Teabag Evening

Thank goodness for used tea bags. And for Sandy Scott who is part of a group of dynamic women who get together every month for an “artist date.” They take turns planning what will go on when they get together—anything from a walk in the foothills to a session creating collages. The activity takes a back seat to the opportunity to get together, share a glass of wine and a simple meal and do something fun together.

I was out of town when an email reached me asking if I’d be willing to share my tea bag obsession with the group. “Sure,” I said. “I’m flattered that anyone is interested.”

That’s how I happened to drive over Bingham Hill Road and into the foothills to Sandy’s beautiful home on a spacious piece of land with a spectacular view of the surrounding territory and the hills to he west. The leaves were turning and the autumn sun was brilliant until it began to set over the hills.

A couple of the group had other obligations that night, so there were five of us who gathered. My first reaction was how tall they all were. At 5’ 2” I felt like a shrimp, but no matter. Height isn’t a requirement for membership in this group, though I do think they feel a certain kinship, these strong tall women.

All of them work, making their free time limited, but this group is important to them.  Each has artistic leanings which they express in different ways. And they are outdoors people who ski, kayak, ride bikes and horses and generally seem to be up for adventure.

After a homemade chili and salad supper, we stayed at the table and I brought out my stash of teabags, glitter, glue and gel pens and they set to work making notecards using the dried, emptied and ironed teabags I’d brought along as tiny canvasses. “We’re not after perfection here,” I told them. “I have this rule that I never toss one away. I prefer to figure out how to turn my mistake into something that works.”

It was such fun to see how each woman set about making a card. Some combined two teabags and then added a bright fall leaf. Others made use of the natural stain on the teabag to create a design.

And the talk went on.  We discovered connections we had, people we knew in common. Sandy shared that she is about to publish her first book. They talked about their careers, as a physical therapist, organizer of company retreats, consultant and in training and organizational development. Busy, talented people, appreciative of each other, open to trying whatever new thing comes their way.

It was a real treat for me to meet these women, get to know a bit about their lives and watch as they turned little bits of trash into little bits of beauty.