Most commented posts
- Heart to heart connection — 8 comments
- April update, a Midorikai interlude — 6 comments
- Making a good bowl of koicha — 6 comments
- It is harder than it looks — 6 comments
- Seeing things as they are — 6 comments
Author's posts
Running down to the end of the year
As we approach the solstice it seems like I am running downhill as things accelerate. Holiday plans, travel plans, baking, cooking, wrapping gifts, decorating; it all seems to go faster with less time every year as I get older.
This year I am certainly getting the feeling of growing older and approaching the time …
Permanent link to this article: https://issoantea.com/running-down-to-the-end-of-the-year/
Storied objects
It is exciting to have new students develop a passion for tea. I have some new students who are so enthusiastic that they have been coming twice a week to keiko. One of them has a site, Storied Objects, that features artisan handcrafted ware with an aesthetic that appeals to many tea folk. She is …
Permanent link to this article: https://issoantea.com/storied-objects/
Preserving Japanese traditional culture
A couple of weekends ago, Mr. SweetPersimmon and I attended a festival not far from Portland, Oregon put on the the Kominka Collective. This non-profit organization’s mission is “to save old Japanese folk houses while preserving and passing on traditional carpentry methods.”
The word kominka refers to houses built at least …
Permanent link to this article: https://issoantea.com/preserving-japanese-traditional-culture/
Robiraki 2023
Yesterday, Issoan celebrated the opening of the winter hearth. The day was cold, rainy and windy. A great day for a cozy tea gathering. Guests arrived from across town, from Seattle area, and half a world away via zoom for two seki. It was especially exciting for three new students, who had never attended a …
Permanent link to this article: https://issoantea.com/robiraki-2023/
Shoshin, the beginner’s heart
After a long hiatus for Covid, I opened the tearoom last spring. I did not teach any beginner classes for 2 and a half years while the tearoom was closed. There were about 20 people on the waiting list and when I opened the new introduction to Chado class, it filled quickly. Then I …
Permanent link to this article: https://issoantea.com/shoshin-the-beginners-heart/