A belated Tasha Tudor Day

Tea for two

Today was just the gentle melding of minutes into hours which I needed.  Except for one small errand this morning, the van has been parked and my hours were all my own to cook and clean and spoil Miss Victoria as she expects.  Blissful days are not those which have nothing to do but those in which I feel a little more in control of the doing.  :)

Today around noon-ish I set up tea on the deck.  Not a proper tea time with scones and dainty sandwiches but a pot of tea made from apple mint grown in our garden to be followed by a very healthy turkey and cheese sandwich on whole wheat (which does not appear in the picture).  We have come to love the apple mint tea so much, we don't mind if it takes over the herb garden (after transplanting other herbs, of course).

So... what is it about this little celebration that honors the memory of Tasha?  Well... of course there is tea time and what I have read about her love of the art of taking tea.  The flowers are just a tiny reminder of her gorgeous garden.  The Victoria magazine?  It was through Victoria that I came to learn so much about Tasha that I admired.

I have had some ask me why Tasha is one of my favorite inspirations when she in no way claims the Christan walk.  To be honest, she was a little daft in her talk about past lives and such (in which we would most likely smile and pat her on the shoulder... reminding ourselves creative people are a little odd).

But I didn't look to her for theological information or Bible study, what I admired was the way she chose to live her life.  She chose... simplicity instead of 20th century hurry... real rather than fake... handwork over mass marketed cheap imitations... gardens and country over pavement and busy streets... to stop and smell the flowers... tea time with real teapots and cups as opposed to the drive-thru at McDonald's... beauty over ashes.

I love things that are real instead of the man made Styrofoam version of life.  I am not in a position to make such an overwhelming lifestyle change but I can look at Sasha's life and choose to do those little things... the important things... to add real-ness to my life... to add Beauty and Grace and to acknowledge the "old ways" which are the "good ways"... while not giving up indoor plumbing.

Yes, some could (and do) say it was more weird than romantic the way she lived her life.  But as a person who has found myself swimming up the proverbial stream against society as a homeschooling mother... I don't think she was weird at all. 

She made a decision to live life surrounded by that which made her happy and by doing that... made those of us who love her work full of joy as we read and watch and ponder and delight in the beautiful artwork and gardens and home.

In past years I have used Tasha Tudor's birthday as a day to reflect on my own choices in life and to take time to do that which I love.  I can assure you that the time spent sitting on the deck sipping apple mint tea, eating lunch, reading Victoria and The Valley of Vision, and texting my daughter (who offered me scones and tarts vicariously)... in the rare 70 degree temperatures... with beautiful flowers and a favorite happy yellow teapot... it was pure Bliss.  (The patient went back inside to a softer seat.)

I enjoyed celebrating Tasha's birthday belatedly (I completely missed Julia Child's birthday this year due to busy-ness).  Do visit Clarice's lovely blog to see how others celebrated the day... here.