"AN OLD TEACUP "

January and February,  flew in like a blusterous storm ... 2013 has taken it's toll on  family health with a fury. Only today, I am  able to give a sigh of relief that it may be all over. SO ....  I paused for a nice cup of tea, pondering the where for and why of recent occurrences.

I needed a special cup to warm my soul and remind me of my many blessings. While filing through Grandma's linen cupboard, I found the perfect set tucked way in the back of the long deep drawers. The musty smell of old paint, still permeated the inner heart of the cupboard. It seemed to be trying to jog my memory,when  like an old friend,  this vintage cup slipped into my hands with a warm hug.


The golden hues of the midday sun were filtering  throughout the house creating a calm ambience that settled onto the old  teaset. The reverent aura was gleaning my admiration for the  hand painted morning glories that were brightening my day. Morning glories have always been a  free spirit in my mind and at this moment I was enthralled by the light handed movement of the artistry on the china.

The teacup had an charming barrel shape, decoratively reminiscent of the old world that , quite simply wrapped itself around my heart. I thought ... "This tea is going to taste good"....m-m-m-m!!!!

The kettle water was  buzzing in haste, to be poured into the teapot, but my ambling pace was not to be disturbed. I was in a 'quiet space" inspecting the porcelain,  that seemed to be whispering in soft voices. like a beautiful poem.

Perhaps, china is like sea shells,  the closer you bring them  to you, the more you can hear .

" Music when soft voices die,
Vibrates in the memory.
Odours of sweet violets sicken.
Live within the sense they quicken;

Rose leaves, when the rose is dead,
Are heaped for the beloved bed;
And so thy thoughts
Where art thou gone.
Love itself, shall slumber on."
... by Percy Shelley

I had always loved this poem and song and for some  unknow reason found a memorable link welding up within my being... It was so soothing !!!! 

As I poured the water from the kettle, my tears flowed as an outpour of emotion into the steaming teapot...my blurred eyes look down at the saucer. It's pattern seemed to spread it wings,  like four white doves encircling me in a ring of gold... All was quiet, except for a few sobs of self indignation, wonderment .... and a grateful sigh of relief... Life is good !!!!

 Tea time can be a heralding experience of self reflection and rejuvenation, even when the whole world seems be upside down. The peace and harmony of an innatimate object can bring you to a place of calm repose and nonjudgmental awareness or ' witnessing' of the moment  and place you are in.

Either way you look at this Royal Albert cup, todays' teatime was the  moment  for being fully present  and drinking in the elexir.

Since I had been in Japan when the whole drama of the  car accident, my son operation in Australia and mother heart attack in B.C, the handpainted insigna on the cup gave way to for me to " let go".

The " Nippon " insignia was a giveaway as to the  teacup's  possible age of 90 plus years. I noticed a tiny crack by the handle of the cup, not broken, just a slight hairline that dictated the frailty of the vessel. 

How happy I was to have gleaned the lessons  and beauty from this innatimate object ..How fortunate we all are , when we take the time to connect with our inner self and our surroundings.

2013 had dealt me a pack of cards that forced my hand to play aggressively with the lives of my family members. Now that I have sipped the stinging-nettle tea, I feel infused with energy, ready to move forward, especially since the tea is noted  for it's excellent source of vitamins A,D, E and K as well as calcium, magnesium, potassium, boron, silicon, and zinc.  Yes...... You might say that, I've been rejuvenated by an unsuspecting cup of tea and an old teacup.

Funny, how life's  journey is  like the aspiring little ripples that rim the golden band of the cup. Some are bigger than others. Some more beautifully displayed and others more fully experienced.

Today, I enjoyed the full flavour of my tea...I am so BLESSED, to have my husband, son and  90 year old mother still with me.  I am also, THANKFUL, for my friendly little teaset. Perhaps, he/she should stay around and share a few more friendly  teatime gatherings with me. 

 It's so nice to be back on track, enjoying the camaraderie of a teatime sip with friends. I look forward to  celebrating  a new passage of joyous  transformation in the months to come ..... like the Englebert Humperdinck song, " Please release me, Let me go ".

Wishing you beautiful sunsets filled with contentment and rejuvenation of body and soul.

ENJOY !!!

"WEAVING A BASKET OF POSIES"

Weaving a basket of posies was  the January/ February theme for the  " Age Of Elegance " ATC group... Of course, when I chose the Victorian pastime of weaving ... I didn't realize just how challenging it would be to fit a woven basket full of flowers on an ATC, 3.5 X 2.5 card.

 I also wasn't sure what medium to use. At first I wanted to use something shiny and glittery, so I choose a few lovely pieces of origami mylar to weave a heart basket for the flowers.  While searching through my paper stash I found this  unassuming pink polka dot background. Yes, it was perfect against the bling of the mylar design... and a nice, subtle contrast too !!!

While the  interlocking heart design is simple, the mylar was slippery ...  Still I loved the  shimmering effect, so continued on the theme and punched out some flowers,  The card needed some feathering up, so I drew some additional posies with the prisms pens and filled in with finger nail confetti.  This is  number one of four weaving cards that I have to show you ... so please do vist me again soon.

The woven heart is a perfect Valentine craft . It's  a simple and lovely way to make a pretty card. Take the time to .....  Give it a try  ... ENJOY !!!

P.S.

Please check my (www.zaaart.blosgspot.ca) for further information on my weaving ATC  creations.

"BROWN RICE TEA"

It's 8a.m. ...The raining is softly falling, scenting the air with a brisk emollient, " wake-up" call. Even the lonely  Sakura' are  shyly exposing themselves to the cool temperatures.

Imagine ... I could be snuggly, sleeping in my bed,( z-z-z-z-) instead of braving the weather( br-r-r-r) in search of  a new car ... Saddly our vehicle  was totalled a few days ago and thankfully we only have the effects of whiplash ... back massages and prayers are definately, the order of the day. 

Every car on the lot  is  either white, shades of white, pearl or grey ( Ha Ha)...OK .. A " Pearl'  Nadia will  fit the bill... SOLD ... 

A more colorful vehicle selection would have cheered my mood, like the decorative florals surrounding the car dealership. Luckily, the skies are lifting, in favour of  a more vivid day to come.

We started our sojourn early and now it's already 5 o'clock, way past teatime...so we'll stop at one of our favourite restaurants. 

The  menu is in the window, all you need to do, is select a 

 dish  .

Classical musical softly meanders through the restaurant creating a lovely delectable mood that offers, traditional to western dining.

TEA...I'd love a cup of tea, in this traditionally thrown  pottery cup. It's a tad off kilter, but then what or who isn't today!!!! ( Ha ha)

Our  pretty waitress is dressed in traditional garb, favoring an apron and a western teapot. "Times are a changing." 

Yes, two cups of brown tea,would be nice ..Thank You....  " Genmaicha", brown rice  tea is the Japanese name for green tea combined with roasted brown rice. It's sometimes referred to colloquially as " popcorn tea" because a few grains of the rice pop during the roasting process.

 This type of tea was originally drunk by the poor Japanese, as the rice served as a filler and reduced the price of the tea; which is why it is also known as the " people's tea".

It was also used by those persons fasting for religious purposes or who found themselves to be between meals for a long period of time.

Today it is consumed by all segments of society.

 This tea  is only half fermented, so the quality of taste and goodness is more readily savoured in the each cup. It's flavour is mild and combines the fresh grassy flavour of the green tea with the aroma of the roasted rice...  Brown tea is so  tasty !!!! 

                        I also enjoy the use of the handmade crudiments jars that compliment the  

                                                        asian essence of our dining experience...

                                                                    Don't you !!!!. 

We have spicy peppers and seasoned herbs to choose from 

                                         or a soft blend of sea salts to season our foods with. 

A thin, light soy sauce is the perfect compliment for a  tempura dish....

                           or maybe  you'd enjoy a  heavier, delicious  soy mixture for your Sashimi

OH ..Here's a surprise... a little drawers for the chopsticks(  Hee Hee)  There's always something to  makes me smile !!!!

Your food will be here soon, " Would like another cup of tea?"

Our appetizer is , sesame, teriyaki, honey chicken wings... It's simply delicious !!!

Oops..I forgot to take a picture of the  raw egg on top of the Ceasar salad ... You just  stir it into the creamy salad sauce, divide it in two ... Yummy  ... It's almost gone !!!!

Laughter and giggles abound and often overflow within the fine dining restaurants, creating a happy and relaxing atmosphere. I dare, say there's alot of teatime gossiping going on here too !!!!

Then there are others 

who quietly drink tea and discuss their daily business. 

Hubby enjoys a feast of Sashimi, with a perfect custard. Just look at that lovely little floral cup. The Japanese dishes are so beautifully presented and varied in size and shapes. It makes the meal , most appealing. The word Sashimi often refers to uncooked fish preparations. It is traditionally considered the finest dish in Japanese cuisine.

The sliced seafood is typically draped over a garnish of Asian white radish, daikon, shredded into long strands accompanied by one green perilla leaf. Wasabi paste is sometimes mixed directly into the soy sauce.  A reputed motivation for serving wasabi or pickled ginger with sashimi, beside the flavour, is to kill harmful bacteria and parasites that might be present in the raw fish. Sashimi is an acquired taste that most Asians love.

I chose, tempura.... two shrimps, two white small white fish fillets,eggplant, a cluster of mushrooms and tempura lotus leaf... Rice, dipping soy, pickles and miso soup usually accompany this dish.

Tempura is made of cold water ( sometimes sparkling water) and soft wheat flour to keep the batter light. "Kakiage", is a type of tempura made with mixed vegetables which are deep fried as fritters. Vegetables such as green peppers  and eggplants  are  culinary favourites.

                                     It's a lot to eat and I'm getting a little full.. Aren't you !!!!

                                                            Would you like more tea?

It does smell good , but " No Thank You ".... It's time to  go home.

On the way out ...I notice a few packaged foods for sale... pickled radishes, bamboo, udon noodles, shredded greens and .....

Salted fish...

                                    Which one would you like to buy for  your late evening snack.?

                                           It's past my bewitching hour and time for a rest.

                              If you'd like another cup of tea.. I'll keep the kettle simmering
                                              To make the best ' genmaicha' brown tea ,        
                                be sure that the water has  boiled for at least  thirty seconds,
                                                          then enjoy the aroma.

                                                          Good-night Ladies  !!!

"PACKAGED TEA "

"PAPER, PAPER" ... Beautiful paper. ....  Presentation is everything in Japan... 

 Look ... 

 at how artfully this  Japanese Sweet is wrapped .

Whatever could  be wrapped so prettily !!!! 

I didn't want to disturb the decorative tissue paper.. Would you ?

 I 'll unwrap carefully and save the lovely  paper for a  paper doll craft or maybe even a card. ( Ha Ha) 

One never knows what's inside a sweet box or paper tissue in this country ... This particular pastry sweet , is a japanese favorite ... 

It's, " OH "  so  gummy and yummy ... with a name,  that I can unfortunately not pronounce nor spell...

basically it's plain  Gelatin.

                          It's a satisfying, local goodie that comes sealed, complete with a small

                                                                       wooden spoon

                                                                               and

 a tiny package of maple syrup, which is probably from Canada.

 This gummy delight is really quite delicious !!!! 

But what's dessert without a nice cup of tea ...

Luckily,  I discovered this set of cups,  just in time for our Tuesday teatime ... 

The butterfly lids were a bonus( hee hee)  ... It will keep the tea warm until you arrive.

Today, the blue and black combination  seemed appropriate since, I'm lagging alittle behind the times, ... Goodness, I better get my make-up on before you come ....

 but I do  need a cup of tea first.

 Hustle, bustle ....  Something quick will fit the bill.  I bought these two packaged teas at the local market, " apple and lemon" ...  Which one would you prefer?

 I'm sure. they're loaded with sugar, but then, maybe, that's what  we all  need to kick start a meandering  day...   A little sugar buzz is quite desirable, every once in a while !!!

There were five tea packets in each bag ... odd numbers seem to be popular here .. everything including sweets and cups come in sets of  fives.

Don't you love this  fabulous wooden tea spoon ..It was a dollar store special  ... The label said , "Chinese teaspoon , manufactured in Japan" ...  ( Ha ha) That was my morning chuckle. 

 It would be a great scoop for loose tea ...  Here in Japan, wooden spoons are used for  just about everything, including tea, soups and for the traditional tea ceremonies...

They come in various shapes and forms.

I'm enjoying the simple use of the utensil to stir my tea ... infact I'm quite attracted to the ' apple ' aroma  wafting through the air. 

This tea smells good to the olfactory nerve... m-m-m-m-m-..

It's almost therapeutic.

                         The pottery is local and affordable ...  There are no particular markings ...
                                               Just the  constant reminder that  it 's teatime.

          I do think it's a user friendly set, that is far too humble, since it's visually lovely and    
                                                    holds one and half cups of tea ...
                  As mentioned the bonus is that it stays hot longer than most  lidded teacups...
                                                                   FABULOUS !!!!!

                            I better put a lid on it ... I mean the tea ... and keep it steeping for you

                                                           Today, is a quiet, pensive  teatime, Ladies ..

                                     The sky is gray, but the birds are singing .. .and there's 
                                                                           NO SNOW . 

                                                                  "COME ON OVER" 

                                                                             RELAX
                                                                     and enjoy a little 
                                                                      DAYDREAM 
                                                                               brew.

" OM " HERE WAITING.