The past three weeks have been a blur of weather, babies, back to work, delays, cancellations, water issues, and both parents sick (Daddy has Bell's palsy and pneumonia; Mother has bronchitis). I don't know if I am coming or going. I even forget the names of the most simple things like "glass" or "plate." Or "Matty." In short, I am dead dog tired.
We had arranged to have friends to dinner on Friday, but I was just too tired to do it so we shifted to Saturday. It was a simple dinner that could cook unsupervised while I was taking care of Mary and checking babies -- corn pudding, roast w/ potatoes, onions, celery, spelt biscuits and, for dessert, chocolate chip cookies. When our friends arrived, I was still in barn clothes and getting the biscuits in the oven. I rushed around to get the biscuits in; we went to see the babies; and then, came in for dinner.
While we were eating, our seven-year-old Princess, Miss Corrie, said, "Let's have a tea party with our cookies, Matty!" She was so excited and it was such a simple thing...
"Yes," I replied. "Let's do!"
I pulled out a collector Lennox Winnie-the-Pooh tea pot, four collector mugs, and a silver plate on which I placed a paper doily. The children put the cookies very artistically on the plate while I brewed some Candy Cane Lane tea and scooped up honey for our sweetening. We came to the living room, lit some candles, and giggled and gossiped as we nibbled cookies and sipped our tea.
It was perfect.
Later, as I cleaned up our dinner and tea party, I reflected on our evening. It dawned on me that special moments are those we create in the spaces while we are creating big moments. There was nothing difficult in our tea party... a few cookies, some tea, some pretty dishes... dishes, btw, that I have never used, but decided last night that I was tired of 'saving'.
Joy comes from learning to make the ordinary less ordinary. It comes from finding the beautiful in the moment and not waiting for complicated plans to come together. It is a tea party with two darling children, Winnie-the-Pooh, chocolate chip cookies, and Candy Cane Lane tea.
I hope you get some rest! Yeah for Pooh,tea and honey!!
ReplyDeleteWell, I certainly wish I was there for a Pooh tea and some of your honey. :)
ReplyDeleteMy husband and I were in the car yesterday when we heard a statement (can't remember who said it) that life is made up of mostly Plan B's... how we live a life in God's Plan B... never thought of that. :)
I reminded him of a quote I had heard, "Life is what happens when you are planning to live".
Yes to getting out the good china teapots and using them! When my mother-in-law died in a car accident (Christopher was little), we had to throw away all kinds of gorgeous linens and other items she had kept for good, they fell apart in the wash... how much better it would have been to use the pretty things when she was younger.
"Joy comes from learning to make the ordinary less ordinary."
ReplyDeleteWhat a great perspective to carry with me into this "ordinary" week.
Hope you have some "ordinary" time, too, this week, Matty. It sounds like last week was anything but!!
I'd wager those little ones will have fond memories of their tea with you.
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