Sunday, January 18, 2009

Possibly a little premature.

Top Five Proofs That I Might Be A Well-Preserved Septuagenarian

1 - I am particular, to the point of querulousness, about how my tea is made.
2 - I love marmalade.
3 - My house sometimes has this strange smell that people are too polite to mention.
4 - I often can't hear what's being said to me, prompting my family to raise their voices when - and only when - they are speaking to me.
5 - Um......I was going to say something else....but I can't recall what it was.

So hand me my glasses and that TV Guide, and be quiet, will you? My program's coming on.

==============================
ETA:
Tea: Use hot water to preheat brown betty. (Brown Betty. Period.) Fill large hinged stainless tea ball with loose leaf Twinings English Breakfast. Boil water. Hold down the auto-off button on the kettle so it boils for about 30 seconds. Empty teapot. Fill with boiling water and simultaneously add - or immediately afterwards submerge - teaball. Cover with lid and quilted tea cosy. Let stand five to seven minutes.

And here's the important part:

Pour into a china cup and saucer. Do not use a mug. Do not add lemon, sugar, cream, milk or honey. Do not add anything except an almond cookie, butter shortbread, or gingersnap, which you should place on the saucer. If there is cake, use an additional plate. Eat. Drink. Wipe away tears of joy as needed.


11 comments:

Dave Hingsburger said...

OK, tell us precisely how you want your tea prepared. I'm very, very fussy about my tea. I have different rituals for loose leaf and bagged tea ... tea is my drug of choice, it takes me to my happy place.

Oh, and, every morning while on the UK lecture tour I had marmalade. It tastes like how God would make honey.

Anonymous said...

Moi aussi, on 2, 3, and 4. Especially the marmalade.

Ames said...

That explains why you kept telling me to keep off your lawn.

Tabatha said...

You were so not querulous when I made you tea at my parent's you were graciousness itself.

I like marmalade too but until you reminded me I forgot.

I like your old ladyness. <3

Linda W said...

For this coffee-drinking in a mug American, you just brought back wonderful memories of having tea with DH's grandmother in Vancouver. Except that she insisted on milk. Milk first, just so, and then the hot tea. Cups and saucers brought with her from England.

Anonymous said...

And best of all, you are proud of it. As you should be.

Stace' said...

Though I have some beautiful tea cups, I do love to drink hot tea out of a mug. I guess it is a Southern thing. Heck, to drink it hot, not just iced is a stretch, so I guess I could still pass for a cultured gal in these parts. ;)

I need to hang with you sometime to get my tea etiquette perfected.

Stace' said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Gwen said...

I agree wholeheartedly with the method, but disagree fervently with the banning of milk. Cream... no. Milk... most certainly. I'm in the milk first, tea second camp.

Yesterday one of Nanny's cups (1 of my 2) got broken, along with my heart.

Ames said...

I don't have a bona fide brown betty.

I prefer loose tea, as well. Black, no sugar or cream.

And, no mug for me, either. China, baby.

Anonymous said...

I don't really mind how tea is made - as long as I have tea, I'm fairly happy. :)
Sometimes I can't understand people either. I think they mumble too much, and then the colours get kind of mixed up and blended together and it's awfully confusing. Also, it's confusing that everyone has a slightly different tone of voice, so when I say "tea" it sounds lime-green-ish, but when my mom says it, it's more of a light magenta pink-ish with a slight tang of lime green-ish. And sometimes it's hard to pick up the lime green-ness.
I'm not crazy though, I promise... Well, maybe a little... :(
*sigh* Do I make a little sense though?