Whimsy & Tea | Handwoven Tea Towels

weaving beauty into your everyday

  • HOME
  • ABOUT MARILYN
    • Meet Marilyn
    • In the media
    • Environmental stewardship
  • HANDWOVEN GOODS
    • Kitchen towels
    • Table napkins
    • About colorgrown cotton
    • Laundering
    • A word about color
    • My guarantee
  • EVENTS
  • BLOG
    • Making cloth
    • Thoughts on beauty
    • Life’s lessons at the loom
    • More than a dog walk
    • Customer stories
    • Recent posts
  • CONTACT
  • ONLINE STORE

Pausing for afternoon tea

June 15, 2015 By Marilyn Webster 1 Comment

towel on a tray with tea & sconesI Feel the Earth kitchen towels

It’s 3:33 pm at my boarding school in the foothills of the Himalayas. The buzzer sounds, signaling the end of the school day and teatime. A time to exhale. A time to pause and regroup. A time to connect with friends and family.

So different from lunch with the pressure to get to afternoon classes on time and from dinner with study hall and homework looming.

In the school cafeteria we’re served hot chai in slightly greasy plastic glasses.

At home with my family, tea leaves steep in the teapot under an embroidered cozy and I add my own milk and sugar.

Now as an adult, I drink my tea black, making one cup at a time. I pour hot water into my favorite mug for the day and swirl the swoozle (aka a mesh infuser) filled with Golden Nepal tea leaves for a minute or two and I’m good to go.

Regardless of where I am or what I’m doing, I feel like I am sipping liquid relaxation.

How do you create pauses in your day? Leave a comment and let me know. I’d love to hear from you.

Warmly,
Marilyn

Photo credit: Kimberly Lindner

The colors in these I Feel the Earth kitchen towels were inspired by two paintings of gardens. I felt connected to the earth as I wove them. Please take a look and see what vision comes to mind for you.

Save

Save

Share this:

  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email

Read more stories about Quality of life, Self-care, Slowing down

Comments

  1. Carol says

    July 9, 2015 at 10:05 am

    Tea anytime is my pause. There’s no way I can rush through a cup of tea. I use leaves, so it takes time to steep to the strength I like. Then a little agave and milk in just the right amounts. Next is just holding my mug, feeling the warmth of it, inhaling the tea scent, and anticipating that first sip. It is my little ritual that gently brings me into the Present and I’m grateful for that every time.

    Reply

Join the conversation Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Get my ebook — The Power of Beauty in Everyday Life: Five Stories

The power of beauty in everyday life: Five stories

Please accept this gift that celebrates and explores the power of beauty in everyday life.

Get your free copy

Save

More writing: Shining a light on the ordinary that’s not so ordinary

circle of beech leaves and flowers on a mossy rock

Although the store is closed, the philosophical heartbeat of Whimsy & Tea – shining a light on the ordinary that’s not so ordinary – is now expressed more fully and a little bit differently in stories and notes at WalksWithAsha.com.

Read and listen

Save

Popular blog posts

  • In praise of slow weaving
  • But it’s too beautiful to use!
  • The sound before the sound
  • Enough
  • Weaving the Gulf Shores towels
  • Replenishing a tired spirit
  • Honoring the ordinary

Copyright © 2025 Marilyn Webster | Whimsy & Tea | Contact | All Rights Reserved | Privacy Policy

  • HOME
  • ABOUT MARILYN
    ▼
    • Meet Marilyn
    • In the media
    • Environmental stewardship
  • HANDWOVEN GOODS
    ▼
    • Kitchen towels
    • Table napkins
    • About colorgrown cotton
    • Laundering
    • A word about color
    • My guarantee
  • EVENTS
  • BLOG
    ▼
    • Making cloth
    • Thoughts on beauty
    • Life’s lessons at the loom
    • More than a dog walk
    • Customer stories
    • Recent posts
  • CONTACT
  • ONLINE STORE