Dear friends,
There is a lot of snow this winter, and the snow seems to cover everything in, Kent, the small cute town where I currently live. I haven't lived in the country for a long time and I'm discovering new things in nature. The other day, during a snowstorm, I saw many turkeys in the trees they can't walk in all that snow so they stay in the trees. I was a little envious of the turkeys because they have the ability to fly away any time they want. I guess I'm tired of staying in all the time, so I am wondering how people lived in the old days during these harsh winters.
I started thinking of a special matcha tea bowl used for the Japanese tea ceremony during the cold season. It has a cylindrical shape with a greater depth than other bowls, which keeps the tea warmer than other bowls. It was created by our ancestors due to their wisdom and compassion when there were no heating systems. Every time, I use the winter bowl I have warm thoughts about how the tea ceremony made us think of what made our lives rich in true meaning. Today we have everything we need and there is no reflection on anything while drinking tea. Today may be a good time to think of such things while drinking our tea during this cold winter and soon winter will be over.
Edited by Janice Ensminger