Mrs. Teabody Greets the Day

Renascence   ALL I could see from where I stood Was three long mountains and a wood; I turned and looked the other way, And saw three islands in a bay. So with my eyes I traced the line Of the horizon, thin and fine, Straight around till I was come Back to where I’d started from; And all I saw from where I stood Was three long mountains and a wood. ~Edna St. Vincent Millay  (1892–1950) 6:10 and the windows are full of  nothing but darkness. It is pre-dawn quiet here on the side of Meadow Grounds Mountain and another winter's day is in the offing. Perhaps like the Teabodys you are feeling Winter's grip and not much liking it. That beastly  Punxsutawney  rodent saw his shadow on Monday, and to say many have unkind thoughts regarding "Phil"  and his forecast is understatement.  House captives. As much as you love and adore those who share your abode through these long winter nights, there are times when you long for fresh compan...

Come sail away? ( Written January 15 on Isla Mujeres, Quintana Roo) Ordinarily, Mrs. Teabody restricts the writing of her little missives to time at home -- greeting the day whilst looking at her beloved Tuscarora Mountain. After all, on holiday one likes to keep one's brain set on "barely functioning" when a body of blue water is nearby. HOWEVER, the brand new but thoroughly-soaked vacation ensemble that lies drying in the Caribbean breeze has sent Mrs. Teabody to the keyboard to share her thoughts about the nature of the sea and the nature of life with you, Gentle Reader. As Mrs. Teabody writes, the always beautiful and ever-changing sea fills her view. Less conspicuous are the forms of sea life that she knows are gurgling, piping, and leeching along less than one hundred feet away as Mrs. Teabody taps upon the black square keys. The Teabodys are dwelling in a smallish but stunning and impeccably-maintained house perched directly on the seafront in...

Good Morning from the silent and placid Chez Teabody where the Christmas season is still much in evidence with glittering tree in the corner and fairy lights sparkling along the porch railing. Packages from friends and family nestle beneath the tree as testimony of Christmas fetes far and near and the memories of so many festive occasions  underscore the bounty of coming from a large family and being fortunate enough to have wonderful friends. Whether sitting around a table with friends making egg cartons into  Christmas ornaments, sitting  jam-packed and fun-filled, shoulder to shoulder with family in the ancestral home, sitting in front of a hundreds years old walk-in fireplace enjoying witty repartee with far-flung-home-for-Christmas friends, or sitting in one's own lit-only-by-the-Christmas-tree living room contemplating decades of Christmases past, this season has been delightful. Mrs. Teabody had a day at her little shop, Tickle Your Fancy , that began with a Kri...

Tickle Your Fancy Gifts and Tea Good Morning, Gentle Reader! Chez Teabody stands quiet enough that Mrs. Teabody can hear the Grandfather ticking away. The ebon night is punctuated with the bright glow of fairy lights strung along the railing outside  and the Christmas tree blazes away just over Mrs. Teabody's left shoulder. Within arm's reach sits a steaming cuppa Earl Grey Lavender and a good pair of  cotton socks and  soft flannel pajamas assure comfort on this chilly December 10, 2014--two weeks till Christmas Eve-- and Mrs. Teabody is taking this opportunity to urge you to find your Christmas Spirit by looking outside yourself and suggests a few ways of doing just that. First of all, lose that hard part of your heart that harbors dark thoughts about the commercialization of Christmas by others. Don't waste a single moment of your life worrying about how anyone else is celebrating Christmas the WRONG way: the inappropriate decorations, the mis-guided focus...

Salad Italian French Dip Hello, December! Last week found Mrs. Teabody  and Company back at the fabulous new and smoke-free Baltimore Horseshoe Gambling Emporium. Even the most critical of the gaming industry can find lots to love  about Horseshoe and among those are a number of restaurants including Guy Fieri's Baltimore Kitchen and Bar where Mrs. Teabody and Company dined just one week ago. Just like Johnny Sanchez, GFBKB has nothing cosy about it, but what it lacks in warm and inviting it more than makes up for in portion size and yummy flavors. Mrs. Teabody and her sister decided wisely to share the Salad Italianne as a starter and quickly realized they were no match for this delicious mound of antipasti barely confined within a generous wrapping of prosciutto.  Bits of hard salami and Cheerio-sized mozzarella along with pepperocini and anchovy kept the salad full of flavor and texture. It was also VERY FILLING so when the server arrived bearing the mou...

In Gratitude for a Wonderful Life By Thruppence Teabody (2012)  If life is a pie, Mine is four-fifths done But there's filling left And the crust still crumbs. If life is a ball game, The eighth inning's near But the best batter's up And the outcome's unclear. If life is a rainbow, The way's going down But it's so much easier And gold's on the ground. If life is a card game, The aces are played But left in my hand Are the queen and her knave. If life is a water glass, Mine's more than half full Surprisingly clear Refreshingly cool. Life  is  what you make it; Your outlook is key Let no one say ever Life was wasted on me. Good Morning from Meadow Grounds Mountain where at this early hour not one rosy finger of dawn scrolls across the ebon sky. Today is Mrs. Teabody's birthday and she doesn't want to languish abed, contemplating her mortality. Mrs. Teabody has things ...

O brave new world that has such creatures in it. Good Morning from  a cool, starry and blowy Meadow Grounds Mountain where the last hour or so  found the Teabodys stirring,  making vegetable stock, bringing the tea kettle up to boil TWICE and wearing socks all around. The Teabodys shall be hosting quite a festive enterprise tomorrow, and, doubtless, you will be much abused with tales surrounding the event, but not this morning, Gentle Reader. This morning will be devoted to the creative energies of some beloved friends and the effect of loving hearts. Mrs. Teabody placed the above  two "containers"on the dining room table this morning and snapped their picture.. The top one is a delicate bird cage that holds no bird but instead holds a tidy stack of tiny little scrolls. The bottom is a cardboard box sent Priority Mail  from Illinois. What do these two containers hold in common? First of all, both are from females with specially reserved spots in Mrs. Te...