Famous and not-so-famous Halls of Fame: Barb's Tea Service's Top Ten!

The Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville. In 2081, Chris got to visit his cousin's guitar. 

The 2026 inductees to the Toy Hall of Fame were recently announced. On hearing this news, we had two questions:

1. What toys received such an honor? *
2. There's a Toy Hall of Fame?

The answer to the last question is not only yes, but it's located Rochester, New York and been there since 1982.

That left us with one more question - Why not? 

If there's a Mascot Hall of Fame, which we learned about just this past September, (Mrs. Met inducted into Mascot Hall of Fame), it's clear these hallowed halls cast a wide net.

I must quickly add, though, there are many Hall of Fames which are highly esteemed and rather elite. There's tremendous achievement and extreme skills required of entries to even be considered as candidates for these honored places.  I've visited many over the decades from Cooperstown to Ishpeming, circled around a few and also aspired to be in one in particular. That said, here's our Top Ten Hall of Fames.

BTS Top Ten Hall of Fames:

 1. Baseball Hall of Fame Cooperstown, NY

 2. Football Hall of Fame, Canton, OH

 3. U.S. Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame, Ishpeming, MI

 4. Country Music Hall of Fame, Nashville

 5. Hockey Hall of Fame, Toronto, Canada

 6. Tennis Hall of Fame, Newport, RI

 7. Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Cleveland, OH

 8. Toy Hall of Fame, Rochester, NY

 9. Mascot Hall of Fame, on-line only

10. Podcast Hall of Fame, annual induction ceremony, Orlando, Florida

Fam. vacay included Football Hall of Fame, 1973. My Dad next to Lion's player & coach, Joe Schmidt. 

The first four, I've actually been inside and toured. I was at the Baseball and Football HoF's in 1969 and 1973, respectively, as part of family vacations when I was young. (Though my husband, Chris, and I did return to Canton, OH in 2018, combining it with a McKinley Presidential Library visit.) 

I don't remember much about the Baseball Hall of Fame, other then my older brothers being excited to get there. I do, however, have some great memories of the Football Hall of Fame and chasing down Detroit connections, like Joe Scmidt - both linebacker and coach for the Lions throughout the 1950's - early '70's.

2018 trip combined with Presidential LIbrary

Back to the Football HoF, 2018

                                                                                                    

                 

The ski museum isn't quite as dazzling as the two above, but to be fair, I don't follow skiing like I do the more popular American spectator sports, and it's been about twenty-five years since my last visit. Much more may have been added to enhance the experience, though I do recall a rather interesting tale of the Birkebeiners while we were there. Perhaps another stop is warranted next time we're in the UP,  considering skiing is from the land of my peoples.  

Ski HoF, Ishpeming, MI

Hockey HoF, Toronto

Other sports I don't follow, but have walked by their halls of fames: hockey and tennis. The Hockey HoF is in downtown Toronto. We passed its doors in 2016 on a fun shopping and dining adventure as part of  a Moms/Daughters weekend.  Our visit coincided, by accident, with a naked parade - though this was summer and not during a hockey game - brrrr! (BTS blog, July, 2016, Toronto begins and ends with "Tea", no ifs, and - or maybe a few butts.).

Rachel at The Elms on Bellevue, Newport, same street as Tennis HoF

While I haven't been inside the Tennis Hall of Fame, I have toured the interiors of many of its neighbors. It resides on Newport, RI's most famous boulevard, Bellevue. This is home to the grand homes, aka, Newport Mansions of the Gilded Age. 

Grammer guitar: tho Billy didn't make it in the Country HoF, his guitar did.

Turning to music, we haven't yet been to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, but we have been south to a museum devoted to another genre, the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville, TN. We were big fans of the collections and tributes and even have a personal connection. My father-in-law's cousin is Billy Grammer, an incredibly accomplished musician who produced his own line of guitars. Though he isn't in the Country Music Hall of Fame, his guitar was inducted in 1969.

The last Hall of Fame on our list is the one we have at least a chance to be included in, although heavy emphasis on "a chance".  To get into the Podcast Hall of Fame, the minimum qualification is five years podcasting, though longevity isn't the only criteria. Per their website, "candidates are celebrated for the depth of their influence and contributions to the industry, not merely for the time served".  (Looks like BTS' chances became even slimmer.)

Two more years and LOTS of luck, Podcasters Hof F

I haven't found a Tea Hall of Fame, so perhaps there's an opportunity to explore. As we like to say at Barb's Tea Service, please stay tuned!

*Not to leave those curious hanging - the  2026 Inductees to the Toy Hall of Fame are:  Care Bears, Bingo, Pokemon Cards and the Slide. 

It's GAME DAY: The Gilded Age, Season 4, premieres tonight! Here's how we're watching and what we're watching for.

Gilded Age, Season 4, watching for scenes we saw filmed in Troy, NY.

We're wearing Honolulu blue with pearls and serving sliders with scones. When your favorite football team plays on the same day as your beloved period drama premieres a new season, creative mashups occur.  And, we're looking for big wins for both Detroit and New York today.

Why did the Gilded Age gent cross the road? We'll find out soon!

It's no secret, we've been waiting for The Gilded Age's new season for several months - hitting "fever pitch" back in June when we stayed in Troy, New York for a few days. Here we witnessed some (mostly) exciting on-location filming for Season 4.

Chris in game room, Gilded Age shoots here.

Outside Breakers, Newport, RI

Here's what we'll be watching for tonight and the next eight weeks:

1.   The locals sitting outside St. Denis Hotel.
2.   Pinkerton men walking into a pub.
3.   A well-attired man following a working-class chap down an alley.
4.   A return to Newport
5.   A wedding.
6.   A special delivery.
7.   President Cleveland as played by comedian, Jim Gaffigan.

As noted in earlier blogs, videos and podcasts, BTS had a front row seat to items 1 - 3 and a few visits to Newport in years past. However, our insights to those plotlines are as mysterious as the rest. 

Tea at Marble House, RI. More tea will be spilled tonight!

Just three years ago, almost to the day, I readied for The Gilded Age, Season 2, premier donning a glittery gold cape and a tiara. We have the video to prove it, however, we guarantee, it's more "foolish gold" than Gilded.  😀  Gilded Age Season 2: How we prepared for The Gilded Age premiere 3 years ago!

GAME DAY:  Lions, tea time and Gilded Age , oh my!

We're ready to welcome the Russells, Van Rhijns and Scotts back into our parlor tonight! See you there. 

Homes of Jane Austen Tea Talk: Another delightful day at the office for BTS with the best of company!

The Jane Austen House in Chawton, one of the Austen homes in Hampshire, England.

We were back in the "office" last week, presenting Homes of Jane Austen, to a wonderful women's group at a local restaurant. Though the venue is well known for its signature wines, Friday afternoon, tea was the beverage of choice for the amazing ladies who filled its cozy, private dining space.

While we've presented many an Austentacious tea talk throughout the years, for this organization's local chapter -  many who trace their ancestors to England  - a request was made for our Austen presentation, but with a focus on the areas Jane lived. 

Getting ready for another day at the office with the best of company!

In our half a dozen trips to England in the past twenty years, we've made a point to always include a Jane Austen-themed side trip, be it where she shopped for tea in London, country estates that inspired her novels or homes she lived in. With the latter, we took it a step further, actually staying at one of the townhouses Jane lived in with her family when they first moved to Bath. 

Our Homes of Jane Austen starts in Hampshire from Southampton to Winchester, moving west to Bath and north to Chesire. A few Austen-adjacent and Austen-adjacent-adjacent estates were added to round out the regional representation of England. We've personally visited all the shops and homes shown in our slides, although we've only slept over at No. 4 Sydney Place.

Chris tracing his family roots to an Austen-adjacent-adjacent village.

We also share a bit of our own ancestral search in Yorkshire where my husband, Chris, could trace family roots from the 17th century. Though a bit out of Austen-land, it's the site of a grand residence once the home of Princess Mary and a filming site of Downton Abbey. (That's one of the multiple "adjacent's").

We loved our day in the workspace, outfitted with fancy teacups and chintz teapots filled with beautiful floral bouquets. We also much appreciated our take-home bonus: one aforementioned bouquet and a generous slice of chocolate cake. 

Bonus: aside from best company, lunch, flowers & cake.

A truly incredible afternoon in "good the best company". 

Persuasion's Anne Elliot defines "good company" as a "fellowship of clever, well-informed people who have a great deal of conversation and a liberality of ideas".  However, she is quickly corrected by her cousin, who proclaims "that is not good company, that is the best".

More tea talks scheduled for 2026 including A Jane Austen Christmas this December. We're happy to customize any of our BTS programs for your group. Check out our BTS website, barbsteaservice.com, for a list of current programs. 

Breakfast at Zingerman's: A quick return to the gems at the Next Door Cafe!

Though it took us forty years to finally visit Zingerman's Deli this summer, once introduced, we knew we'd be back soon. Last weekend, after our first drop-in this summer, we returned to the locally renowned Jewish delicatessen, but this time it was for breakfast at the Next Door Cafe. 

Located in the Kerrytown region, Zingerman's has been a presence in Ann Arbor since 1981. A decade later, it extended its footprint to an adjacent building, appropriately named the Next Door Cafe. Here one can order sweets and savories at one counter, pick up the contents at another and pour a cup of Zingerman's java at the self-serve coffee bar.

At our first visit, (Zingerman's with Barb's Tea Service) our mission was lunch enroute to see a play at The Encore Musical Theater in nearby Dexter with our fellow podcasters.  We ordered monster sandwiches along with iced tea and found outdoor seating in a shady tent between the deli and the cafe.

Glass showcases filled with gems:  scones, chocolates. pastries and more. 

Before heading out to Dexter, we did one final sweep of the deli and I filled a bag with two packages of Zingerman's tea and half a dozen rugelach. (The latter are bite-sized pastries with a variety of fillings including chocolate and apricot).

Not unlike our initial Zingerman adventure, last weekend's stop was also tied to a theater performance - this time, at the Purple Rose Theater in Chelsea, another short drive to Ann Arbor, though our order was reversed. On Sunday, we took in a matinee performance and dined at JD's with fellow Patrons of the Arts, (Devin Scillian at Purple Rose), then camped out at Weber's Inn overnight.  The Next Door Cafe was apres, apres theater - not far from our hotel and proved to be a most excellent place for breakfast.

Savory cheddar herb biscuity-scones were delicious (as was the "other hot beverage").

My husband, Chris, and I both ordered a savory cheddar herb scone which was delicious. A fine blending of flavors in a biscuity-like scone which - bonus! - was served up with a complimentary rugelach.

Although we helped ourselves to a few cups of that other hot beverage (which was, seriously, awesome), I once again stocked up on three more blends of Zingerman's tea (blog stories soon).

Zingerman's takeaway: Three more tea blends!

Like many things we may have put off for a variety of reasons and circumstances, once "bitten" the return is quick. Possessing more "gems" than a Tiffany's showcase, we'll be back soon for another Breakfast at the Next Door Cafe.

Devin Scillian's new play at Purple Rose, followed by dinner at JD's: Our "first degree" connections to both playwright and actor

 

Meeting Devin Scillian in 2021, pre-playwright.

A Bastard came to the Purple Rose Theater and we were delighted!

This weekend, we saw the play written by a long-time (now retired) Detroit news anchor, Devin Scillian,  in a theater founded by famous actor and Mitten State native, Jeff Daniels - and,  yes, we've been up close and personal with both.

Play, Patrons and Pizza:

My husband, Chris, and I, have joined fellow Patron of the Arts and great friends, Tim and Joni H., to see live theater for several years and four of those outings have been at the Purple Rose Theater in Chelsea, Michigan.  Like the town it's situated in, the theater is small, unpretentious and welcoming. It's also home to some fine acting, writing and directing and this season's opener, Bastard, scored high on all three.

Patron of the Arts at another great Purple Rose performance.

The plot revolves around family conflict - two brothers who could make sibling rivalry an Olympic event. But, it's not all combat.  Between verbal jabs and attacking old wounds, there's still room for warmth, humor and a plot twist none of saw coming.  

We give this "eight thumbs up".

So close to the stage at the Purple Rose, we could be considered part of the set. 

The ending, however, wasn't the only surprise: this year a new restaurant is in town, JD's. Like the theater, it too, was founded by Jeff Daniels though, per its website, it was a "vision twenty years in the making".  

Yooper is on the menu!

This play runs through Dec. 20.

Again, we Patrons of the Arts, found much to rave about at this new dining establishment. Joni and I ordered the specialty pizzas and they were delicious. The gents, too, were pleased with their respective steak and fish entrees.  Though we didn't sample any of their signature cocktails, we did get a kick out of the one listed "Yooper", most assuredly a nod to Daniel's play and movie, "Escanaba in da Moonlight".

Front row seats to die for:

We secured our tickets in August, as soon as the "new season" offering went on sale. This gave us the closest seats we've had at the Purple Rose to date, front row and just shy of being considered part of the set.

Broadway seats for Jeff Daniels as Atticus Finch - we could touch the stage.

But, this wasn't our first encounter bordering the stage with Purple Rose connections. In 2019, while visiting our son Matt the year he moved to Manhattan, we gambled on a last-minute ticket purchase to the Broadway production of  To Kill a Mockingbird  starring theater/restaurant owner and award-winning actor, Jeff Daniels. 

Celia Keenan-Bolger (now on Gilded Age) won a Tony as Scount

Again, we had seats in the first row - so close we felt we were sitting at the kitchen table with Daniel's Atticus and Tony-winner (now starring in The Gilded Age) and Michigan native, Celia Keenan-Bolger. 

No surprises here, the production was as magnificent as our seats.

Devin rocks , news at 11:00: 

While we were once in striking distance of Jeff Daniels, we had an even closer encounter with the playwright, Devin Scillian - and not just from our family room television. Back in 2021, during a local tour of Scillian's band, we met him when he performed in Huntington Woods. 

Devin: early evening rocking to late night news anchor.

Every bit as engaging as his anchor persona, he put on a fantastic concert and met with guests after the show. Friendly and fun, he was a treat to talk to. And, in an impressive Clark Kent maneuver, he turned from early evening rock star to late night on-air journalist within just a few hours. 

A Great Day in our Lives:

As we wrapped up our day in Chelsea, we Patron of the Arts were pleased to once again enjoy great theater, a scrumptious repast and terrific company.

And, yes, for the none who were wondering, there is Days of Our Lives connection! Mark Colson, who plays one of the warring brothers, has occasionally played archangel Gabriel on the long-running soap opera. 

Countdown to Gilded Age, Season 4: Deep pockets vs Hot Pockets!

Anxiously awaiting The Gilded Age, Season 4, and viewing scenes from Troy, NY.

The Gilded Age, Season 4, will premiere on HBO November 1. In a new trailer, we find out "old money" matron, Mrs. Van Rhijn, is hosting the President of the United States, specifically Grover Cleveland. While that is indeed impressive, the casting of the role may be more so. Grover Cleveland is played by comedian, Jim Gaffigan.

It has us wondering, will the President be asking for Hot Pockets at dinner? 

In less than two weeks, we're not only looking forward to reuniting with some of our favorite old guard and new money families, but spotting the actors and the sets we saw during our visit to one of the filming locations in New York's capital region this summer.

As noted in our June blog (Gilded Age Season 4 coming this fall:  BTS' not-so-exciting, but exclusive scene previews), my husband, Chris, and I had the good fortune to witness some of the on-location filming of The Gilded Age in Troy, New York. This area is a perfect stand-in for late 19th-century Manhattan, as the architecture remains true to the period and its smaller size makes production easier. 

One of the Pinkerton Men. Who needs protection?  We'll find out soon!

Back in June, we witnessed "Pinkerton Men" walking down the street, some gents sauntering down an alley and a group of working class folks gathered outside the St. Denis Hotel. What is going on? Who is in trouble? Why the extra security?

We'll get the answers starting November 1 and per the recently released trailer, we're getting a few more teasers. Peggy Scott's wedding is under way, but not without her future mother-in-law's strong opinions. New money couple, George and Bertha Russel appear to be still at odds and, then there's Mrs. Van Rijn entertaining that very special guest. 

Will this be on the menu? 

Subject of Jim Gaffigan's stand-up. Perhaps a fav of Grover Cleveland?

See you all in 1886, November 1 for The Gilded Age, Season 4 on HBO/Mox!

London Fog is calling! Trader Joe's tea concentrate is quick, easy and very sweet.

 

Trader Joe's London Fog Tea Drink Concentrate.

London is calling Barb's Tea Service once again, this time in the form of tea concentrate from Trader Joe's. 

Trader Joe's is always an adventure - a happy place to shop whether stocking up on the usuals or, my favorite, searching for new products. There are always a lot of seasonal items offered, recently pumpkin chocolates and pumpkin butter, but then there the surprises that show up on shelves without notice. This weekend, we were introduced to London Fog Tea Drink Concentrate. The price and easy-to-prepare instructions made this an easy choice to place in our shopping basket. 

Few ingredients and easy-to-prepare instructions have great appeal. 

It had been years since I had a London Fog Latte. Actually, looking through the BTS blog archives, I first tried this specialty drink back in 2009 (London Afternoon Tea in an Unlikely Place). I don't recall having it since. I tend to like tea without a lot of "extras". But, even after so much time had gone by, I do remember liking it. And, with Michigan autumn temps now fluctuating between the mid 50's to the low 70's, there was a lot of appeal in this tea's label noting it could be served hot or cold. 

Final product, easy to fix, tasty, but very sweet - hot or cold. 

Anxious to try our new Trader Joe's find, once home and shortly after unpacking our bags, I set out to prepare my London Fog latte. Again, the recipe and preparation called to me in their outrageous simplicity: one part concentrate to two parts milk, mix and serve (heating optional).

I started with a half cup of tea, added a cup of milk and placed it in a plastic measuring cup with a lid and shook it heartily.  I took a sip of it cold - tasty, but very, very sweet.

Ready to eat and delicious!

Festive TJ chocolates. 

         

Next step, I heated up the brew and tried it hot. Though I thought it was better warm, it was still sweet. 

I'm not giving up on London Fog lattes - though my last stretch was 17 years -  but at Trader Joe's, I'm going to keep looking for other fun discoveries.

In the meantime, the Trader Joe's pumpkin (and other festive fall) chocolates are ready to eat and delicious!