Thank you for all your well-wishes. I've kind of vegged at home for the past few days trying to healthy myself up.
I did go to a lovely teahouse yesterday with some of my Alumni ladies. I find those places to be hit or miss. They can be absolutely divine, and you're thrilled with the charm. Or you can find they they're trying too hard, and you leave feeling a bit hungry.
I thought that this place was wonderful. They served a traditional turkey dinner (lunch-sized) and the three of us ordered different desserts and shared. They had a nice array of teas too (of course). I discovered "Earl Grey Cream." Lovely.
I'm actually kind of picky about my teas. I don't like too many of them. Tea menus kind of remind me of martini menus sometimes. There are infinite varieties of them, but I really only like 2 or 3.
I love Celestial Seasonings Almond Sunset, but I can't find it here in Canada anymore. And other than that, really just give me a nice orange pekoe. Mmmm Red Rose...
Anyways, the ladies and I made some plans to go to some craft shows next month, and maybe go back to the tea house in the spring for an afternoon when they do "high tea."
It's interesting having friends who are at completely different stages in their lives than me. One lady is 49, and the other 69. It makes you realize that at the root of things, girls are still just girls. We all want respect, and fun and time together.
And I admit, I am a bit of a sucker for some mothering. I don't tend to mind it at all. My step-mom and I don't have that kind of relationship - and I wouldn't want it. But from other maternal types? It's fine. Sometimes I do wonder where I would be right now if I hadn't lost my Mom at 11. Would it have made me a completely different person?
Would I be married with children? Or would I be angrier?
It's been 22 years, but I still remember very clearly the highs and lows of living with someone that I now believed was quite psychologically ill. Bi-polar? Maybe. Unhappy with herself? I really do think so. It's hard to look back at it logically without it being tainted by the overtones of a child-like mentality, but I can definitely remember her pain.
Hmmm- quite a segueway from our original topic of tea-houses, isn't it?
Anyhow, I am quite enjoying spending time with these ladies, and I'm glad that I have made myself open to the experience.
xo
Sunday, November 09, 2008
Teahouses, Mothering, and Generation Gaps
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8 comments:
A tea menu?! What on earth is the world coming to! As a working class Englishman, that paints for a living, and survives on a mere 9 cups a day, tea should only be served one way. In a mug, 2 sugars, a small drop of milk and preferably made with a PGTips bag.
The builder I used to work for drank Earl Grey. What a girl!
But I guess that's the point. All these other teas are made for ladies. Such as yourself. Possibly because the rest of us haven't the taste bud capacity to enjoy the complex array of flavours on offer. Instead, we like out tea to taste of engine oil, and be able to stand the spoon up in it.
tea? [shudder] I can't stand the stuff. There is a story behind that. But never mind that. Glad you are feeling better.
It's interesting how tea is consumed in different cultures. I was still weirded out by seeing my male Aussie flatmates drink tea. I associate it as a drink that ladies drink.
Sounds like you're at the tail end of this virus.
Although there's no way of knowing precisely how, I'm sure you would be very different if your mother were still alive. Better? Worse? Different? But it certainly does speak to your resilience.
I can't stand tea - I wonder if there are now hit squads heading for James and me!! Englishmen who don't like tea? Unthinkable!
Have you tried the Celestial Seasonings website? Perhaps they still make Almond Sunset and you can order some.
Tea house huh? Interesting, and I agree about girls being girls. We can all relate about something or another..
Sounds like you had fun..
I'm addicted to the Wild Bavarian Berry tea in the pyramid bags. talk about YUMMY! :)
I don't think there's anything wrong with being mothered. I seem to attract the same and although my mother is alive, she never really mothered me as a child. I wonder if I exude 'little girl lost' vibes sometimes, but taking tea with such friends sounds divine.
Puss
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