Friday, January 18, 2008

National Tea Month

Who knew? I just found out on another blog, that January is National Tea Month. So here goes, I have a big confession to make, even thought I live in the world renowned coffee reinvented Pacific Northwest. I am a huge tea junky. That is right my friends, I know, I know, I hear the gasping coming all the way from Seattle to this side of the state. I do like a cup of coffee several times a week when on the run and need a quick hit of caffeine. Or with chocolate, pretty awesome combination. Definitely around here Starbucks is the place to hang with your friends. Even our church, God bless them, has an espresso bar basically in our sanctuary, (that will have to be another blog) and takes a long coffee break right after the worship service. We have coffee tables to sit at instead of pews. Seriously,only here in the P.N.W! It is quite wonderful really. But, if I am completely honest, I must openly admit, tea suits the inner me. I like the ceremony of tea, the contemplative mood it puts me in. I love that people in major tea drinking countries, all stop to have a cuppa every afternoon. They are so civilized.
Me having "Tea" in England. Every castle, and garden we visited had a "Tea Room"

The Tea Room at Kiftsgate

You can’t have a proper cup of tea in a paper cup handed to you by the drive-through attendant. It will taste completely horrid, ambience, and mood enhancer, I don’t think so. My wonderful husband has caught on to that one. If he sees I am not having the best of days…he brings me tea on a tray, brewed to perfection, to sooth my ruffled nerves. So, I will tell all. I have much more of a tea hoard than I have ever dared to expose before today. Teas, teapots, tea caddies, teaspoons (special ones), tiny decorated sugar cubes, tea cozy's, teacups, all the paraphernalia really. I even have special tea cookies that I bake seasonally to freeze for that special cup of tea to be shared with a friend. Seriously, cranberry shortbread cookies for winter, lavender shortbread for summer. Geez, I feel like I am coming out...it is kind of fun. I have so many teapots, they are mostly in storage. My husband has brought me teapots from all around the world when he traveled. My poor children will some day inherit all this. Oh the poor darlings have had their share. We have had tea parties for every occasion know to childhood, Birthday teas, Teddy Bear teas, Sunflower Playhouse teas, Dolly teas, Christmas Tea, Last Day of School tea…poor things.

All that wonderfulness, and now they are saying antioxidants are one of teas greatest health benefits. Who knew?


So here is my show & tell all


This one I believe is from Tajikistan
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Russia

The last one Dan brought home, It was an airport pickup
A few more Russian Teapots, aren't they lovely?
I carried this one home in my carry-on from England

I bought this for Megan in London

One of my mom's

This is Jenna's special teacup

This is my everyday tea service

Very special teas from a friend

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

Cindy - those are beautiful - I love it!!!

Anonymous said...

Yey! Those cranberry cookies are amazing! I love having tea with you :)

Nadine said...

Wow who would have thought you had this hidden love. Those are really beautiful pots and cups. I will have to have some tea next time I'm over. :)

Dawn said...

Gorgeous! I would love to come and have a "spot" of tea with you. I love tea, also, but not much with flavors. I love good Kenyan tea (brought by my DIL, who has a hard time getting it now that she lives here), good Green Tea (for the health benefits), just good basic tea. We were in England where my brother and family live and we had lovely teas in castle gardens as well. But I wanted them to quit trying to ruin my tea with cream and sugar!

Lovely post. Gorgeous collection. And what a beautiful wedding picture!

As for your last post - one of our faculty members got a gorgeous bouquet of huge roses for her birthday this week. She brought them to the front office, since she'd be gone much of the days and couldn't enjoy them stashed in hers, so we enjoyed their beauty - but no fragance. That's the sadness about hothouse roses.

Thanks so much for stopping by - I always wonder how people happen upon my site - maybe from Nadine's? Please come back again!

Barbara said...

You really are a tea fan. You should come and live in England. A highlight of a day out here as you know is stopping for afternoon tea.
Love your teapots. The sad thing here is that most people now only use teabags and don't own a teapot. Not me when I have tea it has to be the real thing. We use Assam loose tea but I do confess to using an Assam teabag when just making a quick one for myself. Made in a teapot though. Can't get the right strength putting it in a mug or cup.

Thanks for your comments and the cliff hangers are so that you will come back!!!!!!

Anonymous said...

I am surprised Jill didn't comment. She loves tea too. I am convinced we are related somehow. I found a fun tea store at Bell Square, Tevana. We should go over sometime when the pass melts. Those teapots and cups are gorgeous. I miss you :( Helen

Elle*Bee said...

I love your tea pot collection. The one from Tajikistan (did I spell that correctly?) if very unique. Perhaps my favorite. I a few teapots - most of the are gifts, with the exception of one that I bought at a yard sale with my aunt when I was about 9.

Thanks for stopping by my blog.

Kim S in SC said...

Confession is good for the soul-not all Washingtonians drink Starbucks? Who knew! :)
LOVE all the teapots and cups. Makes me want to put the kettle on right now!

Vee said...

Such beautiful teapots...where do you display them all? Now I see that you're drinking tea at the castle...what was everyone else drinking? LOL!

Alice said...

Each and every teapot and cup you've shown is beautiful. How difficult it must be for you to decide which cup to use.

Jodie | Velour said...

Okay. I can see from reading this that we would be great tea mates. :) When I got to the part about you having tea in England I gasped. I'm like, I wanna have tea in England. I love tea, and all things "Pride & Prejudice". A friend of mine just found out I drink milk in my tea and she said, You're so British. I 'bout hit the floor. She could not have paid me a higher compliment!! :)

You have a nice tea pot collection, and I really love the tea cup with the mice on it. So precious.

You are so right when you say it's the ceremony of tea that makes it so wonderful.

All this tea talk... I'm gonna go fix me a cup right now! :) And if I do find Lady Gray I'll try it and let you know what I think. Thanks for the suggestion - and thank you so much for leaving a comment on my blog. I love "meeting" new friends (especially tea drinking friends!)

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