest days of the year to help you along.

This is not a race. You don't have to compete with anyone, not even yourself. The only thing you need to prove is that you can do this without being "perfectly" trained. You can have fun, eat an ice cream cone and enjoy the ride.

No hurry. No worry.

More Flower Power...

A few of our "children"...

Kim's Tea Party

Champagne as we greet
An elegant treat

To begin our spree
At Kim’s hospitali-tea

For those sandwiches we lust
Tasty morsels with no crust

Scones with jam and cream
Am I awake? Is this a dream?

Each homemade petit four
Leaves us longing for much more

We give thanks and good cheer

For this highlight of the year

Pleasures

The first strawberries from our garden. The berries taste so much better when they're local, rather than shipped half way around the country!