Friday, April 15, 2016

#AtoZChallenge, M is for Morning Tea (and Other Small Pleasures)


It's Friday and here I still am: collaging, journaling, blogging my way through the alphabet, landing on M and thanking the heavens for my morning cup of tea. 


Ah, tea. Solves everything, in my opinion! It also makes a good subject for drawing and art journaling.
For today's journal page I drew (during my morning tea break!) my office tea cup, adding, amongst other things, the tag from one of my favorite tea bag flavors: Jasmine Green, and a scrap of origami paper.

For me, my morning tea is a much-needed daily ritual and respite. I don’t like to hurry any aspect of it. It's also loaded with memories: tea shops in England and New Zealand as a child;  visiting an organic tea plantation in Taiwan last year; my parents receiving annual shipments of Murfee’s tea from Canada when we lived in California. I remember when we went together to Vancouver to place that first order. The building was from another century, dark and paneled in Tudor black oak, with all the bins of tea arranged in orderly rows that made me feel I was on board an old clipper ship. I really can't drink tea without thinking about it at least once!

Tea, writing, drawing, and "M is for memories" just all seem to go together. Some journal questions you might like to ask are:

  • Did you ever play "tea party" as a child? You know, with a little tea-set and mud-pies?
  • What morning rituals do you now follow every day? (Even making your bed can take on quiet significance).
  • What's your favorite way to take a break from daily stress, e.g., daily blogging?
  • If you are a tea-drinker, what are your favorite brands and flavors? (Fortnum and Mason’s Royal Blend for me!) 
  • If you're not into tea, what makes a good morning for you?

Tip of the Day: Art journaling can be about the simplest things. Tomorrow morning, make yourself a cup of tea. Sit down with your journal. Watch the steam rise. Take a sip. Start writing.

3 comments:

Michelle Wallace said...

Did you ever play "tea party" as a child? You know, with a little tea-set and mud-pies? Yes, that's a vivid memory of my childhood experiences.

If you are a tea-drinker, what are your favorite brands and flavors? Rooibos tea, which is a medicinal, herbal beverage and is a local product. Health benefits of rooibos tea include its use as a cure for nagging headaches, insomnia, asthma, eczema, bone weakness, hypertension, allergies, and premature aging. The tea is absolutely free from caffeine content and is also low in tannins.
If you're not into tea, what makes a good morning for you? Even though I love my tea, I'm also addicted to coffee...especially in the morning.

I'm visiting via the A to Z Challenge.
Writer In Transit
Co-host Assistant on Team Joyful Brigade.

Suzanne said...

My fave tea is good old PG Tips, just an English breakfast tea :) I love journalling, I tried art but gave up! For me scrapbooking and handwritten journals are the way I go :)
Suzannes Tribe

stefani said...

I remember making mudpies and having tea parties. Growing up, my family didn't really drink tea. Well, except for iced tea/sun tea. I used to drink a lot more tea, but now I really don't drunk that much. Coffee seems to be quicker in the morning and doesn't seem to upset my stomach as tea seems to do now.

As for morning rituals. I'm not really a morning person so I guess the fact that I actually get out of bed would be my ritual. LOL

Stefani | Dreams of Nyssa