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Tea With A Zen Bully Dog

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Who do you like to have tea with? Your friends, your child, your parent or maybe just yourself? Or better, your pet?  Tea is about relaxing and reveling about life. A time to drift and dream, converse and create. Tea is a ritual that we create that suits our live and gives us joy and health.  Tea is many things; a medicinal tool, a treat, a door to spirituality and creativity. Drinking tea starts with heat and water.  Two basics intrinsic to human survival and sustainability.  Next comes the gear we choose,  teapot, teacup or mug. Then the tea itself and then the chosen setting.  Last and most importantly, the choice to have company or not. I find the company that we keep while taking tea is fascinating.  

Sometimes there’s no one around.  This happens a lot for me since I work and have a pretty busy schedule. So, when I sit for tea, it’s usually with myself.  Recently, while exploring ideas for tea sets, I came across a new idea for sharing tea that has originated in China.   I had happened on some lovely clay teas sets from China and noticed cute little clay figures placed strategically on tea trays next to the teapots and cups and mixing utensils. The figures were of dragons, frogs, buddhas and different animals.  Most of them were smiling and had round  smooth surfaces giving them soft appearance.  I decided to research these cute little guys and was even more enchanted after reading about them.   These cute little figures are an integral part of the art of taking tea-known as Cha in China.  Their lucky owners embue their clay companions with spiritual meaning and find them good company for taking tea.    They are quite the rage among tea drinkers and there are shops that have showrooms stuffed with teapets in a range of sizes, materials and colors. The teapet is supposed to bring luck to it’s owner. 

Photo by Sharon McCutcheon on Unsplash

I love dogs and I found this really cute tea pet that looks like a sweet, chubby pug. I call him a Zen Bully Dog Teapet, because he looks incredibly relaxed, without a care and appears to be  watching in quiet earnest the goings on in his surroundings. To raise your teapet you pour hot tea over your pet and give it a good drink. This conditions the teapet and your pet will  develop characteristics that are unique to your method of raising your tea pet and the tea he absorbs over several sessions of tea with you. 

Tea pets originated in Yixing, known for it’s beautiful clay.  This clay is utilized to make many beautiful objects and in particular gear for tea. Teapots, cups, platters and all kinds of ceramic objects. The clay can be purple, red or green and is usually not fired during production, creating a porous surface.   The finest tea pets are brought to life in Yixing.  There’s not a lot written about tea pets, no true history passed down through the ages that is accessible here in the United States. You will find shops in China Town stuffed with them, but very little information. Dragons represent fertility, buddhas-compassion, kindness and spiritual enlightenment, and a cat represents good luck. 
 
Photo by Tereza Ruba on Unsplash
 

My tea pet is a Zen Bully Dog because once I fell in love with a little pug and this Zen Bully Dog looks so much like a pug.  The bully dog is a clever and spiritual companion that forms a close spiritual relationship with it’s master or mistress The Bully Dog always stays near and offers companionship and understanding. When joy is in the air, bully dogs whirl and play.  When sadness falls from the sky, the bully dog will snuggle close and offer his soft body for stroking and releasing emotional pain.  The bully dog is truly Zen because he is always in the moment and completely in love with life and world.  He’s at peace with the now and offers compassion and kindness to all. It’s a known fact that owners bond with their tea pets.  Spending significant alone time  and sharing tea consistently will create a lasting friendship with the little clay canine that represents love, companionship and undying friendship.  

I sat down to tea.  My beautiful carved, wooden tea tray lay before me with all the essentials. On the tray lay a clay teapot, a steaming carafe of spring water filled with minerals from a spring in the mountains near my home.  There were two teacups, a tea filter, a jar of tea,  scooping utensils and a mixing tool. There was my tea pet. The sleeping bully dog reposed with a smile upon his clay lips.  He rested peacefully. I wondered when he had his tea, would he leap up and play? Of course, he slept peacefully-a symbol of rest and contentment. 

Photo by Oriento on Unsplash

To bring home your own Zen Bully Dog Pet, visit: victoriagoodsandtradingcompany.com

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Paint And Flow

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So I painted pots today and they turned out so cute.   I’m passing on this fun garden decorating project, because it’s inexpensive, relaxing and will add a fun vibe to your out door space.  It’s a great time to add some bright colors to your backyard to celebrate the New Year.  

I’m on a serious budget right, preparing for the New Year and embracing minimalism. I know that it’s super important to get outside, commune with nature and to maintain a healthy balance while working hard. I know this sounds really simple, but that’s the whole point.  Taking it easy, accepting it for what it is and enjoying the moment.  This isn’t about elaboration, complexity, talent or purpose-it’s for flow, acceptance and basically letting go.   This is for those who are up for fun, baggage free.  Get ready to relax your mind.   

To do this little project I needed pots, paint, shellac and brushes.  The pots would cost the most, so I had to get creative and source them cheaply. My mom had the paints and shellac and was in the process of painting bird houses. She invited me to join her, so everything just seemed to fall into place and I accepted her invitation.  

I wanted to do several small pots in rainbow colors. To source the pots,   I headed to a couple of my favorite thrift stores. This turned out to be a great idea.   There was a great variety of cute, small pots to choose from. There were pots in varying designs and sizes with different coatings and containing different objects.  For instance I bought a couple with old fake flowers stuck into styrofoam that were glued to the inside of the pot.  They were fairly sad looking and bent out of shape, but I planned to remove the flowers and upcycle them.

I picked out five and proceeded to the check out counter.  I asked the girl if she was open to bargaining. She was hesitant to admit she would, but she rung it up at the price I asked for, while saying she couldn’t do it.   That’s why I always say, It never hurts to ask!

I felt really lucky after that and went home to clean up the pots.  I scraped away the foam, curated the salvageable flowers for gift wrapping and collected the broken pieces that were big enough for painting.  I planned to paint them and then break them further to add to the stones in a handmade Bee Plate in the back yard. It was full of river stones and the colorful pieces would attract more bees.

So, I cleaned it and then the painting was a breeze.  It was fun to experiment with different patterns and colors.  As my mom and I painted she recounted stories of our past.  She had an amazing recall of our family history, funny stories and our vacation travels.   I relaxed painted and listened.   Once the painting and coating were completed, I attached them to the shed to add colorful inspiration and compliment the flowers that would bloom in the spring.   I walked across the yard and seated myself in a chair that was resting on cold grass wet with drops of moisture from the rain the night before.   The day had been cold and sunny with a brilliant blue sky, but not warm enough to evaporate the wetness from the night before.   I gazed across the garden at the shed which was backed by a huge oak with foliage that was thick, glorious and a dark earthy green.   The colors of the small pots created brilliant pops of light and fun punctuating the coldness of the wintry December day.  

Photo by Nick Fewings on Unsplash

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Pomona, Goddess of the IE

Photo by Kit Junglist on Unsplash

As you travel from Los Angeles via the interstate 60 towards the Inland Empire, the first Inland Empire city you reach is Pomona. Pomona, named for the goddess of fruit and trees. A land that was once filled with vast ranchos, orchards, farms, wineries and dairies. In the center of this hub of agricultural activity the city was built. A functional and sturdy downtown that today is the location of Western University, a fairly new university devoted to the sciences. Pomona was also the birthplace of Pomona College which eventually transformed into the Claremont Colleges.

To travel to Pomona, is to travel to the farming past of Southern California. The city became famous due to it’s citrus heritage and the wealthiest man in Los Angeles county during the 1890’s; a Jewish rancher named Louis Phillips. Louis Phillips made his fortune in ranching that produced wool, honey and wheat. He was a leader and an accomplished businessman that devoted his life to developing the region and prosperity. His home was built in 1875 along the Butterfield Stage route and is still standing today. It became a Registered National Historic Place in 1974.

Louis Phillips’ time was an era when families went into town only when needed to conduct business, attend church or other important social functions. A typical day in Southern California was hot, quiet and purposeful. Seemingly slow, but most likely just as industrious. The old downtown at face value is functional; yet jewels of architecture are imbedded within it’s practical face. Driving through, it’s evident that several of the buildings are large-very large and there is parking. Vast empty lots of free parking. It’s a city with a spacious floor plan. Large buildings on wide streets that are straight and easy to navigate. A fairly small downtown that accommodates a swelling population during business hours. It’s a thrifting paradise teeming with funky antique stores, thrift stores, art galleries and a concert venue. There are several cool, fairly priced restaurants and cafes to provide a respite from the heat.

Photo by Chantel Lucas on Unsplash

And then there are the churches. The soul of Pomona is it’s churches, and there are over one hundred. The architecture of Pomona’s churches serves well as a guide to turn of the century, ecclesiastic architecture. The churches are old and varied and make for a fascinating afternoon of surveying religious architecture. Western University is also here. The university is fairly new and just a mere 40 years old, but quickly gaining prestige as many brilliant young minds gather here to become the best practitioners of the sciences. Osteopaths, optometrists, nurses and many other vocations.

It’s not only historic architecture that Pomona is know for, but also is home to Diamond Ranch High School designed by Thom Mayne, co-creator of the Southern California Institute of Architecture, or SCI-Arc. The school has been utilized in several television and films productions due it’s amazing and mind bending design. It’s worth the drive to take in the breathtaking modern design that is inspirational and will open your mind to the coming new age.

A day trip to Pomona makes for a relaxed and funky afternoon. It’s a step into the past and a gateway to the future. Pomona is a perfect example of where cities are headed in Southern California. Celebrating a proud heritage, preserving beauty from the past and creating a new culture that incorporates history in a new and though provoking way.

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The Fabric Of Our Lives

Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash

I love clothes and how people choose to express themselves through adornment. One of my favorite past times is to look through the glossy pages of a fashion magazine and dive into Pinterest blogs on fashion. One day, feeling completely inspired and like I wanted to immerse myself in that world, I headed out to the fabric district in Los Angeles. The fabric district is really part of the Fashion District, but it’s a whole world on to itself, so I really think of it as it’s own district-no matter what the city of Los Angeles says.

I drove into Los Angeles and splurged on great parking. The parking was on a rooftop and just across the street from one of the oldest and most prestigious fabric shops, Michael Levine. It was great being in the middle of the whole scene and convenient too. Pedestrians, cars, vans, motorbikes and city buses moved quickly to avoid colliding. There were several blocks where every corner and the spaces in between contained a multitude of fabric stores. There were fabrics of every color and type imaginable. The prices were amazing and the shopowners were out to bargain. It was not a place to be shy. The fabrics were works of art. Every weave imaginable was represented. There were beautiful and glorious pieces with beading and flowers that shimmered in the light.

It was a world filled with color. A Kaliedescope of various hues. The possibilities were infinite. It made me think of how our world is lit by the sun. Each morning, light greets the world and illuminates our space and creates a stage. The colors of the rainbow that are reflected in beams of light influence human mood and energy.

Photo by malcolm lightbody on Unsplash

Through science we’ve learned to understand the meaning of light and color and apply what we’ve learned in traditional scientific medicine as well as holistic and ancient medicines. Therapy utilizing light and color can be implemented on a very basic level and artists have known this for ages. Famous artists have expounded on the life giving benefits of light and color for centuries. Physicians as far back as the Renaisance implemented light therapy. The oldest spiritual guides and texts direct the human flock to follow the light, that God is light. The path to Nirvana is filled with light and color which serve as milestones for various levels of enlightenment.

I headed into Michael Levine’s, which had been there since the 1940’s. Groups of people milled about discussing projects and making plans. The employees were skilled and answered my questions quickly and with in-depth knowledge of the product. They seemed to have a good eye for serious buyers and creatives that frequented the district to make their livelihoods. There was an air of seriousness and intent hovering over the scene. Creativity danced about the space, seeming to be shooting everywhere, from so many people that had come to this industrial, but beautiful space to realize their dreams.

Photo by Brunel Johnson on Unsplash

There were designers comparing fabrics and discussing building a line of fashion for the next season, people picking out small accoutrements to add to their creations such a flowers buttons and beads and moms with their daughters picking out fabric for possibly a prom dress. It was completely open and comfortable with a sense of purpose. I soaked it in and stored it away for future inspiration.

Next, I headed across the street and up a flight of stairs into a worn warehouse smudged with grease, dirt, graffiti and possibly anything that had been flung at it by humans and machinery. About three flights up was the remnant store for Michael Levine. It was a great spot filled with fabric ends. You could fill a bag for just one dollar. It was quieter here with fewer customers. I toured the space, sizing up what was offered and realized what a great opportunity it was to be creative on a smaller budget. I filled up a bag and then was on my way.

Before I headed back to my car, I stopped in a few of the smaller shops that were jam packed with gorgeous fabrics from around the world. I spoke with one of the sales guys, who was super friendly and ready to make a deal. After scoping out the district and experiencing the excitement of the area, I felt that I had got what I came for and even more. I headed back to my car feeling that it had been an amazing day well worth the drive that took about an hour on a Saturday morning from the Inland Empire.

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T-painting

The onsies clung to small white handled  bags and dangled from various locations throughout my home. They were on lantern hooks, the front door wreath and the bookcases in my small library.  A blue laundry line traversed the expanse of my kitchen and onesies dangled from blue clothes pins painted in fluorescent and bright colors of every hue. They waved like flags saluting the joy of parenthood and inviting spectators to the event of a new life soon to enter the world.  Messages and love notes from family and friends.  We created wishes with our own hands  for a joyful and happy babyhood.

 

 

We ended up with 50 painted onesies. They were painted by women aged from 4 years old to 79 years old. Each creation was unique. Some hilarious with clever sayings to entertain my daughter and her husband in the darkness of night and some with sweet messages conveying love and caring. Sayings  that would cut through the fatigue of new parenthood, while the new parents were immersed in an endless cycle of feedings and diaper changes for the next two years. Maybe more if they continued to expand their brood.

 

It was a big baby shower.  I wanted to gather everyone there that had been there for us over the years. And new friends too.  Some of them were my daughter’s new friends through marriage or her teaching position.  So here we were; laughing, painting, creating and hosting a party.   The women gathered in and there definitely wasn’t enough room for us all. White rental chairs lined each wall and some of my friends had to sit in the hall.  I tried to make it around to everyone for at least a small chat and was fairly successful. We reminisced and shared our favorite stories.

We had mini 7 layer bean dips with huge corn tortilla chips.  Frozen grapes dipped in vanilla meltaways and rolled in slivered almonds. There was a croissant bar with chocolate humus and honied butter along with cold-cuts and cheese. Baby blue punch in glass decanters with spigots tied with sparkling blue ribbons.  I had kept my head in Pinterest for months looking up recipes and baby shower concepts. They ate and told me they loved the food- they never knew I could cook like that. I had been planning, practicing and plotting for months. The preparation had been an event in itself and  one of my favorite parts of the party.

 

 

 

Games were played, gifts opened.  The time flew and before I knew it, we were picking up chairs and taking down decorations. Sweeping up glitter and pulling brightly colored tissue paper out from underneath the couches where we had stuffed the paper to make room .  The onesies floated back and forth in the cool December breeze.  California sunshine poured down through a cloudless and brilliant blue sky drying the new baby couture.  Smiling faces and kind words floated around me.  After the guests were gone, we had tea. As we sipped, we reviewed the day, the highlights, the catastrophes, the sighting of new and old friends, the joy and the fun.

 

Baby Shower Onesies Activity:

Needed: Dreft(to wash the Onesies, Onesies(any brand, lots of sizes), small paper bags(to be used as hangers), twine, clothespins, paint, brushes, disposable wipes or old clothes to clean up messy hands and floors, aprons(optional), disposable vinyl gloves(optional).

1.) Wash the onesies prior to painting in a baby friendly detergent so the material will shrink a bit and assume a natural shape.  This ensures that when the new Mom washes them, the entertainment will go on, because the painted sayings won’t shrink or get distorted.

2.) Utilize fabric paint.  Fabric paint is the only paint that will be sufficient if you want your works of art to last and the color to hold.  The paint is non-toxic to baby and is easy to work with for novice artists.

3.) Buy bright and fun colors.  No explanation needed for this one.

4.) Buy a multitude of inexpensive disposable brushes made of various materials; such as sponge to create unique prints.

5.) Twine and clothespins. Tie the twine and secure between two nails. Do this  in an area  where you can easily wipe up spills and you don’t mind if it gets sprinkled with paint.

6.) Hang a line with samples over the activity area, so guests can get inspired.

6.) Laugh, make jokes, get creative and have fun!

 

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Falling Into Fall Love

Photo by Roman Kraft on Unsplash

Fall is a time to love. It’s coming quick. We are in the last summer days of August. We had some heat and we had some unusually cool days too. What we did not have was rain. But here comes fall anyway. Falling leaves, new colors in the naturescape, brisk air and excitement of the holidays on the way. The stores become bright and fun with an array of merchandise that’s beautiful and jolly.

Fall is a time to get warm and love finding ways to do it. Building a fire, finding the perfect cozy blanket and drinking warm, comforting drinks. Fall is for cooking-serious cooking. Baking and stewing and creating delicious new foods that are hearty and full of spices. Foods that are sweet and warming that bring joy to the belly and the brain. Foods that when you take a bite, you become alive with warmth and joyous memories. It’s almost ridiculous what food like this can do to you.

It’s a time to be with friends and love ones if you have them and love life with the very core of your being. The season is about celebration and everyday is perfect for a new reason to do something fun or meaningful with anyone you can get to come along. It’s a time of year that’s inspiring and awesome.




Every year of my life has been punctuated by the brilliance of fall and all the wonderful events that take place this time of year. Even as a small child, memories were created that were embellished with sparkles and glowing lights that emphasized the joy and warmth of the season. It started with the excitement of going back to school. The anticipation of meeting a new teacher and seeing if everyone was still in your class. Halloween rose over September like a big hot air balloon filled with spooky treats and stories and the fun of creating a new costume, different than last year and of course, always better. The anticipation of hiking city sidewalks in the dark with crowds of parents and kids dressed up and asking for candy. Going from door to door and your neighbor excited to see you and wanting to know who you were.

Halloween evening passes at a brisk pace. First the preparation and then the rush home from work before it gets dark to get the kids ready. Then we are out the door and into the first really cold night of the season. We walk, we smile and call greetings to new and old friends. Up and down pathways we go and then our legs are tired and it’s time to head home. After counting the candy, we pass out and fall into a deep sleep.

The next morning we wake up to a new holiday rising. The promise of good food and family love and friendship. Thoughts of huge, juicy turkeys with steamy apple and nut dressing oozing into the baking pan. Golden apple pies shimmering with a dusting of sugar and cinnamon. The promise of Christmas, further away, but a shining light that will guide us into winter.

The leaves are golden and glorious and falling; leaving branches bare in preparation for winter. Animals scurry to collect the last portion of their reserves for the coldest days of the year. They prepare their nests for nestling and staying warm during a long winter’s sleep.

Fall is here. For one more time, one more year, we prepare, we enjoy and fall in love with life all over again.