mediocrity, party of one…
{reverb10 – day 9}
Every morning, I have my own little tea party.
For me, tea is more than just a beverage, more than a daily dose of caffeine. It is a ritual that grounds me, a habit that comforts me, tea is part of who I am.
Tea requires patience. No instant gratification here, even if you use a tea bag. You have to wait if you want it to taste just right, you have to boil the water in a teapot on the stove, always. The best tea is made from loose leaves, in a pot. The best tea requires that you bide your time.
And you have to sit at your kitchen table for the first cup of the day and stare out the window at your little corner of the world, noting the changing seasons and the antics of the birds, and the way the sun glints off the freshly fallen snow.
In summer, you have to have your first cup in the garden as you listen to those same birds singing their hellos. If you are lucky, you will get there in time to watch the sun rise. If you are lucky, the tea will be the perfect complement to dawn’s new dress.
No matter how busy the rest of the day will be for me, there is always that first cup of tea.
That moment of meditation, the breathing in of day’s beginning,
the drinking in of endless possibility.
Now that’s my kind of party.
December 9th, 2010 at 10:21 am
Beautiful! My morning tea usually accompanies catching up on blogs, but I love tea in the garden in the spring too!
December 9th, 2010 at 10:48 am
The way you paint pictures with your words is amazing. I honestly look forward everyday to reading what you’ve conjured for this prompt. So happy I found you and your blog <3
December 9th, 2010 at 11:11 am
Again. Elegant and beautiful and important.
December 9th, 2010 at 11:26 am
Lovely, and makes me wish I had the time and patience to truly “drink tea”
December 9th, 2010 at 11:46 am
I can relate; I have my own morning tea party, too! I always look forward to it. What a clever response to today’s prompt!
December 9th, 2010 at 11:57 am
I am changing my idea of “party” thanks to #reverb10. Lovely post. Thank you!
December 9th, 2010 at 12:35 pm
I’m with you . . . I have my own tea party each morning too. I like my tea weak so I barely show it a bag but I sit in a chair in our sun room, sipping from my favorite mug watching the sun come up. :0)
December 9th, 2010 at 1:22 pm
Oh yes! I love a tea party. And I’m more than happy to have one on my own. Wonderful post. Wonderful photo.
December 9th, 2010 at 1:25 pm
“the perfect complement to dawn’s new dress.” — Lovely! Now for some tea!
December 9th, 2010 at 1:56 pm
If you are lucky, the tea will be the perfect complement to dawn’s new dress.
I love the pictures you paint with your words. And this photo? Dreamy . . .
December 9th, 2010 at 2:15 pm
Lovely interpretation of the prompt! This is my kind of party as well. 🙂 I’m another morning tea drinker, though mine generally accompanies me as I browse the internet and avoid studying.
I also rather like your writing style.
December 9th, 2010 at 2:21 pm
I love this post. It captures, as your posts so often do, the quiet details that make a life – your life – a constant tea ceremony. The detail and gesture, the senses open and drinking, the beauty of the simplest things. PS I love the you ‘have to’ have your tea in the garden in summer, and you ‘have to’ stare out the window in winter.
December 9th, 2010 at 2:43 pm
Ohh, what a moment of peace, that you create with your words.
I have a lovely Chinese teapot
some herbal teas that soothe my soul
…I clearly need to use them more.
Thank you for inviting me to this party.
December 9th, 2010 at 3:45 pm
Ah yes, me too. Eloquently put.
December 9th, 2010 at 4:11 pm
That does sound like the perfect tea party! I love those moments of quiet in the morning before everyone is up and going. A quiet party of one…great post!
December 9th, 2010 at 6:09 pm
what a beautiful way to celebrate each day! and there is nothing better than i hot cup of tea, warming the hands on a cold day.. kudos and cheers!
December 9th, 2010 at 7:44 pm
tea is life. and love. and comfort.
you are my kindred. 🙂
xo
December 9th, 2010 at 8:20 pm
Lovely post, I also enjoy my cup of tea every morning, only I do it at the office. My day is not the same without it.
December 9th, 2010 at 8:25 pm
I won’t tell you about my mornings, but they are no party. I will dream of wearing my pajamas and bathrobe to your tea party and sitting with you in comfortable silence.
December 9th, 2010 at 9:22 pm
i don’t drink tea, but one of these days, i’m gonna’ crash your tea party. i am. you’ll see.
December 9th, 2010 at 9:26 pm
absolutely lovely!
December 9th, 2010 at 11:05 pm
i am so not good in the mornings, always feeling rushed no matter how early i get up. i want to come stay with you a while and have you teach me how to do this. 🙂 i was there with you in words – deeds can’t be far behind.
December 9th, 2010 at 11:53 pm
Bliss. I’m going to re-visit my vision of this moment you’ve captured so beautifully every time I need a moment’s peace.
Coffee is my first hot drink of the day. I tend to treat tea as a comfort item when I need comfort the most. It’s also the first beverage I turn to when I’m not well; mentally, emotionally or physically.
And as strange as this might sound, I’m so grateful you spelled ‘complement’ in its correct context. Little things like that really impress me …
(Psssst: Jeanne – if it’s not out of your way, can you swing by Canada on your way to the tea party for one crash? I’d love to join you.)
December 10th, 2010 at 12:06 am
I am joining you. One of these days.
December 10th, 2010 at 2:20 am
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December 10th, 2010 at 3:43 am
On weekends I use my French press to make my coffee. Same idea.
I guess after the 15th when I finish my job I will be able to do that more often.
I may not know how I am going to pay for food a month down the road, but I am happy about more French press mornings and more time for words.
December 10th, 2010 at 7:17 am
party on.
December 10th, 2010 at 9:43 am
I’m a tea lover also. While I almost never find time in the morning to relax with it, I do enjoy it throughout the day. My favorite (while it’s not a loose tea) is Cinnamon Plum from The Republic of Tea. Do share, what are some of your favorites?
December 10th, 2010 at 10:41 am
Ah, tea. It is everything you say. Weather permitting, fortunately that’s most of the time, I sit on the porch and do what you do, look out at my little corner of the world. It’s a peaceful start to the day.