Mrs. Teabody Greets the Day

~  from Shakespeare's"Winter's Tale" Act 2 Scene 1 HERMIONE:  " What wisdom stirs amongst you? Come, sir, now       I am for you again: pray you, sit by us.  And tell 's a tale.   MAMILLIUS:  Merry or sad shall't be?   HERMIONE:  As merry as you will.   MAMILLIUS:  A sad tale's best for winter: I have one  o f sprites and goblins.   HERMIONE:  Let's have that, good sir.       Come on, sit down: come on, and do your best       To fright me with your sprites; you're powerful at it.   MAMILLIUS:  There was a man--   HERMIONE:  Nay, come, sit down; then on.   MAMILLIUS:  Dwelt by a churchyard: I will tell it softly;       Yond crickets shall not hear it.   HERMIONE:  Come on, then,       And give't me in mine ear.  " Good Morning, Gentle Reader, from this snowy, ice-encased mountain retreat where everyone's bundled up in robes and socks against the chill air, kept that way by the ever vigilant  and thrifty Mr. Teabody. Ho

“There is nothing in the world so irresistibly contagious as laughter and good humor.”   Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol Good Morning, Gentle Reader where at this early hour, all is quite dark. The Christmas tree lights sparkle and each window holds a glimmering light, and the house is redolent of pine boughs and cloves, and a wonderful sense of expectancy hangs in the air. Mrs. Teabody has said time and time again that Christmas is the very best season of all, and what is the best season of all without many smiles? Without much laughter? Mister Teabody is what was often referred to in another time as a card: a person who attracts attention by his wit. Mister Teabody  has the ability to put a smile on Mrs. Teabody's face at least a dozen times a day in at least half a dozen different ways. An E-mail  will ping its arrival on Mrs. Teabody's computer and  upon opening it, she will  find a  laugh-out-loud-worthy cartoon or  video Mr. Teabody wished to share. When

This column is not written in the voice of Mrs. Teabody. Like many of you I have wrestled with the elements of yesterday's mass murder in Connecticut, and I have a few thoughts of my own. I welcome you to add comments. First of all, examine your heart and ask yourself how differently you would feel now about the killer if he had been black. Take it a step further and imagine how your fellow Americans may have reacted had that been the case. This is merely food for thought-- something that crossed my mind. Next, let's talk about personality disorders . It should go without saying that ANYONE who kills another human being is not sane. An adult white male armed himself with semi-automatic weapons and  systematically slaughtered completely helpless children. He is a murderer, and his "personality disorder" is that he did not revere or respect the right of his fellow humans to live, including his own mother. Why did he feel that way? Thou shalt not kill   is univer

Could this be the right car? Greetings, Gentle Readers, on this balmy December morning, and if the forecast changes today's wardrobe selection, just know that this is, after all, December and the lower temps will return soon enough.  Yesterday was a grand day for "putting up" outdoor lights and  if the resulting overall effect at Chez Teabody leaves a lot to be desired, and if  the experience has placed a bit of a  strain on the Teabodys' usual conviviality, one simply chalks this up to necessity. Chez Teabody should not put on a face of dour disregard for this festive season. Mon Dieu! Mrs. Teabody thanks all gentle readers for their seasonal displays. Much appreciated. Good news for all you tea lovers! The tea ship has sailed into the Tickle Your Fancy harbor so do plan to visit soon to scoop up all the new teas. First of all, there are the tried and true Earl Greys and rooibos teas but the shelves are also newly filled with ambrosial delights suc