The Cue, a Pause, a Blessing

Victorian Violets teapot, sugar, & creamer.
Hammersley, Made in England

The Sisterhood of Quilters publishes a column called Girlfriend Wisdom. I always enjoy their perspective. Today when I picked up a Country Register magazine and read the column, I realized that their advice went with my day. Listen to this...

"Did you ever wish you had a Peaceful Pause Button? A button that would simply pause all the actions that surround your busy day. Errand running, chasing children, cleaning and cooking, working, working, working. If you had an imaginary Peaceful Pause Button that would de-stress your day, how would it work? What lifts your spirit and stirs your soul?"

Violets Tea Towel
Painted by my mom

They suggested that you think of a word and use that word to cue into mentally pausing during stressful moments during the day. Good idea, but better yet, what about actually taking time to pause. A break from daily routine and doing something that's calm, quiet, and special can do wonders for a person! Tea breaks are good for this. Best are tea breaks with a friend! Add a little window shopping to the mix and you're set to go!

Teacup marked JAPAN
The other teacup is Colclough China,
Made in Longton, England

Since it was Karleen's birthday, the decision was made to take a pause-day; a day away from chores and routine. We started with a tea break on the porch, enjoying cups of white blueberry tea. From Fujian, China, this Adagio tea is very fragrant and deliciously soft. Homemade cinnamon rolls and smoked almonds added energy for the day.

After visiting some of our favorite shops and looking for summer sandals, quilt supplies, vintage ware, and assorted plants and flowers, we took a break for lunch.

Chilled carafes of spearmint water refreshed us while we waited for a pot of Assam tea.

Our shared lunch tray

We decided to share a Mediterranean platter for lunch. It was filled with mixed nuts, assorted salty olives, hummus and dips, pasta salad, crusty bread, crackers, and cheeses.

Chocolate with peanut butter frosting

And since it was a birthday, we walked down the street after eating and enjoyed cupcakes from that sweet little shop I'd found with Dad and Alma last week. The shop carries cupcakes for everyone with options for vegan, gluten-free, and every taste bud.

Searching for a Picasso petunia 

The day ended by another stop for plants and flowers. With a car filled with an assortment of cosmos, petunias, million bells, and more, we stopped one more place before arriving back home. It was to the home of a quilt guild friend. What a sweet little cottage she has. It is surrounded by a fence to contain a friendly dog and happy chickens. An abundance of lilies line the parameter, filled with buds and ready to burst forth in blossom at any time! Some kind of exercise gadget sits on the front porch, and it was appropriately covered with a colorful quilt made just for it! She invited us inside for a chat before we headed home.

A pause. A birthday. A friendship. God's gifts are abundant. How special it is to take a pause so that one can stop and appreciate each and every one. Today, the chores will be a bit easier as a result. Plus, there are flats of plants to get into the ground which is another kind of reprieve. Blessings.

A Wonderful Day

Lunch with a friend.

A celebration.

Conversation.

Joy.

A present?

For me?

Thank you!

Oh! Special quilting tools.

Complete with personalized instructions

and samples to show me

how to use them.

And tea treasures?

Darjeeling and herbal hot pads.

And a ruffled teapot

tea towel.

And beads.

Such pretty beads!

A delicious lunch.

Mugs of Oregon chai tea.

Lots and lots of conversation.

A happy time.

Thank you, dear friend.

It was a wonderful day!

The Delight of Hearts

Moments. Delight. Passion. Joy. 

These are all words that describe my friend, Marilyn. She has refined the art of living with purpose and she does it so well. From the word pictures she posts on her blog each day, to her creative photography and design, Marilyn greets life with exuberance and a plan. She inspires everyone around her. Her friendliness and ability to network has made me christen her the "Ambassador of Tea". It is a rank of high distinction and one she holds so well.

Recently Marilyn and her husband, Jim, decided to christen their new garden house by hosting a luncheon for tea blogging friends from far and near. Jim built the garden house from recycled materials; beautiful old windows and stained glass. A candle chandelier hangs center-stage over a wide plank table which is surrounded by antique folding chairs. For our dinner, Marilyn's beautiful heirloom china was the center of each table-setting cover. A manicured garden and a stately maple tree surrounded this back yard scene. 

Guests arrived one by one, meeting and greeting as though we'd been real-life friends for years. In actuality, we have been friends for many years, but most of us had not had the opportunity to meet physically until Marilyn facilitated this luncheon. Some came from far, while others lived nearby. Linda traveled from 2,400 miles away while Jennifer dropped in from a city just ten miles distant. The rest of us drove from points in between and each looked forward to being on the receiving end of Marilyn's most gracious hospitality. Seven of us were friends who'd met in an online tea group group ten or more years ago. We enjoyed visiting in real life! Six were devoted bloggers, generally centering our blog themes on afternoon tea. As you can tell, a common cord was formed and is now tightly wound.

The summer lunch was delicious! Marilyn made a broccoli and an asparagus quiche. Caesar salad, gigantic green olives from California, and artisan bread filled our plates. Our tea was iced; a refreshing blend of a brewed green tea and sparkling apple juice. We toasted our friendship and our friend, Martha, who was unable to attend. Conversation hummed along and if there was a lull (which I don't recall), Marilyn had thoughtful tea quotes printed on cards that she displayed in antique floral frogs as our centerpiece; quotes that could evoke more conversation if needed. Dessert was as delightful as the main course. It was summer watermelon infused with lime and fresh ginger; so refreshing! Citrus scented sugar cookies in shapes of moon and stars were passed around for us to enjoy with our watermelon treat. 

It was a day of pure delight! But it's not over yet! Come back again soon! I'm pretty sure you'll want to know about our after-dinner tea ceremony. 

*Please click on the photo montage to enlarge it. I'd like for you to see all the beautiful details.
*I'm happy to be a part of Bernideen's Tea Time Blog "Open House" today.

First Picnic of Spring

Spring break happens in March, and we always look forward to having our kids around for at least a portion of their vacation.  It has been our practice to spend time traveling to a place we especially enjoy, like the beach or a state park nearby.  This year the weather was chilly and rainy, but that didn't stop us from taking a day trip and enjoying the first picnic of spring.  We went to Palouse Falls, a beautiful place that happens to be out in the middle of nowhere!  After miles of desolate highway driving through wheat fields and scrub land, a small sign points to a cattle crossing and a narrow dirt road.  This road winds through a desert cow pasture, complete with munching cattle!  It leads to a space that opens up to a parking lot that is usually always filled with cars and motorcycles!  Many others had the same idea we did on this early spring day.

The center of attraction?  The falls!  It spills from the Palouse River which winds through scabland known for its coulees, cataracts, plunge pools, potholes, rock benches, buttes, and pinnacles.  The river bottom virtually drops off to 200 feet below, creating a magnificent waterfall that seems especially muddy and wild this spring.

Although portions of the park cliffs are surrounded by sturdy chain-link fence, not all areas are.  As you will see in a later picture, a walking trail follows a cliff edge, leading people to a point at the top of the falls. Another trail leads hikers to the basin at the bottom of the falls where fishing seems to be especially popular.

After the waterfall, the Palouse River can be seen as it goes through the Sentinel Bluffs of the Grand Ronde Formation.  I think it is especially beautiful in early spring when shades of green can be seen in new growth. When summer comes, the color will change to a gray-brown and the bluffs won't have nearly the contrast in color and shade.

The men who were visiting by motorcycle had a marvelous BBQ and picnic in the only covered pavilion area.  Since it was drizzling a bit, we decided to do our sight-seeing first and wait until they left to have our lunch.  As their bikes roared away, we set up for our picnic lunch.  My guys noted that people kept looking at our table as they walked by, probably because a cheerful daffodil bouquet graced our picnic table. But the guys didn't mind.  As long as there is good food, they seem to be content.

The rain continues, and early this morning spring winds have arrived.  Patience is the word for March!  But it's nearly over and hopefully some warm and dry days will arrive with April!  Happy spring!