Tuesday, December 12, 2006

My Special Blessing Today

I've been feeling a few regrets that I am not receiving a fun ornament from the homeschool list I co-own this year. Of course, this is MY choosing! I knew I didn't want to commit to anything extra this year, that I didn't absolutely have to do. I didn't sign up. But still.....I was missing the fun of receiving an ornament from an Internet friend. LOOK what the mail man delivered THIS AFTERNOON! (Goodness he may as well SLEEP at my curb as often as he's come by today! LOL)

Thank you so much, dear Dorothy. Dorothy has been a cyber friend for some years....quite a few...how many??? Well...more than five? I know we had lots of great correspondence when I was living in AK - that would be 3 years....and I think I remember emails from when I was in TX before..... Dorothy is one of the first who explained the whole "tea" thing to me...YES we were emailing in SAN ANTONIO because I remember Dorothy telling me that you COULD drink tea in the heat...the weather really didn't matter. LOL I left there 4 1/2 years ago so we've been emailing at least 5 years....And Dorothy is the one who explained what a toast rack is for - though I can't quite remember the right name for it...the little thing that properly holds cinnamon sugared toast for teas....all these years I've been dreaming of SOMEDAY getting stationed in England where I could meet Dorothy in person.....but the Air Force is certainly not cooperating. I'll think of you every time I look at this ornament. Thank you! It couldn't have come on a better day....I'm really working hard today, for some reason, to be joyful. This helps tremendously.

7 comments:

Kristine said...

I remember Dorothy's post about the toast rack, or whatever it is that keeps the toast from steaming itself. I don't have one, but I think of her every single time I make toast!

Lovely ornament!

DeEtta @ Courageous Joy said...

I don't think of Dorothy every time I make toast...but I do think of her often. LOL

She and Emily are really the ones who showed me how fun and at the same time "real" tea could be.....I mean I CAN get the little fancies....but if I just want a quick cuppa that's fine too.....KWIM?

Dorothy - I'd love to hear how tea is different in England. I have a friend here who mentioned "real" tea vs. American tea. I need to chat with her more about this. Saturday the main thing she told me was pots vs. drowning the tea bag in the cup thing....she and I had little pots of our own....everyone else preferred to do the tea bag in the cup thing....guess it doesn't matter but I like the POT. LOL

Debbie said...

How thoughtful, Dorothy and such a pretty ornament.

Anonymous said...

LOL! Oh-oh about the toast-making, Kristine. I just remember everyone thinking we eat out toast cold! No, no! Just not damp!

I hate it when people just mash the tea-bag against the side of the cup. Even English people who should know better do that sometimes! {g} Yeuch! It forces out all the bitter tannin into the drink and you definitely do not want that!

I guess the main thing is that it's less formal for us and more a necessity of life. Does that make sense?

DeEtta, I'm so glad you like the ornament. I still treasure the one Rachel sent me from NY just after the tragedy there. A crystal Lady Liberty.

I hope this one will remind you of 'friends across the water' as they used to say in WW2!

May God provide you with lots of little causes for Joy today!

Dorothy

Anonymous said...

Oh I forgot to say that I first 'met' you online when you were still in Montana, about to move to Texax! How long is that?

Dorothy

DeEtta @ Courageous Joy said...

LOL and I'd been led to believe that ENGLISH tea time was OH SO MUCH FORMAL.....but I've started simply grabbing my little pot and making a cup of tea without all the finery....you know it makes SENSE now that you mention the tannin....I only knew that it TASTED better when brewed in a pot and not smashed in a cup. LOL

I do think that authors over here who have written on tea and gotten the tea movement up and running tend to focus on "high English tea" - is that the terminology? More of a victorian thing and less an every day essential....

We moved to TX the first time 7.5 years ago....I KNEW it was a long time. LOL

Jen said...

DeEtta-
The Irish family in the series I have been reading lately has tea every day. It is just an informal time with tea and Irish Soda Bread. You might enjoy the books. (Although I would start with the Beany books and then work up to the ones I am reading.)