. . . . . . however, like all the recent January days, it left me with some gentle,
simple thoughts.
~ An afternoon cup of excellent tea as 4 o'clock rolled around ~
This is one of my favorite black teas, a gift from friends Marilyn and Jim in
Oregon who stopped by to visit us last year. It as our second meeting as
we visited with them several years ago when travel was easy and safer.
Marilyn is your 'go to' tea lady - and her lovely blog Delights of the Heart
will inspire you with tea info, poetry, photos, kind thoughts, and so much more.
This blend similar to Earl Grey, is No.55 Lord Bergamot, by Portland, Oregon Teamaker Steven Smith.
"A flavor somewhat superior to traditional Earl Grey. Fragrant Ceylon Dimbula and Uva are artfully combined with select teas from India's Assam valley, then scented with bergamot essential oil from the realm of Reggio Calabria, Italy."
Teamaker Steven Smith
I find one silky tea bag fills my smaller tea pot with enough for two good sized
cups of delicious tea. I like the note on the tea bag envelope,
"Steep 5 minutes, while pondering the Earl's affair with the Duchess of Devonshire."
A Scottish shortbread - Walker's my favorite - always goes well well with tea.
~ The power of a flowering bulb ~
Once amaryllis get going they grow so quickly.
Last evening the four buds on the second bulb to bloom
looked like this.
This morning, the buds have changed a lot.
What fun it would be to have a time-lapse camera to film all this.
~ My thoughts in regard to new books - I love new books ~
. . . . . . .will have to wait until another time.
I have a lot to share about these particular ones, so please come
back if you would like to learn more.
They are thought-provoking: covering good-for-us food,
objects of art, gifts for special people. . . . . .you know who you are.
Meanwhile, enjoy this day. We have bright sunshine, cool
temperatures and a forecast of much colder days and
nights ahead with possible snow/ice come Friday.
Firewood is piled near the door. Thoughts include even more cups and
mugs of tea, coffee and hot chocolate - and perhaps toss in a warming
snifter of cognac later when the flames are dancing on the hearth.
Trying out a couple of new soups will mean a quick trip out for
vegetables tomorrow.
Then curling up with those new books, knitting, writing, listening to old
recordings of Yanni, Kitaro, Enya, whilst writing - all of whom bring back
so many memories.
My history.
. . . . . and speaking of flying, a Mockingbird arrived to nibble crumbs on the
front porch rail. Birds seem to know when snow is coming - they
stay closer to the house and porch, and of course I love that.
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Dearest Mary,
ReplyDeleteOur tea time is also set around five and instead of cookies, we enjoy it with a rice cake for me and mixed unsalted nuts for both of us.
A pleasant moment, unwinding from the day.
Your Amaryllis are so productive and rewarding.
LOVE the excellent mockingbird shot.
Hugs,
Mariette
The mockingbird was back this morning - he/she is so beautiful despite being mostly a several 'shades of grey' bird. Eats a lot of seeds on the porch rail and takes its time so I can get good closeup photos with my real camera!
DeleteI like rice cakes - but in all honesty would rather have a not so good for me cookie, lol!
😉
DeleteI don't get on well with tea being more of a coffee drink. I'll definitely be back to check out what you have to say about books.
ReplyDeleteHaving my afternoon cuppa right now - actually enjoy tea more than coffee in the afternoon, but must have my wake up coffee in the morning!
DeleteDear Mary,
ReplyDeleteThere are so many wonderful teas to enjoy. Earl Grey and its varieties are some of my favorites. Shortbread is a perfect accompaniment on a chilly afternoon. Your amaryllis are looking well. Three of the four buds on my very tall stalk are in bloom now. Thank you for the name suggestions - a number of people have suggested Apple Blossom, and I think that's probably it.
Stay warm and cozy.
The card you sent is so beautiful - thanks so much Lorrie.
DeleteI've decided my latest amaryllis is also Apple Blossom, not Charming! So pretty and really cheering up this dark and dreary day as we await snow!
Lord Bergamot sounds like my cup of tea - literally! I love the scent, and O.K. and my favourite Sunday breakfast includes a glass of sparkling wine, a cup of Earl Grey and a glass of orange or tomato juice. Add freshly baked rolls and croissants from our nearby bakery (hand-delivered on a Sunday morning if you order by Friday 6:00 pm), good cheese and fried bacon, and I'm in breakfast heaven!
ReplyDeleteWe've had a beautiful sunny day yesterday, too, and I was happy to go for a quick walk with my friend during lunch break.
I'm drinking a regular Earl Grey right now - waiting for the snow to start. Due to start at 6 pm and perhaps blanket us until 3 am!!!!! We'll see, the forecasters seem to be wrong a lot lately!
DeleteWow Meike, that Sunday breakfast sounds soooo delicious! Glad you can get out and walk despite cold weather.
Your amaryllis is so pretty. You can almost watchthem growing cant you! I measured one of mine in the morning, and by evening it had grown several inches.
ReplyDeleteOh yes Barbara, don't blink for too long as you might miss them!!!
DeleteMy latest one is on my following post - she's a beauty.
Dear Mary,
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to your book reviews. And what a charming surprise at the end of your blog. I've not seen a Mockingbird, let alone, such a perfect close-up.
Mockingbirds sing so beautifully from the very tops of small trees - repeating many songs 'stolen' from other birds. They are very quiet on my porch though - guess too busy eating!
DeleteMary, Have you ever listened to the singer Eva Cassidy? She has a soothing voice, nice catalog of songs and a style of her own. Chances are you may have heard her version of "Somewhere Over The Rainbow". I think you might enjoy her music. Sadly she passed away far to young from cancer several years ago. Her music has recently been been shared and appreciated again. Stay warm and safe this weekend.
ReplyDeleteOh yes, thank you dear for reminding me. I've loved Eva Cassidy's recordings for many years. Often play her CD's in the car - and here on the laptop. Funnily she was a 'hit' in the UK before becoming popular here. Such a pure voice and we lost her far too soon. Sadly it seems she didn't get treatment for melanoma early enough and died not long after her diagnosis.
DeleteThanks for the warm wishes - you stay safe too.
Unless a family needs money in these tough times to survive, books or bookshop vouchers are the best gifts possible. And the pleasure continues for weeks.
ReplyDeleteIt is summer here, so I take the last two gift books I received, put on a floppy hat and sit outside the local espresso bar reading :)
Helenw@bigpond.net.au
That bird shot in the last photo just took my breathe away, so beautiful!
ReplyDeleteSo happy you are enjoying the tea. It is a good one.