300 years of happy dreaming. So said Mary Kate Danaher in John Ford’s “The Quiet Man” the inspiration for “Tea with Mary Kate”.
Mary Kate is passionate, fiery, & spirited. She has freckles & a temper & although she lives in poor rural Ireland, her possessions are a treasure to her. Not for their material value but for their intrinsic beauty, for the joy of seeing them, for the home they create. The items are old, worn, some chipped but evoke memories.
When it looks like her dowry & fortune will be kept by her brother, her brand new husband, Sean Thornton, remarks “seems like a lot of fuss & grief over furniture and stuff”, she describes how they represent her, herself, & the generation before her – its not just stuff, its memories, it’s connections to the past, it’s the roots of her belonging. It matters where the furniture is placed, down to the candle stick on top of the piano. It is important that her own china & pewter is shining about her.
Mary Kate is radiantly beautiful but practical, she wants vegetables instead of roses.
Sean Thornton wants roses, as this is the memory his mother has painted while dreaming of Ireland from being newly emigrated. Despite these differences, & they are different, they have a connectedness that is fundamental – & love conquers all.
I adore this film. It’s absolutely romantic to its core, & gives pause to think of everyday, every moment, as important, something I think we’ve forgotten but can relearn. & tea is a signpost to get us there.
Tea with Mary Kate is currently an enthusiatic amateur’s passion to further explore the world of tea, though at its heart is a more fundamental desire to provide the inspiration to connect with each other in a meaningful way that most days we are simply too rushed to do. The ceremony of tea represents an opportunity to pause, to breathe, to admire the aesthetic that evokes a way of living that is gentle and respectful, nurturing the mind, body & spirit. My wish for this blog is to highlight the heart and inspiration for living – & tea!
