Mrs. Teabody Greets the Day

  "Okay, Boomer."  The phrase is dismissive, yes? But I am not here to be okayed --far from it. This is classic  Boomer  Blah-blah-blah  all the way, so let's go! It's my birthday which means it is time to reflect.  Like most older folks I laid the foundation of my philosophy under the influence of popular culture. My place in my community was defined by those joyful inhabitants of Mayberry and Walton's Mountain.  Let's not forget Dodge City, Kansas. My earliest heroes were formed by a team of writers at Walt Disney. My course in affairs of the heart was set out for me in the lyrics of the Shirrells, the Supremes, the Beatles and the Beachboys. Indeed there wasn't a single question about romantic existence that could not be answered with a lyric - -  there still isn't if I'm honest.   Carrying buckets of milk from the barn to the milk house on a farm bound tightly on all sides by mountains in rural Pennsylvania did not keep me out of Monte Carlo th

  Fannypack: Car key, phone, music, bandage, mint I walk, therefore I am? I don't know how your mornings start, but mine start out in the streets of my little hamlet where over the course of the last two years I have transitioned from a mildly energetic effort of two miles to a most recently determined effort of 4 miles. All of this effort is in the pursuit of a healthier life and the effort has paid off. In two years time I have dropped (very slowly) nearly 30 pounds, reduced my clothing size by two sizes, increased my energy level exponentially and have as my ultimate reward better health. As one in my very advanced years and living on borrowed time--having long passed my semi-promised three score and ten -- this "better health" is among my most prized possessions. All of that could have come to a very bad ending this morning when I took my third fall of my life. But I'm getting ahead of myself. Many, many years ago I read a terrifying story in READERS DIGEST about

Mrs. Teabody’s  LOOSE LEAF BLACK TEAS Across the Universe : Black Ceylon tea infused with Chai spices such as cloves, cardamom, orange peels including a magic soupcon of cinnamon to whisk you away on a magic carpet. All American Cupcake : Black tea, chocolate bits, sugar, powdered sugar, chocolate liquor, corn starch sprinkles and coconut come together to give you a delectable cupcake in your cuppa. Chocolate Chai : Black Pu-Erh tea with dark chocolate bits, sugar, cocoa butter, lemon peel, soy lecithin and chai spices come together to solve the afternoon’s thorniest problems. Coconut Cream Egg : Black tea, shredded coconut, powdered sugar, corn starch, salt, cellulose gel, chocolate liquor, cocoa butter, soy lecithin. Decadent chocolate blended with creamy coconut delivers a favorite Easter basket memory. Durty Chai : Black Assam tea, lemon peel, with Espresso chips and chai spices. For all you coffee club card carriers, this is the bridge between coffee and tea that you

Today is Friday even though this was written on Thursday but (regrettably) not published. Friday. Remember that. Five for Friday Please take note: If you know me at all, you know that I take our present situation seriously. However, there are  far better NEWS sources than I out in the wide media world that will provide factual, well-researched data (by scientific methods) in a manner you can depend on. My little journal is about coping with the world as I see it, no more, no less. --Mrs. Teabody Tea Tastings and Napping Strategies Coro-nizzard? It's the weekend in case you haven't noticed. Each morning a photo pops up on my little device capturing the date years before. If my device can be trusted, the photo above is from April 2018. Snow covered the patio and picnic table completely changing our lunch plans.  Seeing all this snow reminded me that the past three weeks are unlike anything in my experience except for blizzards and snowstorms in the 1990s that left us

Wednesday, April 1 Just give us a moment, Ladies. Take your time. I mean, what are you going to do that is all that important? This is an actor named Rob Lowe. Perhaps you've heard of him? Well. This was to be OUR weekend. Ever since I got the call from my favorite casino telling me that I could have two complimentary tickets to see Rob Lowe in his one man show, I've been, well, preparing myself. After all when does a person like myself--so elderly, so rural - - get the chance to see such a talented actor in person? Me: I'll need a seat in the front. Agent: Where in the front? Me. First row, dead center. This could be OUR only chance. Agent: (laughing hysterically) Oh, I see. Of course. What exactly do you like about him? Me: Oh, his acting. Definitely his acting. Agent: He IS pretty easy on the eyes. Me: Really? I don't believe I've ever noticed. Later when I told my sister, she had the same reaction.   Me: I got tickets to see Rob

Today is Tuesday, March 31 See clearly now It has come to my attention that my tea samplings are taking a second fiddle to my other ramblings so let's dive right into tea on this Tuesday which I think is actually Day #6 of tastings but Day #14 of social distancing.  There is no quiz on any of this, of course, so let  any and all of those numbers slide right out of your pretty little noggin. As this is Day #6 of tea samplings that means with the conclusion of today's selected teas, I have shared 30 teas with you. That's a lot, even for me so after today we will take a break for a day or three because April 30 is a while down the pike. In fact, we've not even tapped into our new (and hopefully, better) month.  The very good thing is that I have had the opportunity to re-acquaint myself with all the teas I offer in my quaint little NONESSENTIAL shop -- more on that later. Let's drink some tea, starting off with two traditional black teas Earl Grey Pride an

It's Monday. Try to keep up. 'tis in my memory locked- Hamlet  It is along Back Run Road each spring--even the springs which are cancelled - - that I make the determination of the optimum day for seeing magnolia trees and I base this determination on the tree pictured below in the front lawn on what we call (informally) Clevenger Corner. Here below is the lovely Clevenger Magnolia . It's a beaut. And this morning I found it blooming at its peak. I mention all this because no Magnolia Day passes that I don't immediately make a trip to neighboring Mercersburg to have a gander at  my other favorite magnolia tree. Beth's Magnolia Here's a look at the favorite Mercersburg Magnolia blooming full tilt--a bit washed out because I photographed it around 11 instead of the perfect time some four hours before. Still, it is a stunner.  Don't you agree? Just now  this gorgeous house behind the Mercersburg Magnolia is unoccupied but it IS under