A cup of Tea

Several years ago I was visiting my sister in Ohio.  She lived in a very nice retirement facility.  We had our meals in a huge dining room.  Waiters came around with carts loaded with  items for each course. While there I began to enjoy Lemon Lift tea, from a little white tea pot.  I had it for every meal for a week.  When I left to go home, the manager gave me one of the little tea pots.  It is used here, by me, a lot.

My neighbor will call me occasionally and ask if she can come over for a cup of tea.  It is not a regular event but we do get to have a face to face on those occasions.  There is something about a cup of tea which is soothing as a balm on frayed nerves.  It must be sipped slowly to enjoy, thus slowing the pace of the day.  You just cannot rush around when having a cup of tea.

I think the British have a charming custom of tea time in the afternoon.  If I lived in that climate I would fall into that custom easily.  I am not sure what crumpets are but it just sounds like it should be served with tea.  Actually, from Websters description crumpets sound rather bland, "a small, unsweetened batter cake baked on a griddle; usually toasted before serving".  I believe they usually serve jam with them.

In a book called "Three Cups of Tea", the author tells about the people of Afghanistan serving a tea which is quite different from the tea we drink.  It is heavy with fats and if you are not accustomed to having that in your diet, it might upset your system.  This happened to a friend when he was in Tibet.  However, it is the custom there, that after you have tea three times with someone, you are considered friends.  I can see how that would be true.

Years ago when we lived in Baltimore, we had new neighbors, just come from Ireland.  I did not know them very well but they had a baby and we kept the baby while they went to midnight mass at Christmas.  She had a teapot and kept a tea cozy over it.  It had been knitted with woolen yarn.  That sounds about right for the climate in Ireland.

My mother was known for her frugality.  One example was the way she used a tea bag over for a second cup of tea. She may have  enjoyed it more had she used a small tea pot for that second cup.  Since I lived a long distance from her most of my adult life I do not recall if she had a tea pot.  I have several and even one I made myself in a pottery class.  Being able to pour from the spout without getting a drip on the end, is my description  of a good tea pot.

One of my favorite tea pots came from Aunt Martha, not my aunt but the aunt of my friend Betty McNutt Bray.  It was brown and I got it on a trip with her to Alabama.  She went to settle the estate of Aunt Martha and Uncle Earl.  The last time I saw Betty, was here at my house.  I told her that I felt the tea pot belonged to her if she wanted it.  She did and she took it home that day.

Choosing which tea to buy at the market could be a daunting task, as there are so many choices on the shelves. Some of the choices are always the same, while others are constantly changing.  Just when I try one of the caffeine free teas, and find it pleasing, it is not there the next time I shop.  One made by Twinings has a blend of three flavors, ginseng, chamomile and Tahitian vanilla (as best I recall).  I have looked for it every time I go shopping but have never found it again.

It is rather amazing that a few dried leaves steeped in fresh boiling water can sooth and calm so well.  I am aware that coffee drinkers have their own favorite drinks to get them going in the mornings.  I would never try to change their minds, nor would I want to exchange drinks with them.  A  cup of tea is good for me.