~~Tea Talk~~

A woman is like a tea bag,
you cannot tell how strong she is
until you put her in hot water.
Nancy Reagan

I'm having...Irish Breakfast tea. Refreshing on the morning that is again cloudy. Still have rain in the forecast.

My teacup is...my Irish mug. Thought that was appropriate.

I'm feeling...excited. Yes indeed, for next week at this time I will be on my way to MT. I will visit with Mom and attend Megan's high school graduation. Family!!!! Isn't it grand?

On my mind...The reunion cookbook is finished!!!! And all that is left to do is to take it to Staples for printing.!!! Praise God!!!

Because I will be traveling beginning next week, I will not be able to post Tea Talk for a couple of weeks. I thought I would leave you with this essay from a wonderful little book called Tea Time With God, published by Honor Books, Tulsa, Oklahoma.

A Little Ceremony, Please

And ye shall find rest unto your soul.
Matthew 11:29

Afternoon tea at London's Ritz Hotel is descried as the last delicious morsel of Edwardian London. Helen Simpson offers this description in the London Ritz Book of Afternoon Tea:

"In the elegantly columned Palm Court, the light is kind, the cakes are frivolous and the temps is calm, confident, and leisurely. Takers of tea perch on rose-colored Louis XVI chairs at marble tables, sipping their teaming cups of tea...There are no clocks, and although it is just possible to glimpse the flash of Piccadilly's taxis and buses if you look hard in the direction of the doors, a strange sense of taking a holiday from time heightens the pleasure of taking tea here. People look more beautiful than they do in real life due to the flattening lighting. Here is one of the few places outside church...where a woman may wear a hat and feel entirely at ease...Those approaching the Palm Court clad in such garments as jeans, shorts or sneakers will be reluctantly turned away--and no one is admitted without a reservation. The dark tea leaves are steeping in boiling water when brought to the table with a selection of tiny finger sandwiches, scones and cakes."

Why all that fuss over a cup of tea and a snack? Because the "ceremony" of drinking afternoon tea provides more refreshment than the food and drink alone can deliver. It requires the participants to cease all other activities for a short period of time, take in a little sustenance, and give attention to others who are sharing the repast. It is an opportunity for one to put down whatever knotty problems have been occupying the day thus far and take up lighter issues for a few minutes. The body gets refreshment and rest (no one stands for tea) and the mind gets a little vacation.

Tea time also provides a natural opportunity for the spirit to be refreshed. Taking tea alone gives one the chance to reflect on the ups and downs of the day in quiet prayer, receiving fuel to move confidently through the rest of the day.

If you are "taking tea" with a friend or friends, why not share one thing that God has done to each of you. Praise at tea time gives a new meaning to the phrase "high tea!"

So I encourage you to offer a bit of praise to God by sharing that wonderful thing he has done for you this day. For me the gift comes in the form of a completed project with less stress then anticipated. Until my return to Tea Talk, may you all be abundantly blessed.

~~^j^~~
Thanks be to God!!!

Now won't you join me and visit Ruth at Celebrate Friendship is hosting Tea Talk at her house? Share a cup of tea with us.