On a cold Monday, November 16, I practiced tea for the last time outdoors, in 2020. It is one of my greatest joys, to spend time with my daughter. I love that Moira was the person I shared my first outdoor winter tea in 2020 with (NP Gazebo), and she is the person I shared […]
Sun Nov 15, 2020 1:00p The weather changed dramatically for this weekend of tea in the barn. Still carrying the last tea ceremonies’ warmth in my heart, I was convinced that more tea in the barn was a good idea. And, though very cold, it was indeed a good idea, for my tea teacher, Roo […]
Sat Nov 7, 2020 2:00p This warm weather weekend is such a gift, all I want to do is tea! So, more tea in our sweet old barn! This afternoon’s guests were a multi-generation family of three artists with deep awareness of tea aesthetic. When serving tea by myself for more than two guests I […]
Sat, Nov 7, 2020 11a This morning I shared tea with one guest, a gentle soul open to the comfort and beauty of the moment… tea. It was a warm, sunny morning, about 65 degrees, with a gentle wind, and autumn leaves tapping against the barn roof and walls as they fell. So very different […]
Saturday, October 24, 12:30p Oddly, in all the beautiful, warm weather of our northern Michigan summer, I never once did tea outside. And then, in October, as the cold returned, I did the first outdoor ceremony since March, for someone other than me and my quarantea buddy. The day began with rain that gradually turned […]
Quarantea 5 (April 9, 2020) Nishiki-datte sou, a chabako temae, or presentation, that uses a set of four panels tied together. The futa or box lid is used a a rest for the tea implements. Tea – Matcha Harmony (organic matcha) Sweet – candied ume Chawan – my pine and gold tiny Kyoto bowl Chabako […]
Quarantea 6 (April 10, 2020) Kakoi-datte sou, is a chabako temae that means barrier. During the ceremony, the chabako is set on its side and the zutsu, tea and whisk are set inside, protected from wind. Today, although I practiced tea inside, the world outside was cold and windy – appropriate weather for a barrier […]
Quarantea 4 (April 8, 2020) This morning, the orchards, cloaked in grey mist, set the mood perfectly for this chabako temae, kasumi-datte “mist presentation.” It is the first chabako temae, sou. It is traditionally done in the springtime, although, we practice it all year round. The presentation uses a single panel. The implements are arranged […]
Truth be told, I get immeasurably more pleasure from practicing tea than I do from posting about it. I have sifted tea; selected dogu; arranged flowers; prepared sweets; lit the incense, and practiced. But I have put little to no effort into capturing ceremony in photos or in writing. Mostly I make tea for me […]
Quarantea 3 As I set up for tea this morning, near but not in the snug, this piece of original art on our wall, a watercolor of river irises by Doug Racich, proudly bears the quality of a scroll in a tokonoma. Tea flowers are getting easier! On a trip to Seattle for a tea […]