Mrs. Teabody Boxes Up Christmas With Regrets
Good Morning, darling Gentle Readers. Mrs. Teabody hopes some happy dream was in your head as you found wakefulness.
Mr. Teabody is wearing his best Cheshire cat smile this morning because the outside temperature is a balmy forty-three degrees meaning none of his precious fuel oil is burning because the ever-efficient heat pump is at work. If the heat pump were an actual PERSON, a LADY person, Mrs. Teabody should be jealous of all the praise Mr. Teabody lavishes upon it. But surely Mr. Teabody would never abandon Mrs. Teabody for a heat pump. Mon Dieu! The very thought. . .
Mrs. Teabody is wearing her smug smile -- not as off-putting as one might think - - because of her resolute work in stripping Tickle Your Fancy of all her Christmas trappings. All the butterflies taken off the tree and packed away, likewise the strands of lights that looked exactly like candles, one hundred and twenty glass balls, eighty glass icicles, four calling birds, three French hens . . . all their gayness boxed and labeled for NEXT year. Sigh.
Yester morning began with some mad excitement in Tickle Your Fancy as a rather large parcel arrived from Adagio . Mrs. Teabody was delighted by the arrival of Lady Betsy just as the kettle came to a bubble and the two tried "Casablanca Twist" together. For your enlightenment: "Casablanca Twist is an interesting twist on the old Moroccan Mint tea, which traditionally combines Gunpowder tea from China with fresh peppermint. We kept the latter, and replaced the smoky notes of Gunpowder with the muscatel highlights of a First Flush Darjeeling from India. The result is fresher, smoother and - we hope you'll agree - a nice improvement on the original." Hardly four satisfying sips had been taken when the door burst open with the arrival of Lady Worth - - ever the picture of robust good health and bonhomie. Lady Worth will wed in July and Mrs. Teabody is always interested to hear the latest chapter in preparation as Lady Worth is MOST original. Pleasant nattering prevailed as the two nibbled on Twelfth Night cake with due caution--neither wanting a weak tooth to actually find the trinket and require a year's wages in dental work. All too soon, Mrs. Teabody sent Lady Worth on her merry way with a nice cuppa Casablanca Twist. Marvelous girl. Marvelous tea. Just minutes later, Lady Betsy bid Mrs. Teabody "Adieu" and struck off for her day's occupation leaving Mrs. Teabody feeling bereft of her fine company.
Custom came and went at a pleasant pace allowing Mrs. Teabody opportunities to try two other new teas, a nice mango and another wonderful green called "Anji Duet." A brief description follows: "A very special tea produced in Anji Zhejiang, our Duet is a green tea with white tea characteristics. Its light, delicate cup provides soft fruit notes like a fine white tea but also some chestnut sweetness and the lingering floral finish of a premium green. Produced in the early days of Spring and available in very limited quantity, our Duet is a rare find." Duke Topsy, a confirmed coffee person who stopped by for a cannister of Flora for Duchess Topsy, pronounced it worthy of a second go. Shortly after mid afternoon, one of Mrs. Teabody's favorite people, Lady Susan ( who has the brightest smile and twinkling eyes) popped in for a quick look 'round but refused both cake and tea as she is slimming. However, she presented Mrs. Teabody with a challenge, one Mrs. Teabody embraces and will share on Tuesday.
Mrs. Teabody had just finished un-decorating the tree when Mr. Teabody arrived to wrestle it into its composites and smash it into the confines of its packing case. The final ornaments were just being packed away when Peach arrived bringing a smile to everyone's face and allowing herself to be persuaded to join the Teabodys for dinner. The Teabodys could not have been more pleased when Peach accepted. Hooray.
Mr. Teabody is wearing his best Cheshire cat smile this morning because the outside temperature is a balmy forty-three degrees meaning none of his precious fuel oil is burning because the ever-efficient heat pump is at work. If the heat pump were an actual PERSON, a LADY person, Mrs. Teabody should be jealous of all the praise Mr. Teabody lavishes upon it. But surely Mr. Teabody would never abandon Mrs. Teabody for a heat pump. Mon Dieu! The very thought. . .
Mrs. Teabody is wearing her smug smile -- not as off-putting as one might think - - because of her resolute work in stripping Tickle Your Fancy of all her Christmas trappings. All the butterflies taken off the tree and packed away, likewise the strands of lights that looked exactly like candles, one hundred and twenty glass balls, eighty glass icicles, four calling birds, three French hens . . . all their gayness boxed and labeled for NEXT year. Sigh.
Yester morning began with some mad excitement in Tickle Your Fancy as a rather large parcel arrived from Adagio . Mrs. Teabody was delighted by the arrival of Lady Betsy just as the kettle came to a bubble and the two tried "Casablanca Twist" together. For your enlightenment: "Casablanca Twist is an interesting twist on the old Moroccan Mint tea, which traditionally combines Gunpowder tea from China with fresh peppermint. We kept the latter, and replaced the smoky notes of Gunpowder with the muscatel highlights of a First Flush Darjeeling from India. The result is fresher, smoother and - we hope you'll agree - a nice improvement on the original." Hardly four satisfying sips had been taken when the door burst open with the arrival of Lady Worth - - ever the picture of robust good health and bonhomie. Lady Worth will wed in July and Mrs. Teabody is always interested to hear the latest chapter in preparation as Lady Worth is MOST original. Pleasant nattering prevailed as the two nibbled on Twelfth Night cake with due caution--neither wanting a weak tooth to actually find the trinket and require a year's wages in dental work. All too soon, Mrs. Teabody sent Lady Worth on her merry way with a nice cuppa Casablanca Twist. Marvelous girl. Marvelous tea. Just minutes later, Lady Betsy bid Mrs. Teabody "Adieu" and struck off for her day's occupation leaving Mrs. Teabody feeling bereft of her fine company.
Custom came and went at a pleasant pace allowing Mrs. Teabody opportunities to try two other new teas, a nice mango and another wonderful green called "Anji Duet." A brief description follows: "A very special tea produced in Anji Zhejiang, our Duet is a green tea with white tea characteristics. Its light, delicate cup provides soft fruit notes like a fine white tea but also some chestnut sweetness and the lingering floral finish of a premium green. Produced in the early days of Spring and available in very limited quantity, our Duet is a rare find." Duke Topsy, a confirmed coffee person who stopped by for a cannister of Flora for Duchess Topsy, pronounced it worthy of a second go. Shortly after mid afternoon, one of Mrs. Teabody's favorite people, Lady Susan ( who has the brightest smile and twinkling eyes) popped in for a quick look 'round but refused both cake and tea as she is slimming. However, she presented Mrs. Teabody with a challenge, one Mrs. Teabody embraces and will share on Tuesday.
Mrs. Teabody had just finished un-decorating the tree when Mr. Teabody arrived to wrestle it into its composites and smash it into the confines of its packing case. The final ornaments were just being packed away when Peach arrived bringing a smile to everyone's face and allowing herself to be persuaded to join the Teabodys for dinner. The Teabodys could not have been more pleased when Peach accepted. Hooray.
Just as Mr. Teabody was turning out the lights, Mrs. Teabody discovered a bit of golden tinsel on the floor which she quickly tucked inside her appointment book as a reminder of this wonderful season of loving and giving, of friends and family, of hope and renewal. Christmas is over, Gentle Reader, but you, too, must find some little scrap of it to keep the spirit ever close at hand. Enjoy this wonderful Saturday, and stop by TYF if you are in the neighborhood. Ta!
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