The Romance Reviews

Friday 13 November 2009

What's your tipple?

Mary Cassatt: 'The Cup of Tea' (from Wikimedia Commons)I love tea (well, I am English!). I drink lots of tea, especially when I'm writing. Something about that hot, nut-brown, steaming swirling liquid inspires me. I love the heat and the taste. I love the touch of the china mug against my lips. Tea is my morning pick-me-up-and-get-me-going tipple. I like Earl Grey tea, Red-bush tea, anything. I also like herbal tisanes, especially soothing and fragrant peppermint.

Coffee is my mid morning treat. Rich and full and the scent reminds me of Italy: that delicious coffee and icing-sugar smell.

Cocoa is my comfort drink, perfect for wet, dark afternoons and evenings.

As a celebration of all these different drinks I thought I'd share with you a cosy, family short story of mine. It's a sweet little twist in the tale. The opening is here:


THE ANNIVERSARY COFFEE POT

Mr Seddon gently lifted Mrs Bewitt's coffee pot in both hands and studied it closely. Sitting at the scrubbed pine kitchen table, July sun warming his dark blue suit, he well knew that this pot was her pride and joy.

He cleared his throat. 'I'm sorry, Mrs Bewitt. It's a beautiful piece, but I really can't sell it for you.'

Waiting for the verdict, Peggy Bewitt had quite liked Mr Seddon, but his news was disastrous. Shocked, she could think of nothing to say.

Sixty years ago her Gordon had given her the china coffee pot on the morning of their first wedding anniversary. 'A pretty thing for my lovely girl,' he'd said, winking a twinkling blue eye at her. 'Worth a bit, too, if ever you want to trade it in for a proper teapot.'

'Never!' Peggy had laughed, but she had just decided reluctantly to let the anniversary coffee pot go.


You can read the whole story here

17 comments:

Linda Banche said...

Great story.

I love tea! I like English Breakfast of various brands, and Kwazulu from Taylor's of Harrogate. My absolute favorite is Kinnell's Macintosh's Fancy.

Lindsay Townsend said...

Thanks, Linda. I like English Breakfast tea, too: very fragrant and delicious.

I love the sounds of the names of those teas - Kinnell's Macintosh's Fancy sounds like a story in itself.

Sandra Sookoo said...

I love tea as well. Don't care for coffee. My favorite place to order my tea is Harney and Sons :-)

Kaye Manro said...

What a lovely story, Lindsay!

I enjoy English Breakfast tea as well. Though I can't deny that I'm a big coffee drinker too.

Lindsay Townsend said...

Hi Sandra - I'd love to hear more about Harney and Sons - sounds very interesting.

Hi Kaye - glad you liked my story. Do you like 'different' coffees, or mixes, or something else again?

(Once saw a book which claimed that the kick-start to the western rush of technology was down to coffee appearing in the diest. Don't know if I believe that, but I do find coffee perks me up.)

Sandra Sookoo said...

You can find out more about them by visiting their site: http://www.harney.com/
I first found out about them at a Disney hotel :-)

Sarah Simas said...

Lovely post!

I enjoy tea, especially on a cold night. LOL Hoever, I'm with Kaye- I love my coffee a tad bit more.

Fun story! I enjoyed the reading! :o)

Savanna Kougar said...

Lindsay, sweet story, one that's good for the soul.

Mostly I've brewed herbal teas for medicinal purposes. I wish I had gotten into the tea drinking habit.
And, since, the caffeine in coffee is too strong for me, I never developed that habit, either. Though, I do enjoy putting a bit of coffee in my hot chocolate brews at times.
Coffee in my hot chocolate works on my severe allergy headaches, also,
And, Chai tea in my hot chocolate... yummy!

Lindsay Townsend said...

Hi Sarah! Glad you liked the story! I'm with you with the hot tea on a cold night!

Savanna - I had the idea from the story from an old ornament of a boy and girl my mum has in her house. While looking to see if it had any makers' marks I noticed that 'telling detial' re Meissen and the story flowered from there.

Chai is lovely, I agree. Chai in hot choc sounds perfect.

Jane Richardson said...

Oooh, I could do with a luvverly cuppa tea right now! I start the day with coffee but then it's herbal teas or redbush for the rest of the day for me. Loved that story, Lindsay - you deserve a nice biccy with your cuppa for that! ;-) Cheers!

Jane x

Linda Acaster said...

A mugful of Earl Grey, that's my constant companion.

Great story, Lindsay. It got a lot across in a few words and left me smiling. Well done.

Linda

Mona Risk said...

I love tea. Since the day we married, my DH and I had shared a cup of tea after dinner and chatted about our day. Now that we are not working anymore, we hold our teatime at a more traditional five o'clock.

Lindsay Townsend said...

Hi Jane - thanks! I'll take the tea but save on the bicci for the moment. (Can I have choc instead?)

Hi Linda - Earl Grey does have a real zing, I agree. Glad you liked the little tale.

Hi Mona - a 5pm tea and chat sounds lovely!

Savanna Kougar said...

Lindsay, what a beautiful inspiration. Your soul certainly responded in a lovely way.

LK Hunsaker said...

Lovely story, Lindsay.

I drink peppermint tea a lot and several others. I start the day with coffee and often end it with tea. :-)

Lindsay Townsend said...

Thanks, Savanna! Thanks, LK!

PS If anyone else wants to share their fav tipples, please feel free - just check the calendar, please.

Chelle Cordero said...

I have this huge assortment of teas (just about any flavor) which I offer to guests. Personally I prefer the herbal teas like peppermint or chamomile, and save the chai teas or mixed black and cinnamon spices for "desserts". I recently became enamored of white tea.