Morning tea and sewing plans.

I have been reading a great deal lately, thanks in part to a kidney stone that left me in bed and on a large amount of pain killers, and in part to the blistering Arizona summer. My reading has consisted of three books this week:

The Beekeeper's Apprentice
The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency
Tears of the Giraffe (sequel to the above book)

The books are based in England, and Botswana, respectively, and while the landscapes vary greatly, there is one very common theme in these books... tea. Specifically, morning tea. I am a bit of a romantic, and a bit of a nerd, so I decided that morning tea sounded like something so lovely and peaceful, that I had to adopt it as my own ritual. I must admit, my two favorite little knickknacks also reaffirmed this idea, as they are a beautiful teacup that my little sister gifted to me, and a glass sugar bowl in the shape of an orange with a bird perched atop that was a present from my husband. I use these items, but not nearly as often as I would like. So, I have begun the new ritual of morning tea. I have chosen organic green tea as my drink of choice, and it's delicate flavor is a perfect way to start the day. I sit, sometimes quietly, sometimes in the midst of noisy children, and I drink my tea slowly and let it warm and awaken me from the inside out. I would be lying if I said I didn't think of Mary Russel, the heroine from Beekeeper, sipping tea in the Sussex countryside, or of Mma Romatswe sitting in Botswana, sipping African bush tea and listening to Gaborone awaken. I do. But I also think of my day, of days to come, and days past, and just enjoy the moments around me. It is a nice ritual, and I think it will stay.

During one of my morning teas, I realized that I haven't sewn in quite some time, and I cannot justify adding to my current stash until I have whittled it down some. This poses a problem for me, as Sarah Jane's Children at Play collection is on my list of must have fabrics, so I decided I need to sew. I dug through my patterns and settled on the Oliver+S Ice Cream Dress Pattern. I have had this pattern since last year and have been too busy to take it on. I had the perfect amount of coordinating Alexander Henry Farmdale Crossing fabric. So, yesterday I sat down to cut out the pattern, but only got halfway through before the kidney stone pain brought me screeching to a halt. Hopefully I can make some progress on the dress over the course of the next two weeks. I cannot wait to see it on my little princess!