Archive for July, 2008
How does a card-carrying member of the tea lifestyle reconcile the constant pull of the novelty available online?
From this morning’s online reading: The contemporary predicament in a nutshell: loving novelty, yet craving depth.
And as a parent trying to reconcile the CONSTANT media onslaught on our family’s attentions, I found this article incredibly helpful in knowing how to setup some basic boundaries.
Are We Distracting Ourselves to Death? Five Practical Tips Our Family Is Trying
It is no surprise that as real life is providing more depth, my time spent online is diminishing. Is there room for both?
But for me, the bottom-line question is: How do we protect our souls in the digital age? “Above all else, guard your heart for from it springs the issues of life.” As Tea Party Girl, I’ve always promoted the tea lifestyle over the grab-and-go hurry and scurry demands of our culture. And trying to build an online business was more soul-killing than life-giving, for the constancy required of blogging and interacting with the Internet community definitely requires hurrying and scurrying.
Thoughts?
July 22nd, 2008
Last Week’s Field Trip to the Japanese Tea Garden
Dear Readers, I don’t think I’ve let an entire week lapse without posting in the history of this blog. In cyberspace, a week is an eternity! I made no plan for it, am not answering emails and pretty much completely abandoned my business model; that is if I ever really had one. Hah!
If you are waiting to hear from me, you will, and I apologize for the delay. Next week marks my one week a year where I take a vacation in my own home without my children. This could mean a flood of writing here at Tea Party Girl or none, it remains to be seen.
Because here’s the real deal. The journey with Tea Party Girl over the last year has given me an incredibly satisfying diversion from laundry and teaching grammar. It is the first time I’ve written consistently apart from journaling. I reached beyond comfort zones to contact some of you, received a few free gifts along the way, and so enjoyed contributing to the conversation - especially in the areas of etiquette, beauty, and of course, the culture of tea.
But my true passion lies in the building of something brand new that impacts others. And another opportunity completely independent from the tea party has dropped into my lap. It involves connecting with other families in new and profound ways that will help take our family’s education and community life to the next level. And as you can see, they’re not interested in how to set the tea table - yet:
You see, I was a complete flunky when it came to hanging out day-in and day-out with toddlers and preschoolers, but I am completely in love with the age my children and their peers are now. Filled to the brim and overflowing with potential, curiosity, and raw, pure fun, my firm belief that investing in children is the number one way I can impact the future has finally kicked into high gear. The season of experiencing intrinsic reward for me is finally here.
I admit, Tea Party Girl’s future is on the table and up in the air. As soon as I know anything, I will let you know. In the meantime, Tea Party Girl is still in Google’s Top Ten for tea party information and remains visited by hundreds of readers per day. Please continue to remember it as a resource for yourself and others and we’ll see how long the Google Gods smile on this site.
I’ll be in touch.
July 17th, 2008
Friends, it is hot-really, really hot in Northern California. And it is also incredibly smoky. Imagine what it feels like when the campfire blows your way; how your eyes burn. Now imagine living in it for three weeks with no end in sight. Now you know Northern California’s current plight.
I can’t even imagine the level of work it takes to battle these fires. I can’t even find the brain cells to Google interesting stats for you all to help you imagine the situation. I can’t wrap my mind around fighting the fires with the heat, weight of clothing, smoke exposure, etc.
It has been too hot to even drink tea. And I normally drink hot tea all year long. Inspiration for the tea party seems to currently be escaping me, much less the energy to write about it.
So instead, here’s a quick list of current tea party highlights:
- Yesterday’s mail brought Coronation Blend, a new black tea with chamomile that mildly smells of honey. I did have two cups this morning early. Yum.
- Tomorrow I will take four boys to experience chado for the first time at our local college in an invitation-only ceremony. I hope the serenity will balance out the time in traffic with these four boys.
- Mom loaned me the latest issue of Victorian Homes
which featured a photo-rich and multi-page spread on Paris in a Cup, my favorite tearoom experience of the year so far. The article transported me again to the beauty of that day and helped remind me of my wish for everyone to experience the tea party in this way.
How’s the weather where you are? Are you still drinking hot tea in July?
July 10th, 2008
Nope.
Marie (no url) asked today: I was just asked this past Sunday to host a tea party for the ladies at our church. I came across your website via Google and very glad I did! I have no experience whatsoever with tea parties and your tips are very helpful. But what if I don’t have tea cups and saucers for 20 women? Would it be too tacky to have 20 different cups/saucer sets?
Marie, not only is it not tacky, I recommend it! Teacups are unique and add to the drama of the table when they are not all the same. The tea party with matching teacups is usually only found at the formal hotel tea or with professional caterers of large parties that buy their stock in lots. Sometimes for events such as yours the guests are asked to bring a favorite teacup and share its history as in, “This was the one item my grandmother saved from her house fire that Grandpa didn’t make her sell during the Depression”, etc.
It is best to have the cup match its saucer unless you’re a little girl inviting your stuffed animals to the event, however.
I’m so glad you found Tea Party Girl helpful! Be sure to come back and share how your event goes (went?).
July 8th, 2008
Luticia (no url), recently left a comment here at Tea Party Girl I thought might be helpful to others:
Hello! Love your site - just found it today! My question is: can you brew your tea in the pot or kettle the water was boiled in? Or are they supposed to be only for boiling the water? I’ve just wondered if a teapot was always necessary. Thank you!
No, Luticia, a teapot is not always necessary. I currently use my Bodum Glass Stovetop Kettle to boil the water and brew my tea. I use T - Sac # 4 (100 filters) to hold my looseleaf tea so there’s plenty of room for the tea leaves to expand. It can be a little tricky because when I take the lid off after the water’s boiling I have to watch out for the hot steam. But it is easier to skip the teapot brewing step, though I do transfer the tea to my carafe to keep it hot once I’ve brewed it.
The teapot addition to a daily tea ritual or tea party mainly serves an aesthetic purpose, like all tableware. Serving tea from a tea kettle just wouldn’t be the same as pouring from a favorite teapot. But remember, the most important part of serving tea is making a plan to keep it hot, either with a tea warmer , cozy, or carafe. No teapot is beautiful enough for serving lukewarm tea.
Does that help? Anyone want to add a different perspective?
July 2nd, 2008
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