Saturday, January 26, 2008

Two if by Tea


As January draws to a close, I thought I would post several more items in honor of National Hot Tea Month. A cup of tea offers much by way of relaxation, good health, and reprieve. So, lets talk tea for a little bit.

A favorite writer of mine is Ce'leste perrino Walker who writes from Rutland, Vermont. I think I enjoy her writing because it her topics deal with real life things. In the Sept/Oct 2001 issue of Vibrant Life magazine she wrote an article that I've saved called One if by Land; Two if by Tea. In it she shares how a friend introduced her (and her French blood) to the gentle art of the English afternoon tea. She learned that tea is much more than a beverage in a cup, but rather something emotionally fulfilling, and a refreshing pause to the day.

To quote her: "Teatime fills a need for peace in our stressed-out society. Not only that, but the manner in which you 'take tea' lifts the spirits and fills the senses with beauty. Everything about tea time contributes in some small way to this: beautiful tea linens, gorgeous china, luscious tea, delicious tea biscuits or cookies (or other even more scrumptious treats). Teatime 'for the soul' can be compared to dropping everything to spend a few stolen moments in a beautiful garden."

She goes on to say: "I've decided to give 'teatime' a try. I'm not sure how it works. Maybe it's the special feeling you get from using the pretty teapot and china on yourself for a change. Maybe it's the ritual of preparig the tea, boiling the water, smelling the aroma of the tea as you measure it out, the rhythm of the procedure that won't be hurried. But teatime really is all they say it is."

Her advice to her readers is to take a little time for yourself this week and discover teatime, the pause that refreshes. Then thank the English. They were right all along. C'est la vie.

*The photo shown with the article reminds me of the children's teas that my mother used to conduct. She taught kindergarten for thirty years. Sometimes her school would have a benefit auction, and mother would donate a children's tea party. They were always popular and mothers and daughters would enjoy a lovely afternoon tea with all the trimmings at mom's house if they were the winners of the auction bid. Her beautiful children's china tea set was put to good use!



8 comments:

  1. The title of this tea article is very clever. I am a tea lover, as well as a lover of wordplay. And, I fully agree that teatime is a a glorious comma in the sentence of a day!

    KJ

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  2. I'm glad we English have contributed something for you to enjoy. It amazes me how many bloggers from the US seem to love tea. When I travelled around the US extensively in 80's/90's it was difficult to find anyone who liked tea. In restaurants I would be given a jug of warm water and a tea bag.

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  3. What a wonderful tradition....somehow I've missed out on it for the most part. Certainly growing up we never had any tea parties, but I've read so much about "tea" in all those English novels all my life! There do seem to be quite a few tea rooms these days even here in the USA, though I've found them a bit expensive. But fun for special occasions. But, like Barbara above, most restaurants, if you ask for hot tea, give you a pot of water and a tea bag still!

    By the way, thank you for your comments on my recent blogs about walking around town! That's so encouraging, and it has been so much fun too. I appreciate your words.

    To answer your question, I do not have any pictures from inside the Queen Mary, but maybe one of these days I'll go do that...at the moment they are hosting a Star Trek event. Not my "cup of tea!"

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  4. I love this post. Ilove tea...Mary

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  5. Yumm...makes us want a warm cup of tea right now (and your mother's tea parties sound absolutely adorable!!!)

    Blessings,
    kari & kijsa

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  6. This was good...
    as always..
    Deby

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  7. Yes. I most certainly agree here. I love tea for all those reasons and more. There is something peaceful about drinking a cup of tea.

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  8. Anonymous8:54 PM

    Oh, I love tea parties! :-)

    Thanks for the inspiration!

    xo

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