The flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come,
and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land;
Song of Solomon 2:12
Throwing wide the kitchen door, a burst of cold, fresh air swept across our faces. The vibrant songs of so many different birds sang out in our muddy yard as the pink-tinted sun peeked over the horizon.
“Ahhhh, spring,” my six year old said, breathing in the fresh air and throwing her arms up in the air. “Are we going to have our party?”
{Another thrift store find for this tea pot! Isn’t it perfect for spring? I loved the violets! I even had a matching violet tea cup to use with it…small blessings are delightful!}
Yes, I assured her, as we hustled about to finish up the breakfast dishes. Spring indeed had arrived and yes, we would have a tea party to celebrate.
We are so glad to see the change of season, even if we love and adore winter. All seasons are welcome here in the Gauthier family. We will be sad to put away the sleds and ice skates, but will be so excited to spend our days (soon) in the glorious warm spring sunshine, planting seeds and trying to get the school work done before summer officially arrives.
Yes, the second day of spring, while cloudy and quite damp, show promise of the new season…
Little birds, nesting in the branches of the trees, flew down and perched on the fence post … small twigs were spotted in their beaks, no doubt on their way to fluff up or construct their nests for their soon-laid-eggs.
The second day of spring found us gathering like little busy birds in our kitchen, as well. We opted for a Welcome, Spring spontaneous tea party without much planning. While the bigger girls baked vanilla cupcakes and made up recipes for a pink-tinted frosting, the little sweeties set the table and helped hand out the napkins. We topped the cupcakes with some pretty pink birds and some Beatrix Potter figures (our favorites). This day also happened to be the famous loved Johann Sebastian Bach’s birthday and so we celebrated by reviewing some information on him (he was the happy father of 20 children! A strong Christian and an amazing musician!) and listen to his music during tea time. This impromptu tea time also brought an opportunity to bring in our poetry – as we went around the table reading a poem from a chosen poetry book.
Finding reasons to stop and “take tea” has become a very special part of my motherhood. The excuse to stop, boil water and prepare a tea table can be used for any reason … an over scheduled day that needs some breathing space … fussy toddlers that need a little attention and order … some out-loud reading time to catch up on our current family book … and just time to sit and be still … have you tried it with your children, yet?
“This is a hectic world.
We multi-task every part of our lives from talking on the phone while unloading the dishwasher to even making dentist appointments on the cell phone while driving our kids to basketball practice.
Often there isn’t any time to even just think.
When we stop and pause, we rejuvenate ourselves.
Taking time out for tea does exactly that.
It relaxes your mind, replenishes your spirit and nurtures your soul.
In addition there is new research about the health benefits and advantages of taking tea. The work in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition dispels the common belief that tea dehydrates. Tea not only rehydrates as well as water does, but it can also protect against heart disease and some cancers, UK nutritionists found. Experts believe flavonoids are the key ingredient in tea that promote health.”
-source
This new season is here to warm our bodies, chilled from winter, rejuvenate our souls and bring new life. Welcome, Spring!
P.S. A clip of one of our favorite spring-themed songs …
by Gigi
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