Saturday, January 19, 2013

Focusing on Life - Week 3



When was the last time you took a few moments for yourself? Time without feeling guilty about all the tasks & chores you 'should' be doing. Time to relax and recharge.

Our challenge this week was two-fold. First, we had to take some time for ourselves, in whatever way worked best for us, and then to document it with a photo.

The first thing that always comes to my mind when I want to relax and recharge is tea. A nice hot cuppa tea, with milk (not cream). Milk first, of course. *smile* There is a very specific ritual to making this tea also. The water must be boiled, not merely hot. The teapot must be warmed with boiling water, then dumped out, before the teabag and more boiling water are poured into it.  A quilted cozy can keep it warm until serving, if you have one.

The tea must be hot when consumed. If it's had time to go cold, I was not relaxing at all. I was likely busily doing other stuff, probably for other people. Drinking tea with a friend is much better than drinking tea alone. Even if we don't say a word to each other, the act of savouring the hot brew together is pure bliss.



If I happen to be alone with my tea, having a thought provoking book or my latest knitting project in hand is a really pleasant way to relax after a challenging day. I can feel my blood pressure go down just thinking about it.



You'll have to excuse me now. I can hear my kettle whistling. The water is boiled, it's time for tea.

23 comments:

  1. lovely words and sweet pictures - a pleasure to e-share tea with you :)
    have a great week!
    [no. 13 this week]

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  2. Oh how I love your tea set! It looks like Fiesta Ware! I relaxed just reading your post! Enjoy!

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    1. It is Fiesta Ware, Patti. A friend of mine is an avid collector and now she has me hooked too. I have a small but much loved selection.

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  3. What a beautiful tea set. Just the colors of the pot and mug would cheer me up. And if my tea gets cold then I'm done with it.

    Enjoy!

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  4. A good cup of tea is always so refreshing and rejuvenating!!
    And yes, boiling water is a must - I learned that at a very early age from my grandma. :-)

    (I'm #40 this week)

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  5. Wonderful tea set and I love how you prepare your tea to relax! I also don't like cold tea (unless it is sweet tea) the hotter the better!

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  6. A beautiful set for a beautiful moment: our ancestors knew well the importance of setting the context right :)
    I hope your tea was relaxing and enjoyable this morning - since it's almost 5 o'clock I'll go make my cup now =)

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  7. I love your teapot. It was nice to hear about your ritual and I am glad you took the time to enjoy it.

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  8. Love tea, love your fiesta ware, and your pictures are warm and inviting!

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  9. You too, Bonnie! I love a relaxing cuppa tea and it has to be milk not cream! Your photo capturing your "me" time is wonderful!!

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  10. I'm a tea drinker too and agree with everything you said! Happy tea time!

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  11. Just reading your post helped me relax. I like that you included your knitting in the pic.

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  12. I'm a drink it as it pours girl - black coffee, black tea, but the ritual is just as important

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  13. It's funny how many of us enjoy tea here! I always have a hot cup when i sit down to read blogs, usually a couple of cups. I use a good old fashioned percolator with loose oolong tea leaves to brew a nice flovorful tea. I remember as a child with my Mother, tea with toast and the tea always had milk!

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  14. Hi Bonnie,
    A good cuppa tea is always a wonderful way to spend some me time even if it is just for the amount of time to drink the tea. I also enjoyed reading about the ritual you go through to make your perfect cuppa tea.
    Therese

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  15. There's really not much better than a nice cup of tea! Unless it's paired with a great book or magazine, of course ;) Love your pictures!

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  16. Pretty pictures amd a grat way to relax and take time for yourself. :)

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  17. This reminds me, it is time for a cup of tea...

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  18. Tea plus crafts = happiness! =)

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  19. Lovely tea, and I love your Fiesta! I'm still unpacking mine. Soon, I hope to have it all organized, and then I'll have tea, too. :)

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  20. Great photos! I too love to sit w/my cup of team,...wish I knew how to knit!

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  21. Regretfully the way I drink tea is rather rushed, in a microwave, not in a lovely party setting that you have created! I love the ritual of the tea and think that just the act alone would be something soothing. Thank you for sharing! Enjoy the day. Erin

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  22. Your tea-making ritual makes me think of something I heard or maybe saw about Chinese or Japanese tea rituals. (Sorry I'm not remembering the details very clearly.) It was a somber experience, but quiet and serene at the same time.
    It makes me picture you in a quiet place at the completion of the ritual with your tea in hand and a bit more refreshed. It sounds fabulous. I wish I had a proper teapot now and not just a kettle. In fact, I have fiestaware too and your set in my colors would be divine. I think I may have to go searching for a teapot in one of my blues! ;)

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