Second tea ceremony of 2020: This afternoon I had the pleasure of hosting a Japanese Tea Ceremony at the home of a lovely couple celebrating their 10th wedding anniversary. We shared a simple obon temae (tray service) called shin, which means truth.
The chawan (bowls) were two from my personal collection. They are vintage bowls. I know little of their history other than that they were purchased at a Japanese flea market. I do know that they make beautiful tea. The matcha today, Nara Matcha. With tea, Japanese yokan. After tea, dried persimmon slices.
The simple, unadorned, brightly laquered natsume (tea caddy), also from my personal collection, is one my tea teacher purchased new for me in Japan. I rarely use it, because it feels so special. Bringing it out for this ten-year anniversary tea felt appropriate.
This time of year I struggle to find flowers from the property for tea arrangements. Lucky me, Forget-Me-Not Flowers is next door to the teashop. I purchased alstromeria, which symbolizes devotion. For the ceremony, they accompanied a print of two cranes beside a body of water. This seemed especially touching since the anniversary couple’s home overlooks a big lake.
After tea, we shared conversation about tea ceremony and practice. I was reminded of a conversation with a friend on New Year’s eve, the short of which was, “discipline or regret.” Tea, for me, is a way to practice discipline.
Happy anniversary! Thank you for bringing me and tea into your home on such an auspicious day!