It's Time for Tea

I remember reading a little book several years ago called, "First We Have Coffee."  It was a simple story about a scandinavian woman who took time for coffee in the middle of a crises.
I remember the essence of her words.
 Stop.
Give frantic thoughts a rest.
Let's mull over this crises a bit before we run around in circles.

Whenever life seems to swirl about me a bit too fast and thinking becomes fuzzy, it is time to stop  . . . and enjoy a moment of reflection.
Sip something soothing to the senses and rest from whatever is causing this chaos inside my soul.

I need to linger awhile and sip something hot on these cold winter days.
Since I choose to drink coffee infrequently, I now drink tea.
Having a tea set in the bedroom has yet to prompt us to sip tea before we get dressed and ready for the day.  All too frequently this tea set remains as it is ... a delightful reminder to take a quiet moment to linger by the window and let the world spin without us.

My mother began this tradition of placing a tea set
on a pretty table in the bedroom.  

Lately, commitments and events seem to whirl about me at a faster pace than I had planned.
I thought these winter months would allow me to read through my huge stack of books.
I dream of spending long days sitting by the fire.
Yet, there are classes to teach, preparation for Sundays, meetings and commitments to attend to.
Some days I feel like I am a spinning top.
I need to slow down and chew on each moment.
I need to take some time for tea.

To remind us to take a moment, I placed tea sets around the house.
Most were given to me as presents and were tucked away for that 'special occasion.'
 Well, now is a special occasion ... it's time for tea.

This Brambly Hedge tea set is ready for tea
and a little something to go with it.  

My hubby thinks it is a grand idea to set tea cups at each place at the table.  We both need a reminder to unwind later in the day.
I also need to remember to take "T" time.
My hubby's first name starts with "T."
Sometimes we get so busy with our own schedules that I need to stop, fix some tea and simply listen.
We both enjoy 'lingering' with each other for a moment.

The mantel above the fireplace has a new look.
It's time for tea!

We have a set of shelves with treasures from my mother
 and wonderful reminders of our travels.

I found this miniature set somewhere.  I so love the
tiny bouquet and tiny wax candle with tin holder
 ... sitting on my grandfather's favorite math book.
 It's time for tea . . . and reading.

And so, today, I took time to write and reflect.
 "T" and I enjoyed a lovely lunch on this chilly, windy, snowless day.
    Ahhhhh, we take the chill out of our bones, watch the billowing clouds turn black, sigh as another snowless sky throws out soggy drops and sip a nice hot cup of tea.
And then we are off, again, at our frenetic pace, attending meetings and swirling through the commitments of the day.
 Yet, I need to remember to make time for tea.

All roads lead to . . .

I have been walking a crazy road lately.
 I move one direction and then I am pulled in another.
Actually, I love the challenges of quick change.
 I don't mind changing direction on a dime.
 It makes life interesting.
This crazy road I am on is not stressful but feels like this quilt looks.

              

                   I saw this at a quilt show and fell in love with it   
                 The bumpy road seems to 'topple' all the homes ...
                            except the last building.

I was at a quilt show and lingered at this quilt for a very long time.  The colors popped.  The whimsy, the movement and the silliness kept me riveted.  Yet, it took my eyes a long time to get to the end of the road.  What a story I see!

Even if I don't mind a bumpy road, it might become a bit exhausting if I remained on it too long.  If I look for a focal point, I can endure the bumps more easily.  I look as far ahead as I can . . .  which may be no more than a day.  Then I find a goal, a purpose, a reason to be on that road.  Sometimes I can see a hint of the end-game.  Most of the time I simply have to trust the path and keep moving until a smoother section appears. 

This quilt says it all.  There is one place that seems stable, unaffected by the bumps and rolls of life and a final destination for many.  I chuckle as I see all the cars jumbled together at a house of faith.  This particular place looks balanced and unaltered by the bumpy road.  This quilt tells me that one's faith  provides a stable place in the bumpy road of life.

One small quilt says more than I could ever write.
Here are a few more pictures of challenging paths.  A friend sent me these pictures with no captions, no credits, no photographer stated.   Perhaps they were collected from various places in the internet.
They tell a wonderful story.

 Rickety, uneven, hard to navigate.
What a fun challenge.  

A beautiful structure.
It looks like a challenge to navigate.
I would not want to be on that little blue bus.

It's Epiphany!

Epiphany
A new beginning.
A new insight ... seeing ... an ahaaaaaa experience.
We begin celebrating the Christmas season on the Eve of Christmas.
Epiphany is suppose to end the season . . . but how can we 'end' a new beginning?

Although we have seen this before,
Epiphany is the day we celebrate the arrival of the magi.

I don't want the season to end so I linger at the Creche and wonder about the story of the magi.  My other blog goes into detail as I recall the story.

 Every year I gain greater insights into God's new beginning for us.
God's sacrifice for us seems to loom brighter on my radar.  Perhaps it's because I just became a year older that I linger longer with my thoughts.

New beginnings, new insights, new thoughts . . . a perfect time of year to seek to understand more, chew on more, experience 'aha' moments.

I take a moment to enjoy some points of beauty . . .

My eyes grab this quilt at a show so I took a picture.
The bright color and wild movement captures my imagination.

My eyes move from bright color and 'controlled chaos' to the stark simplicity of white on white.  Nice.

This bonsai at the botanical garden caught my fancy.
These tiny sprouts look like a forest!
New insight: I could garden in the winter even if it is a mini-project.

Ahhhhh.  My eyes settle on a nice combination of light and dark.  I wonder if that is Lupine in the back of those Narcissus?

We have been smelling Paper Whites at home for the past week or so.
We saw ... and smelled ... dozens of these at the botanical garden.
A JOY to the senses.

Now I wait . . .  patiently . . . for just a little snow.  I might be crazy but I love to watch new patterns as the flakes settle, pile up and drift among the cat tails.  This is from last year.  Maybe I will make a print and put it on my mantel.

Snow creates a sense of wilderness in a very small space.

Another Day

Now that all the hoopla is over, its just another day.
Yet, something seems new.
Perhaps it is new resolve.

I am determined to expand my horizons.  So, I created another blog that will post more of my 'wonderings' that spur me to teach others.
I'll post notes, questions, my personal insights and wonder out loud as I study.
Just go to: wonderingswithgail.blogspot.com

And then there is the chore of tucking away Christmas.
We keep the manger up through Epiphany to celebrate the 'aha' experience of the Wise Men when they found the Christ child in Bethlehem.  We take the entire year to walk with Jesus through His 'seasons' of life as we embrace each season of the liturgical year.

Grandpa A.J. brought this home with him when he returned
from Germany after WWII.  It is not fancy but has so
many memories.  We put Jesus in the crib on Christmas Day.
The Wise Men technically do not arrive until January 6,
so they should be out of sight.  I wanted them in the picture.

I go through the house picking up 'memories' that we pull out each year. Some trinkets are generations old and not worth much but we love 'em.

The tree comes down tomorrow.  Everything comes into
this room and gets carefully packed in plastic containers
for next year.  It takes longer to pack it than to unpack next year.

The Advent candles went here.  The space filled quickly.
The red peppers are drying nicely and the dried apples
are ready to eat.  Yum!

In the mean time, I need to get digital.
The Christmas card list was greatly revised as many friends sent new addresses.  I made labels for next year so I just might get our annual letter out on time.  We can always hope.

There is always a card or two that goes out late.
I think I will do better next year.

And then there is the box!  So small yet holds so much!

We tuck this little box into a corner of our hutch and no one knows
the treasure that lies inside.  Years of amended notes on index cards,
torn pieces of paper, stickers and calling cards.  

I finally transfered all the information from my card file of addresses to the computer.  I am trying to be more computer-organized but I still linger longer than I should with pen and paper.   I will always love the feel of paper and the whimsey that comes out of my pen.

Some of these cards are more than thirty years old!
Everything is now on the computer ... and backed up!

Two blog sites may take more time than I choose to give.
We will see what happens.                   I had better be ORGANIZED!
Happy New Year!