Today's T post begins with this book some of you may have seen me review last Friday for our monthly Artful Readers Club.
In case you didn't see the review, the book is called Writing Home and was written by Cindy Leferle. It has many (over 90) short essays on home, women working, and various other stories most of us can relate to.
Since this is T day, I was intrigued by an essay in the chapter called Kitchen Duty entitled "Just My Cuppa Tea." I thought the essay was quite appropriate and it had me agreeing as I read each word.
LeFerle provides a bit of history lesson by explaining (as most avid tea drinkers know)
tea originated in the Orient (please ignore the kitty toys under the table),
was first imported to the British Isles (thank you Annette aka Voodoo Vixen for gifting me with everything tea related shown in this photo),
then to the US, where it was heavily taxed. LeFerle then reminds us why tea has lost favor in this coffee obsessed world. According to LeFerle
As most of us recall from our grade-school history classes, it was heavily taxed by the Monarchy and eventually incited the boisterous Boston Tea Party of 1775. Since then, our country (please note: LeFerle is referring to the United States) has harbored a stubborn preference for coffee (page 108).
She further contends that coffee is quick and all-American, easily being consumed in disposable cups, many of them, in my belief, more than likely styrofoam.
LeFerle admits tea is not easy to prepare. It requires "that we sit down long enough to assemble its various accouterments (page 108)." Take these strainers for example. They go by several names, such as tea balls, strainers, and infusers. One is needed any time we use tea leaves.
To further quote LeFerle
Drinking tea entails a fussy battery of saucers, spoons, bags, lemon wedges, and pots with lid, not to mention the optional milk, honey, or sugar (pp 108-9).
All that fussing for something that begins with a bit of hot water may be why most waiters don't care for tea drinkers. Per LeFerle, waiters think
we're a high maintenance bunch and would rather not be bothered with our hot water refills (p 109).
Show your high (or low) maintenance today and link below. Your photos don't have to be taken on Tuesday, but they should be somehow T related. Art, books, stories, or even a good pot of tea will be memorable when you link below and are visited by your fellow T community.
I'll still take tea any day over coffee! I will also say that it is very difficult to get "a good cup of tea" while out and about. None of the "coffee houses" around here brew tea properly.
I enjoyed seeing your beautiful tea pots, cups and the beautiful place mats.
My post this week has some "Ts" in it but no Tea. Thanks for hosting this fun meet up! I love seeing what everyone is up to.
Great post, Elizabeth. I enjoyed all the photos. I learned to make proper tea in Brownies but never really acquired a taste for it. Now coffee, now that's a cup of a different colour! lol
Hello! Thanks so much for your sweet comment on my blog last week. It definitely gave me warm fuzziness.
How is your back? I hope it's much better. I suffer from ankylosing spondylitis, so I sympathize with any and all back pain.
I love the assortment of place settings in your photos today. The teapot with the tiny tea table on top it is particularly cute.
I'm not sure I agree with the book author; I think that making tea and making coffee can be equally simple (or difficult, depending on the methods used). But I do agree that it's cozy and pleasant to sit down to a nicely prepared tea with all the "trimmings."
hello and happy T for Tuesday... some bad news....slammed my thumb in the door tonight and it is throbbing like crazybut wanted to get my postin on time. busy day tomorrow. willcome back tomorrow to readt this, hoping it will feel better. just wanted to thank you for your sweet comment on my blog and say hello. ityped this with my lefthand verrry slowly haha see you tomorrow.hugs
Joining 'early' for me...enjoyed your photos on the previous post...no camera advice here.sorry. I am not even able to take photos for my post that are not blurry...that's why I usually scan the art that I post! Hope you figure it out...glad you were able to get a new one!
You obviously have everything necessary to serve a good cup of tea. I drink coffee in the early morning. The author is right, quicker and easier plus there is the caffeine. I like my tea later in the day when I have time to enjoy the ritual of making it.
Your post is so interesting with wonderful photos too... That lavender dotted tea pot is absolutely precious down to the birdie on the handle of the tiny teapot ♥ I like coffee and I like tea... each has its charms for me... although I cannot stand to drink anything in a Styrofoam cup the thought of it makes my teeth hurt ;) Happy October E...wondering HOW the time is flying by so quickly! oxo
I'm still a morning coffee girl. The day just wouldn't start right without it. I drink a lot of tea in the winter...mostly to warm my insides throughout the day. Happy Tuesday!
That was a wonderful trip through the history of tea and the lovely table settings to go along with the history. I'm a coffee drinker and recently bought some tea that I haven't even tried yet. It's almost scary for us die-hard coffee drinkers, I think? Beautiful and enlightening post! Hugs!
Love seeing all your various tea supplies. I have some of those items, but am such a devoted coffee drinker that I rarely use them. That first teapot is really something!! So cute! :)
What a fabulous post about tea!! The pictures were such a visual tutorial, love your tea pot! This book sounds very interesting, may have to added it to my wish list of reading material. Have a great Week
Oh I really love this post.. so pretty are these teapots!! I love that the book had this section,makes me want it more.
I think coffee and tea is about the same. i'm not that fussy about my tea but yes it can be fussy when you add all those extras to it.
Thanks so much for a lovely post today and for letting us share our Tuesday's and thoughts with you!
Happy T day to you! Hope my finger bettr next week for typing, can't get much done today like planned, so a day of sitting in the sun with lucky is what I'll be doing. Take care!
This is such an informative post. I've always wondered why coffee is more popular here. Back home in India we drink tea more but I love both. Your tea cups are wonderful I especially love that pretty teapot. Susan
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Today's T post begins with this book some of you may have seen me review last Friday for our monthly Artful Readers Club.
In case you didn't see the review, the book is called Writing Home and was written by Cindy Leferle. It has many (over 90) short essays on home, women working, and various other stories most of us can relate to.
LeFerle provides a bit of history lesson by explaining (as most avid tea drinkers know) 
tea originated in the Orient (please ignore the kitty toys under the table),
was first imported to the British Isles (thank you Annette aka Voodoo Vixen for gifting me with everything tea related shown in this photo),
then to the US, where it was heavily taxed. LeFerle then reminds us why tea has lost favor in this coffee obsessed world. According to LeFerle
LeFerle admits tea is not easy to prepare. It requires "that we sit down long enough to assemble its various accouterments (page 108)." Take these strainers for example. They go by several names, such as tea balls, strainers, and infusers. One is needed any time we use tea leaves.
To further quote LeFerle
All that fussing for something that begins with a bit of hot water may be why most waiters don't care for tea drinkers. Per LeFerle, waiters think
Dollar Exchange Rate
15 thoughtful remarks:
I'll still take tea any day over coffee! I will also say that it is very difficult to get "a good cup of tea" while out and about. None of the "coffee houses" around here brew tea properly.
I enjoyed seeing your beautiful tea pots, cups and the beautiful place mats.
My post this week has some "Ts" in it but no Tea. Thanks for hosting this fun meet up! I love seeing what everyone is up to.
Great post, Elizabeth. I enjoyed all the photos. I learned to make proper tea in Brownies but never really acquired a taste for it. Now coffee, now that's a cup of a different colour! lol
i think coffee is no easier to make right than tea is. i've seen some terribly "fussy" coffee drinkers ;)
i think fancy teapots like yours might convert somebody from coffee to tea no matter how "fussy" the tea process is. so pretty!
Hello! Thanks so much for your sweet comment on my blog last week. It definitely gave me warm fuzziness.
How is your back? I hope it's much better. I suffer from ankylosing spondylitis, so I sympathize with any and all back pain.
I love the assortment of place settings in your photos today. The teapot with the tiny tea table on top it is particularly cute.
I'm not sure I agree with the book author; I think that making tea and making coffee can be equally simple (or difficult, depending on the methods used). But I do agree that it's cozy and pleasant to sit down to a nicely prepared tea with all the "trimmings."
Happy T Day!
hello and happy T for Tuesday... some bad news....slammed my thumb in the door tonight and it is throbbing like crazybut wanted to get my postin on time. busy day tomorrow. willcome back tomorrow to readt this, hoping it will feel better. just wanted to thank you for your sweet comment on my blog and say hello. ityped this with my lefthand verrry slowly haha
see you tomorrow.hugs
Joining 'early' for me...enjoyed your photos on the previous post...no camera advice here.sorry. I am not even able to take photos for my post that are not blurry...that's why I usually scan the art that I post! Hope you figure it out...glad you were able to get a new one!
You obviously have everything necessary to serve a good cup of tea. I drink coffee in the early morning. The author is right, quicker and easier plus there is the caffeine. I like my tea later in the day when I have time to enjoy the ritual of making it.
Darla
Your post is so interesting with wonderful photos too...
That lavender dotted tea pot is absolutely precious down to the birdie on the handle of the tiny teapot ♥
I like coffee and I like tea...
each has its charms for me...
although I cannot stand to drink anything in a Styrofoam cup the thought of it makes my teeth hurt ;)
Happy October E...wondering HOW the time is flying by so quickly!
oxo
I'm still a morning coffee girl. The day just wouldn't start right without it. I drink a lot of tea in the winter...mostly to warm my insides throughout the day.
Happy Tuesday!
oh, forgot to mention...what a lovely assortment of tea pots and cups this week! truly gorgeous...
That was a wonderful trip through the history of tea and the lovely table settings to go along with the history. I'm a coffee drinker and recently bought some tea that I haven't even tried yet. It's almost scary for us die-hard coffee drinkers, I think? Beautiful and enlightening post! Hugs!
Love seeing all your various tea supplies. I have some of those items, but am such a devoted coffee drinker that I rarely use them. That first teapot is really something!! So cute! :)
What a fabulous post about tea!! The pictures were such a visual tutorial, love your tea pot! This book sounds very interesting, may have to added it to my wish list of reading material.
Have a great Week
Oh I really love this post.. so pretty are these teapots!! I love that the book had this section,makes me want it more.
I think coffee and tea is about the same. i'm not that fussy about my tea but yes it can be fussy when you add all those extras to it.
Thanks so much for a lovely post today and for letting us share our Tuesday's and thoughts with you!
Happy T day to you! Hope my finger bettr next week for typing, can't get much done today like planned, so a day of sitting in the sun with lucky is what I'll be doing.
Take care!
This is such an informative post. I've always wondered why coffee is more popular here. Back home in India we drink tea more but I love both.
Your tea cups are wonderful I especially love that pretty teapot.
Susan
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