Friday, August 13, 2010

At Long Last!

At long last I finally had the opportunity this week to order a teapot for myself! My husband received a gift card from Amazon.com for a schoolbook he turned in and told me I could order anything I wanted with that card. I have wanted a real teapot for so long, and now for the first time since my play set as a child, I have my very own. I exercised much deliberation about my first teapot- color, size, brand. After my research I decided on a British-made Brown Betty and it arrived today along with a new book I will read for the first time (Walden, by Henry David Thoreau).
It stands to reason that the British would know the proper way to make a cup of tea. ;) Cauldon Ceramics explains very well the reasons I decided a Brown Betty Tea Pot suited my purposes, "During Queen Victoria's reign, tea became a symbol of Britain's greatest period of expansion and stability. Every home owned a teapot, even if it was a basic "Brown Betty". Tea was no longer a refined, upper class beverage but a basis of a whole meal.
While Charleston dancers and many Victorian glamours have disappeared for the scene, the humble "Brown Betty" teapot has still remained a firm favourite. Its origins go back to the end of the 17th century and to the birth of the British Ceramic teapot; although in 1700 an ordinary small unglazed teapot made of Red Clay from the Bradwell Woods area in Stoke-on-Trent was a luxury item costing about 12 shillings.
Our Brown Betty Teapots are still made from Terracotta and used by the Elder Brothers in 1965. Their method of making was by "Jollying' but in later years it became 'Slip Casting giving a smooth finish and even thickness. Rockingham Brown Glaze complies US FDA and California Proposition 65. The pots are microwave and heat resistant.
Succeeding generations of English men have proved that the Brown Betty, as these Red Ware teapots are affectionately known, make the best pot of tea in the world. The shape of the pot causes the tea leaves to be gently swirled around as the boiling water is added, thus producing an exquisite infusion. The Red Terracotta Clay with its Rockingham Glaze, Coddles the brew and gives the perfect cup of tea."
After opening my much anticipated package, I washed my purchase and began to steep my first pot of perfectly brewed tea. What could be more appropriate than some Twinings herb tea for the first brew of many in my authentic new Brown Betty? ("In 1706 Thomas Twining started selling fine tea in England. Today, Twinings still sells some of the world's best teas from the original store in the Strand, London, and in more than 100 countries throughout the world.") Amazingly enough it did taste so much better than I'd ever had my Twinings Peppermint Herb Tea before. I used some fresh home harvested honey (my Hometeacher had given my family) to sweeten my tea and had some crackers and my homemade Blueberry Jam to accompany it. I've heard that good rituals can bring a sense of well-being and security and are a necessary element in a stable lifestyle. I can definitely see the benefits of incorporating a relaxing routine such as enjoying a pot of tezane on a daily basis.

Thursday, July 29, 2010

Bit of a Disappointment

I found The Call of the Wild to be less entertaining for me than most other books, I'm glad I chose a short Jack London book to read. I found the author wrote a predictable and violent story. -Maybe men would enjoy reading about the violence. I did appreciate the author's depiction of the harsh life of dog sledders in Alaska and Canada, and the interpretation of the dog's perception. I disliked and disagree with the author's theory of evolution and mankind's primal ancestry, but it was still interesting and I mildly enjoyed it.

Monday, July 26, 2010

Shoes

I love my shoes. There is nothing like a good leather shoe (the only thing shoes should be made of except maybe canvas) and yet they are so hard to find. If I should find some leather shoes, you can bet they will cost me 3 times as much as they should or they may be only partially leather. What is up with our world where I can't even find a good pair of shoes for less than $90.00!
Superman bought me these flats months ago and I have been so glad to have them. They cost more than they ought but they are comfortable and simple and they breath so much better than plastic. Aren't they cute! They are Clarks and I don't know why it makes a difference but they are an
artisan. Shouldn't every shoe company be skilled in their art? Why should I have to pay more money for some stitching to tell me my shoes were made skillfully? Maybe we, as a society, are too accepting of mediocrity. -Something to think about.