“Find yourself a cup; the teapot is behind you. Now tell me hundreds of things” Saki

It does not happens very often, but from time to time both of my children go to their friends after school. This happened last Tuesday. Since I did not have anything important to do, I decided to relax a bit and brew a cup of green tea mix “Mona Lisa smile”. It is a beautiful mix of green tea, rose blossom and pieces of strawberries. It has beautiful colors, scent and tastes great. Very inspiring… as you can see. I could not stop to take pictures and then it was difficult to decide which I like the most. Below is a selection of my favorites along with some tea-quotes.

The first cup moistens my lips and throat.
The second shatters my loneliness.
The third causes the wrongs of life to fade gently from my recollection.
The fourth purifies my soul.
The fifth lifts me to the realms of the unwinking gods - Chinese Mystic, Tang Dynasty

Although my neighbors are all barbarians and you, you are a thousands miles away, there are always two cups on my table. – Tang Dynasty

The best kind of rain, of course, is a cozy rain. This is the kind the anonymous medieval poet makes me remember, the rain that falls on a day when you’d just as soon stay in bed a little longer, write letters or read a good book by the fire, take early tea with hot scones and jam and look out the streaked window with complacency. – Susan Allen Toth, England For All Seasons

Meanwhile, let us have a sip of tea. The afternoon glow is brightening the bamboos, the fountains are bubbling with delight, the soughing of the pines is heard in our kettle. Let us dream of evanescence, and linger in the beautiful foolishness of things. - Okakura Kakuzo

The soil.
The elevation.
The climate.
The sunshine.
The rain.
The tea.

Body.
Mind.
Equanimity.
Harmony.
Water.
Tea.
    The Minister of Leaves

Drink your tea slowly and reverently, as if it is the axis on which the world earth revolves — slowly, evenly, without rushing toward the future - Thich Nat Hahn