“Food, in the end, in our own tradition, is something holy. It’s not about nutrients and calories.  It’s about sharing.  It’s about honesty.  It’s about identity.”  Louise Fresco

Poetry Tea Time is a family tradition we have been enjoying in our home this year. Some of you know that I homeschool my girls and I use the Bravewriter Lifestyle as a blueprint or song book for not only my school, but our life (I will be creating an entire page/section dedicated to the Bravewriter Lifestyle).

While Bravewriter philosophy centers primarily around homeschool families, it is completely applicable to every family desiring more connection to one another.  And, ‘family’ being whomever we embrace into our intimate circle of life – it could be good friends, grandchildren, neighbors, etc.  While we  primarily began using it as a means to add some enchantment to our literature education (Poetry  Tea Time Tuesdays!), Poetry Teatime has started to take a life on of its own!  Like a tree, it is starting to take roots and spread into other aspects of our life too.

For Easter, each girl received their own 2 cup teapot with ‘tealight’ warmers.

We just had our first ‘family’ Poetry Tea Time this week.  My husband’s Aunt was visiting from New York and after spending the day at the art museum, we ended with a Poetry Tea Time at our home.  When I first suggested I would pass a poem around the table and everyone could take turns reading a stanza, I could sense some reluctance – this quickly passed and by the end, everyone was actually excitedly anticipating their turn to read.  I sat there witnessing three generations of woman sitting around the table, ages 6-70, sharing tea & treats, reading Robert Frost, Maya Angelou and others.  There is nothing sweeter than the sound of a 6 year old reading poetry!

Poetry Tea time is a  magical way for a parent, grandparent, or good friends to add a moment of intimacy and connection.  I enjoy using my mother’s ‘good china’ – real tea cups & saucers; sometimes I have the girl’s pick flowers from the yard; we use pretty table clothes.  I started simple and Poetry-Tea time is organically growing.  You can think outside traditional tea times and use hot chocolate, lemonade, do it outside, do it at night with only candles lit, enjoy baking treats with the children in anticipation of Tea-time, build a fort/tent and go inside and read, surprise them one morning before school…Nothing will grab the attention of little people as a dark house, candles lit with treats and poems…children love treats!

How you do it doesn’t really matter, it is why…the desire to be able to hit the life ‘pause’ button to be present, turn off the technology, look at each other face-to-face and at low cost – connect.  Go for it!  Today!  Go set a pretty table, put a blanket in your yard, pour some tea or lemonade, buy or make a little treat, download, check out from the library or dust off a poetry book from your shelf and let the magic happen…

Aunt Nancy & the Girls – creating memories & connections.

Here are a few tips:

1.  Plan ahead.  Pick a day for your Teatime and gather your supplies.
2.  Select a few poems to share.
3. Let the kids enjoy themselves, let them spill tea, put three spoons of sugar in their cups, let them talk in British accents…have fun.

For more ideas and images of Julie Bogarts Bravewriter Lifestyle – Poetry Teatime culture visit her beautiful,  recently (this week) launched Poetry Teatime Website http://www.poetryteatime.com.

I would LOVE to see images of your Teatimes!  Visit my Facebook Page ‘rockonliving’ and please share!!  🙂