Can you appreciate for one minute how elated I was to see the sub-heading "Drinking Tea Meditation" as I read the week 2 meditation chapter of Real Happiness? Oh! How I long to drink a slow, mindful cup of tea. It's been so long...

Drinking tea is, in addition to being generally wonderful, filled with nostalgia for me, of a time when I was young and carefree and living in England. I love to drink milky, cold tea in the afternoon and remember my days of being "Ranky the Yankee" whenever I feel stressed or old or tired of being in the same location.

I will confess to sometimes strapping my child into a high chair in front of Blue's Clues so I can suck down a cup of tea and try to be still, warm, calm.

Today, I plan to use my meditation time to tackle two of the meditations suggested in the book. I'm going to slowly, mindfully, meditatively walk to the coffee shop a mile from our house and then sit in there with a cup of tea. 

I'm less excited about the walking meditation, perhaps because I'm ordinarily a VERY fast walker. I'll admit to feeling nervous to walk in exaggerated slowness in full view of my nosy neighbors. What will they think? How silly will I look? Perhaps this is all the more reason to attempt it!

This exercise will take more than my allotted twenty minutes of guaranteed private time. But, it's my husband's turn to spearhead bedtime and all's fair in love and meditation challenges!

I don't know why I never assumed something so enjoyable for me could be part of this exercise. Here's hoping for a good week!