Until holiday traditions resume, we'll Zoom and re-Zoom!

Non-traditional Thanksgiving dinner and tablescape

The year 2020 has changed up everything:  jobs, travel, events (including weddings) and, now, the traditional holiday season. With necessary quarantine restrictions, Thanksgiving, Christmas and the other end-of-the-year celebrations are taking on a whole new spin of the familiar. 

Thanksgiving is one of the Gulley mainstays: husband, Chris, and I have been participating in or hosting turkey day get-togethers for almost forty years. (Faithful blog readers may note, I've been writing about such events and tablescapes since 2008!). But, this year, as with most things, Thanksgiving was very, very different.

Rob and Matt get the  ruler out

Table of burgundy and toile

Our children (and spouses/fiancés)  held their own private Thanksgiving as did Chris and I. Easy? Not really, of course. But, we decided to turn quarantine lemons into palatable lemonade. Chris planned an amazing seafood menu for a romantic weekend at our northern home, Pemberly Pines, and Rob and Haley, Rachel and Sean and NYC, Matt, scheduled a holiday Zoom meeting for 7:00 PM on Thanksgiving day.

Black Friday shopping with Rachel back in 2014

And, while we can curse the darkness, we really need to appreciate the light that is technology and Zoom. To be able to connect and see loved ones who we can't congregate with (be they a ten minute drive or an hour and a half flight) in the comfort of your living room is incredible. 

Rachel and Sean's Thanksgiving dinner

We also were full-on texts, for the holiday,  getting updates from Rachel on her first Thanksgiving dinner with husband, Sean. Also, close friend (and birthday twin!) Pam sent me texts throughout the day of her menu, including a sweet potato/apple dressing to accompany their turkey dinner. Sister-in-law, Cara, shared her Thanksgiving tablescape,  aided by my talented nephews' holiday fixins',  and modified for immediate family only. 

Pam's sweet potato and apple dressing

Not to say, one can't get nostalgic for past times. Looking through past blogs and photos, I found a treasure from 2014:  I set the table in burgundy and toile while my sons, Rob and Matt, chided their mother's attention to tablescape detail AND the day after, Rachel and I took part in our annual Black Friday trek to Somerset Mall to get our "free" tote bag and other we-are-willing-suckers deals.  Remember when these events were "ordinary"? 

A previous Thanksgiving where friends and family all received BTS' dining etiquette book! Wow!

Or even just a few Thanksgivings ago, where we set a table for family and friends and everyone got a copy of BTS' etiquette book - wow (!) hard to beat that!!!

Thanksgiving Day Zoom call with the family

But, Thanksgiving is a time to count ones blessings and we certainly have our share to be thankful for. We're heathy, employed, and connected.  Most thankfully, we can share our stories and our faces with one another through Zoom.  Rob and Haley shared their first Thanksgiving meal together (all good but no mashed potatoes) as did Rachel and Sean, complete with gigantic turkey leg and yams topped with mini marshmallows.  Matt nibbled on pecan balls that Rachel made and sent as part of his Thanksgiving "care package".

When we're back to pre-quarantine activities, we'll be thrilled to resume in person friends and family get-togethers. No doubt, we'll appreciate them even more. But in the meantime, we'll Zoom and re-Zoom and be thankful for that. 

We at BTS wish you a very happy, safe, holiday season!

We also welcome new holiday traditions photos. If you have one you would like to share on our blog, please forward to barb@barbsteashop.com.

Tuesday Tea and Tomes: Where the Crawdads Sing

Where the Crawdad's Sing by Delia Owens

Do you like a murder mystery? What about a coming-of-age tale? Perhaps a story of survival?  "Where the Crawdads Sing" has them all and all within a naturalist's dream of a relatively undisturbed environment of water and land on the coast of North Carolina.

The book, written by Delia Owens and published 2018,  follows the story of Kya, a young girl who is left to fend for herself in a remote coastal terrain. It's a lonely, isolated life, but not without  benefits.  Kya not only learns about the wild creatures of her surroundings, but learns from them as well.

Wetlands, be they coastal or inland, provide nature's reality show.

Kya  becomes known as "The Marsh Girl" from the residents in the nearby town.  The label is  meant as a derision, but understanding what the marsh really is, some would embrace it as a compliment. The author makes it clear from the very beginning of the book that there's something special about the marsh:  it's a "space of light".  In contrast, the swamp is where the water is "still and dark" and "life decays and reeks and returns to the rotted duff". An apt place for the deposit, and later discovery of, the lifeless body of one of the town's most popular characters? - maybe or maybe not!  

Aside from the challenges of the coastal wilderness, a menacing fire tower adds another obstacle to navigating the murky swampland.  

Be cautious of the fire tower

There are many parallels to the author's life and Kya's. Delia Owens was an "outside girl" growing up in the south. She loved to hike and study nature, which lead her on the path to earn a degree in Zoology and later a Ph.D. in Animal Behavior.  

She also connects with Kya's isolation, having spent years in off-the-grid areas of Africa with her now ex-husband, studying behaviors of elephants, lions and hyenas.

With "Where the Crawdads Sing", Owens proves not only that she's an expert naturalist, but a compelling novelist as well.

Spotting a pied-bill grebe made my naturalist heart grow 3 times that day

Although leading a Thereau-esque life has not been my "cup of tea", I did feel a kinship to Kya on a recent trip to the Seney Wildlife Refuge in Michigan's upper peninsula. The refuge has acres of woods, wetlands, and yes, even its own fire tower (wisely, it's entrance is securely locked).

Along with my husband, brother and sister-in-law, we hiked a number of miles through the wildnerness, accessorized with jackets, gloves (it was October after all) and binoculars. There's an otherworldly feel to walking through acres of undeveloped land (it was tried almost a century ago, but nature won that battle) without the din of traffic noise or bellows of the madding crowd.

There's entertainment in observing wildlife, a true reality show, and we felt like we hit all the numbers on the weekly lotto when we spotted a pied-billed grebe in the water. We quickly grabbed our Michigan Bird Book when we first caught site of this bird gliding across the marsh, than dunking in for an underwater swim. We found he was text book grebe! Like the Grinch discovering the true meaning of Christmas, my underdeveloped naturalist heart grew three sizes that day.

Seney National Wildlife Refuge in Michigan's upper peninsula

"Where the Crawdads Sing" falls into the "can't put it down" category.  I want to thank Beverly P. for the recommendation and invitation to her book club. Although I couldn't make the book club date, we had a great time discussing afterwards.  For more about the book and author, see Delia Owens

And, for those of you interested in learning more about Seney's National Wildlife Refuge, you can find them on Facebook! 

 

The Crown: My one degree-ish of separation from Royalty, Lord Spencer

Interviewing Lord Charles Spencer in March of 2014

 

I'm feeling a bit out-of-sorts today - suffering from a slight Crown hangover. I binge-watched Season 4 of The Crown (released last Sunday) with my husband, Chris, and we got through all ten episodes in less than a week. This morning's breakfast topic:  why didn't we pace ourselves?

So, to shake off that "day-after-Christmas" feelz, I sat down with a cup of "The Queen's Evening Tea", (one of The Crown blends from The Republic of Tea) , and remembered the good times I've had with my connections to the Royals. Your humble blog writer submits these memories in hopes that this may also bring cheer to any fellow Crown bingers who are now left occupying their empty time with social media Royal click-bate and  truth-or-fiction articles (including yesterday's Detroit Free Press - USA article:  Historian Fact-Checks 'The Crown' Season 4,)

Enjoying a cup of The Queen's Evening tea to settle in apres The Crown

In what will be a series of six, I start with my closest and one-degree-ish connection to Princess Di.

First degree-ish,  Lord Charles Spencer, 2014:  I met and interviewed Charles Spencer, current resident of the Althorp estate and brother to the late Princess Di, in March of 2014.  At the time, I was writing for a now defunct national on-line newspaper and scored an  interview with Lord Spencer when he came to the Art Van furniture store (also now defunct) in Royal Oak, Michigan. He was promoting a line of high-end furniture inspired by his family estate. 

Lord Spencer was exceedingly charming as he greeted the large crowd that had come to hear him speak in the furniture show room. He was also delightful to watch.  The heir to Althorp is much better looking than photographs portray;  he's tall with strawberry blonde hair and, at the time of his visit, was  lightly tan which set off those trademark Spencer big blue eyes. Indeed, he had all the ladies at "good day"!

When I finally got my turn to interview Lord Spencer, his unaffected and relaxed air made me instantly at ease and we talked about Althorp, his favorite tea (it's green) and Downton Abbey.  He signed the Althorp-inspired tea caddy I purchased and gave me the history of the Spencer Coat of Arms which decorates the top.

But, the best moment was when I texted my husband to come in from the parking lot to take a picture of me with Lord Spencer. It was a spur-of-the-moment request. Chris had been painting our laundry room that day and was waiting patiently outside to pick me up from the event. Being ever the good sport, he walked inside, a bit messy, wearing old, paint-splotched jeans. Lord Spencer turned to me with a wink and a smile and said in the most magnetic, aristocratic British accent:  "is that your man?"  

Golly! It surely was.  

After the interview was over and Chris took the requested pictures, I exited the furniture store elated. Not only did I get a wonderful talk in with Lord Spencer and a lot of good material for my article,  I left with a couple of great treasures: my Althorp tea caddy and my man. Good day, you bet!

With "my man" - another cute, tall, British  fair-haired chap with big blue eyes - at Buckingham Palace, 2006

And the countdown to The Crown Season 5 begins. . . I'm going to need a lot more tea. Stay tuned for more BTS Royal-phile stories coming up! 

TeaTime Magazine hosts "The Tea Things of Jane Austen" featuring Elmwood Inn Teas: a Tea Time Trifecta!

TeaTime Magazine presents Tea Things of Jane Austen with Bruce Richardson

 

TeaTime Magazine, Elmwood Inn teas and Jane Austen came together last Tuesday evening for a Janeite and tea enthusiast version of the tea trifecta, although in no particular order of rank.

"Tea Things of Jane Austen" was hosted by Lorna Reeves, editor of TeaTime Magazine and presented by Bruce Richardson of Elmwood Inn Teas.

TeaTime editor, Lorna Reeves introduced Bruce Richardson and facilitated Q & A

Nothing was required of guests other than registering ahead of time at the bargain cost of $25.00 (which also included a few other special items). I positioned my laptop next to our living room fireplace and steeped up some Elmwood Inn herbal tea in an-oh-so-fitting Jane Austen tea mug.

Ready for the tea talk with Elmwood Inn herbal tea

Bruce Richardson discussed tea references in Austen books and displayed the "tea things" that would have been used in Jane Austen's time. As many times as I have read Jane Austen's books, I didn't realize the the simple, but all encompassing, two-word  "tea things"  reference  shows up more than a few times in her novels.  Bruce Richardson (aka the "Tea Maestro") told us just what those those items were.

Elmwood Inn herbal tea served up in Jane Austen tea mug

The tea things would have consisted of the essentials: a hot water urn, a tea pot, a tea caddy (to store the tea) tea cups, teaspoons, and a sugar bowl with matching milk pitcher. .  Types of tea would be limited to black or green tea which Jane would have purchased at Twinings in London. 

Bruce Richardson discussed tea at the Pump Room in Bath. we visited in 2005

We were reminded of our Jane Austen trips across the pond as Bruce Richardson shared his slides of Chawton, The Pump Room in Bath and Twinings. Memorable sites and most agreeable to be sure!

The combination of  Jane Austen, Elmwood Inn and TeaTime, made for an evening of fascinating discussion and much felicity,  

Stay tuned - in less than a fortnight, TeaTime will be hosting another great event:  A TeaTime Christmas presented by Lorna Reeves. And, yes, we here at BTS have already purchased our ticket! For more information on this holiday special, click this link to the TeaTime Magazine website, A Tea Time Christmas.

With Bruce R. at Elmwood Inn last year

For more information on Bruce Richardson and Elmwood Inn teas, check out their website:  Elmwood Inn

For more of BTS's visits to Jane Austen sites, see our recent blog from July, Visiting the homes of Jane Austen.

  

Afternoon tea and more! at Tonia's Victorian Rose tea room: A great place to socialize with friends with social distancing in place!

The tea room's "Fancy 2-Tiers" is a delicious and well portioned afternoon tea

Tonia's Victorian Rose tea room in downtown Rochester has something for everyone:  full afternoon-tea-fare for the afternoon-tea addict and a variety of well-known scrumptious menu offerings such as chicken pot pie and quiche lorrain to satisfy those looking beyond the tiered-tray. 

Located in downtown Rocheter, the sky-blue sided quaint cottage exterior gives a hint as to what guests will find inside. The interior is filled with vintage charm, from a recently wallpapered dining room wall to the crystal chandeliers that hang throughout.

Afternoon tea at Tonia's Victorian Rose is best with great friends!

In the current social-distancing requirements, Tonia Carsten, who bought the city's landmark tea room back in 2016, adheres to - and enforces - all the rules. Masks are worn by all, except for eating and drinking, and table seating is spaced out in all three rooms that comprise the venue's lower level.

Owner, Tonia C., bought the Victorian Rose in 2016. 

A recent visit with great friend, Laura, we socialized in the social-distancing environment and enjoyed a delightful repast accompanied by two pots of freshly brewed tea:  Laura is fond of their herbal mint tea and I, changing things up just a bit, ordered Lady Grey tea, a slightly lighter version than my always go-to, Earl Grey.

I ordered the "Fancy 2-Tiers" afternoon tea (note, for this selection, you must reserve 24 - 48 hours ahead) and it was delicious and very well portioned. The lower tier consists of the savories: a cashew chicken on croissant,  cucumber tea sandwich (always with a fun cutout!) and a spinach quiche corner.

The top tier, and always my favorite, the "sweets" was filled with delightful twists on the traditional:  the tea room's signature fruit scone, an earl grey tart shell filled with lemon curd and a dark chocolate raspberry torte bite. Tonia explained that the top tier should be eaten in the order just described - if you start with the chocolate bite, it may overwhelm your taste buds for the remainder of the sweets.

The interior is filled with vintage charm. including the crystal chandeliers.

Laura ordered a full slice of the spinach quiche that comes with the Victorian Rose fresh greens salad topped with homemade raspberry dressing. All equally tasty!

I'm a great fan of this tea room and have visited several times over the years. In fact, as noted in my blog this April when carry-out service started up (Afternoon tea from Tonia's Victorian Rose: Curbside pick-up or delivery now available), this venue was where I launched BTS' first tea presentation (outside of home parties). Back in the day, it was also a favorite with my friends who donned red and pink hats. 

Tonia's Victorian Rose in downtown Rochester is open to the public Wednesday - Saturday

Tea time is always special at Tonia's Victorian Rose. Whether carry out, two-tiers, quiche or pot pie, it's always a treat - made even better when sharing virtually or on-site with wonderful friends!

Tonia's Victorian Rose is open for guests Wednesday - Saturday (don't forget your masks!)  and also available for private events/showers. Special themed teas are scheduled throughout the year (Harry Potter, Holiday teas). See their website for more information:  Tonia's Victorian Rose.

 

Countdown to the countdown: Adagio Christmas teas and advent calendar are here!

Countdown to Christmas with the pretty and pretty tasty teas from Adagio

Less than two months away, the countdown to the Christmas countdown has begun! And, for tea enthusiasts, there's nothing better for tracking down the days than with Adagio's Advent Calendar and/or (emphasis on "and"!) the  12 Days of Christmas sampler.

These two Christmas-themed gift packages from Adagio teas are not only pretty in appearance, but high in tea content. Both provide not just a variety of tea in tea bags, but individually portioned loose tea-for-one in each day's packet!

Adagio's advent calendar &12 days of Christmas come with packets of loose tea

Although I normally would exercise constraint and wait until December 1st before even entertaining opening a Christmas-themed packet, for the purposes of reporting, I did sample one of the Christmas teas. *Spoiler Alert* It was white pear tea and it was delicious!  (I brewed the white pear tea per the instructions on the packet: heat to 180 degrees and steep for three minutes - it was delightfully light and flavorful.)

Adagio's advent calendar features 24 loose teas, festive packaging

The Advent Calendar is enveloped in a dark, rich, red color, accented by gold outlines of a Christmas tree on one side and a reindeer on the other. It makes a wonderful addition to the Christmas decor (I've put mine on the console which resides in the hallway leading to our dining room) as each day a new "door" waits to be opened. 

12 Days of Christmas teas can be hung on a Christmas tree or remain unified for a holiday scene

But, new to me this  year, is Adagio's  12 Days of Christmas teas and there's a lot of cool stuff going on here. Again, like the advent calendar, the teas are loose tea blends. From my small sample, great tasting tea - but there's so much more! Each tea comes in a separate tin which slides open to reveal the tea packet. They work well by themselves, but assembled all together in the box, they make a consolidated holiday scene.

Adagio's 12 Days of Christmas tins make great favors or stocking stuffers

They can be displayed as a unit or used individually, to be hung as ornaments (each tin has a ribbon attached at the top) or distributed as favors or stocking stuffers to family and friends, 

We sampled White Pear tea and it was delicious!

If this seems a bit early to be thinking about counting the days to the final countdown, Adagio teas has a great feature on its website for some of these seasonal items:  a box you can click to "remind me later". Adagio is assisting with the need to wait, but still alert buyers before it's "too late".

I will be back to let you know about some of the other teas I'll taste as the time nears and how I've put those tea tins to work in my holiday decor.

In the meantime, the countdown to the countdown continues: kudos to Adagio for giving us such pretty -  and pretty tasty! - options to add to the Christmas celebration.

Adagio's advent calendar and/or 12 Days of Christmas, sure to please the tea enthusiast on your list

Product review disclaimer:  I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free or a discounted price. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. 

Election Day: Civic duty, matcha doughnuts and a winning campaign

Outside Mom/Daughter Political Science grads enjoy post-voting repast

Election Day is always celebrated at BTS. It's a great day to be a citizen of the U.S. and take part in one of the most powerful rights we have in determining the outcome of an election. It's been a long-time family affair in the BTS household - a time to stand in line together, parting briefly to cast our ballot, then reuniting for  a post-voting repast be it lunch, dinner, or this year, matcha doughnuts.   

My daughter, Rachel and I have been voting together since she turned eighteen. For us, it's a kind of holiday - we're both Political Science undergrads, influenced in many ways by my Mom, who was passionate about politics.

Post voting, circa 2016

Despite all the constraints of 2020, we headed out late Tuesday morning, with my husband, Chris and a batch of freshly baked doughnuts, courtesy Rachel. Buoyed by an unseasonably warm and sunny November day in Michigan, our spirits were high as we approached the line at our polling place, socially distanced and face-masked accessorized.  In addition, I donned my "VOTE" necklace that belonged to earlier-referenced influencer, my Mom. 

Somewhat bittersweet, this will be the last of our Mom/Daughter voting excursions. Daughter and tea biz partner, Rachel, was married in September and she and her husband, Sean, have moved to Ferndale.  But, it was a good run and we can still meet up for a post-voting repast!

Working the phones for the campaign

Chris apres voting, ready for matcha

                                 

Aside from just my usual pre-election activities of daily news consumption and drowning in Twitter feeds, this year I also got involved as a volunteer. I was one of those phone canvassers who called to thank you for voting and asking if we could count on your support to reelect -  BTS and Gulley-family favorite - Congresswoman Haley for District 11.

With our favorite Congresswoman

                                          

Although some elections results are still pending (and, we're talking right at the top!), we're happy to report, our favorite Congresswoman was reelected this November. Congrats to Haley, who's engaged to my son, Rob. 

Always ready for a post-voting repast and cup of tea

Whatever side of the aisle you align, election day is one to be celebrated as we engage in our civic duty and sometimes-taken- for-granted right to vote. 

Also, for those wondering about the matcha doughnuts, here's a link to  recipe  that Rachel used from Love and Lemons for  our Tuesday morning election snack:  Matcha Baked Doughnuts