tea time

Tea time is one of my favorite times of day. A newly finished tea cup makes tea time even better.

I threw this cup thick, then shaved off the excess clay with a textural tool when it was leather hard. The glossy amber brown glaze and lines of texture make this a wonderfully rustic cup.

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What's your favorite time of day?

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pots!

The hands you layed on clay

Kickwheeld, curling,

              creamd to the lip of nothing,

And coaxt to a white dancing heat that day

Will linger centuries in these towns and loams

And speak to men or beasts

When Japanese and English

Are dead tongues.

from "The Firing" by Gary Snyder

 

These are my pots, glazed and fired. I especially love the tea set. It's glazed pale, glassy green and has a reed handle that my teacher's husband made. 

The pottery class helped me brush up on my ceramics skills and rekindled my interest in working with clay. Luckily, I think I've found a way to make pottery on a more regular basis. My mind is reeling with possibilities; I'm eager to unite knitting and ceramics in some upcoming projects.

you and me and tea

I assembled my teapot tonight and trimmed some teacups to go with it. It still needs a couple of firings, glaze, and a handle before I can have a tea party. If it were ready now, I'd invite you for tea. We'd have black tea with cream and eat cupcakes with strawberry cream cheese frosting (they're in the fridge now, calling my name).

I'd tell you that:

•  I need three-day weekends every week.

• The house smells like strawberries because I bought gallons of them this weekend. I baked strawberry cupcakes and made sweet strawberry jam. Bowls full of berries wait in the fridge for me to make strawberry ice cream and another batch of jam. And the freezer is packed with strawberries for smoothies and muffins.

• I cleared a place along our fence and planted six tomato plants. They all have charming names: Golden Jubilee, Cherokee Purple, Brandywine, San Marzano, and Japanese Black Trifele. I've forgotten the sixth one, and it's too dark now to look. 

• I really need to weed my herb garden. It's getting embarrassingly overgrown. Just focus on the tomatoes for now. Please don't look at the herb garden!

• K put together a couple of Adirondack chairs today. We sat outside at twilight eating strawberries and drinking red wine as the stars and lightning bugs appeared. Our house feels like home these days.

• I recently cast on a lacy wool pullover in a pale gray yarn.

• We celebrated my dad's birthday this weekend. Please send good thoughts his way. He gets some test results back from the doctor this week, and I'm hoping so hard that they're good.

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Then, I'd pour you another cup of tea and maybe let you get a word in edgewise. 

What would you tell me over tea?

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lately...

Hello. How are you these days? It feels like ages since I've stopped here for a chat. No worries. Soon I will be back in full force because I am nearly done with school. I feel like an eek! would be appropriate but I don't want to squeal in your ear. Just know that I am so excited to be finishing my grad program in two weeks.

There are also some cringing yikes! thoughts going on right now as I try to figure out my next move. I've always been a person with a plan, and now I'm flying by the seat of my pants. People keep asking what I'm going to do and all I've got for them is: Get a job. Preferably one that I enjoy. I am open to suggestions.

This is my life lately: I've been fortifying myself with cups of tea and coffee, filling my belly with husband-made meals (he's wonderful), sneaking in some knitting time, taking breaks at night to watch silly movies, and of course, reading/writing/worrying about school. I printed out this list to keep from stressing too much. I've promised myself there will be a bubble bath and new knitting needles at the end of all this paper-writing.

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What have you been up to lately? I would love to hear. 

(tea) party of one

green tea waiting on the kettle

i often have tea parties just for myself.

almost as often, i leave a cup of tea to steep in the kitchen only to remember it an hour later.

last week i remembered in time and took photos to share. huzzah.

steeping

poured

my south bay shawl served as an impromptu living room picnic blanket.

 drink up

Drinking tea on my living room floor isn't a daily habit, but I do have a cup of tea nearly every day. I think my favorite part is wrapping my hands around a warm mug and feeling the heat rise through my body. It's such a soothing moment.

What's your daily ritual?

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Not pictured: 

Spilling tea into my new rain boots. Bah. How will I ever keep my feet dry if I'm pouring liquid into the boots???

My attempts at taking a photo with both hands in the picture. I only succeeded in snapping photos of the ceiling. (Sorry about dropping the camera, K. If we get a new one I promise to take better care of it.) 

daily reminder

This little phone nook vignette is a daily reminder to live this year with intent. 

I love changing this shelf up to suit my mood. (You might remember my crafty collection). I was feeling pretty contemplative and wintry when I made this, but I'm ready for more color as I look forward to spring. I think my next vignette will be joyful!

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The photo is K when he was tiny. He looks like he's pondering something, doesn't he?

this moment: cozy library time

[study]

[break]

{this moment} find more moments over at amanda's blog.

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i'll post photos of the crochet object from our guessing game soon.

weekend snippets: tea, cupcakes, and crochet

masala chai for two from the zen teahouse.

cupcake prep. yum.

my potluck contribution. chocolate cupcakes with vanilla/chocolate buttercream frosting.

reading middlemarch with the help of awake blend tea.

a bit of hook time with some red thread. motif #46 from this book.

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this weekend has been full, but very happy. i got to visit with both of my parents, hang out with a grade school friend, and go on a cool morning walk with k. of course there was also lots of studying, as well as a bit of cooking and cleaning, but that's to be expected. 

what's something happy from your weekend? i'd love to hear. it'll help me (and maybe you) extend good weekend feelings on into the work/school week.