Portrait of a Lady

Now that lilacs are in bloom
She has a bowl of lilacs in her room
And twists one in her fingers while she talks.
“Ah my friend, you do not know, you do not know
What life is, you who hold it in your hands—”
(Slowly twisting the lilac stalks);
“You let it flow from you, you let it flow,
And youth is cruel, and has no remorse,
And smiles at situations which it cannot see.”
I smile, of course,
And go on drinking tea.
“Yet with these April sunsets, that somehow recall
My buried life, and Paris in the spring,
I feel immeasurably at peace, and find the world
To be wonderful and youthful, after all.”

~T. S. Eliot: The Poems (British and Irish Authors)

Holiday Tea & a Book

During the Holidays I am taking a little time to enjoy Hibiscus Spiced Tea from and reading The Celtic Way of Prayer: The Recovery of the Religious Imagination by Esther De Waal.

This book serves as a good introduction to Celtic Christianity for those unfamiliar with it. The reader will find out what makes Celtic Christianity compelling and unique, and discover the beauty and richness of the Celtic way of life with Esther  de Waal as she explores the rich legacy of Celtic songs, poems, prayers, and blessings that grew out of the dynamic meeting of Christian monasticism with an older, communal way of life ordered by kinship, a rural sense of place, the pattern of the seasons, and the cycles of birth and death. 

The Perfect Afternoon: A Purring Cat and A Fine Cup of Tea.

the perfect afternoon: a purring cat and a fine cup of tea., originally uploaded by nerdmeister23.

When the tea is brought at five o'clock
and all the neat curtains are drawn with care,
the little black cat with bright green eyes
is suddenly purring there.
--Harold Monroe

A True Home

"A roof to keep out the rain. Four walls to keep out the wind. Floors
to keep out the cold. Yes, but home is more than that. It is the laugh
of a baby, the song of a mother, the strength of a father. Warmth of
loving hearts, light from happy eyes, kindness, loyalty, comradeship.
Home is first school...for the young ones where they learn what is
right, what is good, and what is kind. Where they go for comfort
when they are hurt or sick. Where joy is shared and sorrow eased.
Where fathers and mothers are respected and loved. Where children
are wanted. Where the simplest food is good enough for kings
because it is earned. Where money is not so important as loving-
kindness. Where even the teakettle sings from happiness. That is
home." ~~ Ernestine Schumann-Heink

Source

You Really Must Join Me

"And so it continued all day, wynde after wynde. From a room beyond came the whistle of a tea kettle. 'Now, you really must join me. I've some marvelous Darjeeling, and some delicious petit fours a friend of mine gave me for Christmas."
-Martha Grimes, The Man with a Load of Mischief

Christmas Tea and The Naughty Little Mouse

The Naughty Little Mouse
I saved my cake for Santa Claus
One Christmas Eve at tea;
For if riding makes one hungry
How hungry he must be!

I put it on the pantry shelf,
Where he'd be sure to go --
I think it does a person good
To be remembered so.

When every one was fast asleep,
(Every one but me),
I tiptoed into mother's room --
O! just as still -- to see.

If he had been there yet, Dear me!
It made my feelings ache ---
There sat a naughty little mouse
Eating Santa's cake.

Unknown.

How I came to love tea!

Alice Reading beside a Cup of Tea
Roger de la Fresnaye - 1907

I am writing this Blog about tea because tea is such an integral part of my life. It's the way I wake up in the morning. It's the way I nurture my soul as I transition from the dreamworld to the waking world.

It's the way I nurture myself as I move through the day, revitalizing my energy as I create little mini retreats with my warm cup of tea in my hands, gazing out my window, disappearing into the quiet for a few minutes, or sitting on my patio listening to the birds.

During the heat of the summer, I like my Iced Tea during the day. I understand that iced drinks are not good for the digestive system, but this old habit is hard for me to break! Especially when it is so delicious!

A cup of tea in the evening helps to quiet my mind and relax my body so I can rest. A nice Peppermint or Chamomile Tea is perfect.

I can't remember when I started drinking tea. I do remember drinking tea with my grandmother when I was a very young child. I still love to have a cup of tea with friends and family.

"Paint me an eternal tea-pot,
for I usually drink tea from eight o'clock at night
to four o'clock in the morning."
~~Thomas de Quincey

Image PUBLIC DOMAIN: This person died over 70 years ago (in 1925)
updated 6/10/17