Barb's Tea Service, an award-winning podcast!

Barb and Chris of Barb's Tea Service receive ONTV's Spirit Award

Barb's Tea Service podcast not only celebrated its one-year anniversary this month, but it also received an award from ONTV Studios, home and mentor of podcast team Barb and Chris Gulley. 

Last week, at ONTV's annual banquet, which brings together all the support and talent (on the latter, personally, we'll add air quotes), Chris - my studio engineer, co-host and arm candy- and I were incredibly surprised and honored to be the recipients of a "spirit" award which recognized the commitment to our weekly studio recording as well as embracing the newer technology of remote podcasting. And, anyone who knows the Barb's Tea Service podcast team, it's not hard to figure out who spearheaded that effort. 

Ian Locke, Executive Director at ONTV, announces Barb and Chris Gulley as spirt award recipients.

In fact, Ian Locke, ONTV Executive Director, recognized Chris as the first to not only "check out" the studio's remote podcasting equipment, but as one who took it to the next step by purchasing equipment for our own "on-the-road" programs.

Meeting up with old friend, Anita K.

The ONTV banquet - our first - was held at Palazzo di Bocce and it was a fun night meeting up with old (hello, Anita!)  and new friends, indulging in delicious food and taking part in a  tribute to the entire ONTV studio team:  staff, volunteers, interns, producers and, yes, even a podcast team featuring a tea lady and her arm candy. 

ONTV banquet showcased BTS podcast's early adoption of remote podcast equipment.

Although a next-day tea event prevented us from staying late to participate in bocce ball, we will make sure we keep the calendar clear next year in order to compete with our ONTV family on the bocce ball lanes. 

Spirit award to be displayed in a place of honor. 

We had to give a shout out to not only Ian, but Joe Johnson, Joey Tysick and Tracy Marsh who keep us focused and field all our questions and come to our aid whenever we've hit the wrong button or pressed no buttons at all. 

Also, thanks to all our "special guests" over the past year:  Rob (times 3!) and Megan and Rik and Carol. We appreciate your engaging contributions!

Arm Candy and BTS podcast tech guru

A delightful surprise to be honored by ONTV!

We're thrilled to be recognized by ONTV, but, honestly, it's icing on the cake.  Our regular trips to the studio feel more like visiting family than just "renting" space. 

Starting our second year, we're ready to expand our production skills, take on more adventures and more tea and tea-adjacent topics. 

As we like to stay at Barb's Tea Service, "please stay tuned".

Treated like Royalty! Downton Abbey-inspired tea talk at Springfield Library

 

BTS duo of Barb G. and Pam B. 

One of the themes of the first Downton Abbey movie, which BTS features in its DA-inspired tea talks, is all the excitement and preparation that goes into entertaining royals - the decor, the food and extraordinary hospitality. This past weekend, we, along with guests at the Springfield Library, received the royal treatment which included a selection of teas served in fine china cups, a variety of scones, biscuits and cookies and lovely tablescapes with personalized napkins and fresh flowers. It was perfect for our afternoon immersed in the manners and etiquette of upper-class English society in the early twentieth century.

Fine china tea cups

Scones, sweets and savories served

At the invite of Cheryl Burtrum, Reference Librarian and head of adult services at Springfield Library, we brought our DA talk of tea and travels to this venue, and we were impressed by the set-up, the locale and, most assuredly, the guests.

Barb G. with Cheryl Burtrum, Springfield Library's Reference Librarian

After the program, many attendees, stayed for another cup of tea and conversation with the BTS duo of Barb G. and Pam B. It was wonderful. 

 Several guests stayed for another cup of coffee and bit more conversation. 

Dressed in a gown that represented the emerging fashions of the "Roaring Twenties" - dropped waist, rising hemlines (not quite yet over the knee!), and pearls -  I also donned a tiara temporarily. But, I didn't really need it - we were treated like royalty with or without the crowns. 

Mousse in the Woods: Color of the Year inspires northern Michigan dessert!

Mocha mousse inspired "Mousse in the Woods".

As we noted in Barb's Tea Service's In/Out List for 2025, mocha mousse is the color of the year. This past weekend at Pemberly Pines, our northern Michigan cabin, that delicious hue inspired dessert among the evergreens - a different kind of "mousse in the woods".

Hosting family for the holiday weekend, my husband, Chris, the gourmet chef of our clan, was preparing a twist on a classic Easter dinner that included ham, loaded baked potatoes, seasoned carrots and pan-fried Brussel sprouts with a maple syrup/red-wine vinegar sauce. I felt we needed a dessert worthy of such a feast, but, within my (rather rusty) kitchen skills. 

Bowl and pan work as double boiler

Preparing the mousse, sans KitchenAid

Mousse came to mind with its recent association of the fashion-forward color.  Because of that, memories surfaced of my preparing the rich, chocolatey dessert for formal and/or family gatherings of yore. It was time to bring back the mousse, while in the woods, but, slowly, starting with not only a refresh, but, a reacquaintance of the process. That's when Allrecipe's "Chocolate Mousse for Beginners" caught my eye.

First batch yield, a bit small.

Mousse can be refrigerated a day before serving*

Once up at Pemberly Pines, before the rest of the gang arrived, I set out my ingredients:  eggs, sugar, butter, chocolate, heavy cream, salt and water. Undaunted by KitchenAid deprivation, I utilized an "old school" mixer and bowl-to-pan "double boiler". (The beauty of mousse, is not only its deliciousness, but it can be prepared ahead of time and refrigerated one day before serving).

Mousse in the Woods, served in glass teacups, at Pemberly Pines

This recipe is appealing in its ease of preparation and minimal ingredients. The disadvantage is the  not-so-detailed-instructions along with a relatively small yield. After "round one", I was disappointed with the serving amount, so quickly, went back and doubled my efforts. 

I poured the final product (both times) into clear glass teacups (a Christmas gift from Chris) which showcased the appealing mocha color. 

For our festive family dinner, we were ready. Chris' special, seasonal supper was fabulous. Chocolate mousse dessert was yummy, but, a bit dense.  We're thinking next time more cream and, maybe, less mixer and more manual folding. 

Mocha mousse, watch out! While you may be "color of the year", Mousse in the Woods, is holding its own at the dinner table in a cabin, among the pines, in northern Michigan.

*my apologies for a lackluster fridgescape

Exercise class, so much more than planks: Added benefits to fitness groups include afternoon tea and (healthy) cake!

Unexpected benefit of fitness class, teatime, hosted by fellow classmates and attended by our instructor.

In the barrage of news stories that fill my daily on-line media scroll, a recent headline made me not only pause and smile, but offer an audible affirmation to no one but my laptop. The bold text, above the  article from The Atlantic (November, 2024), read: "A Ridiculous, Perfect Way to Make Friends:  Group fitness classes aren't just about exercise". 

The author of the article, Mikala Jamison, who is both an indoor cyclist instructor and attendee of other exercise classes, asserts that making friends is an unexpected byproduct of attending group workouts. She observed relationships developing in fitness classes from romantic dating to post-Pilates coffees. Jamison also saw personal changes: in class she was a "better version of [her]self, warm, welcoming and encouraging." In her mid-thirties, she's made many good friends in these group active-focused activities and, found that "research . . . suggests that the glow of exercise's feel-good chemicals has interpersonal benefits."

Rosemary, classmate, afternoon tea host

Rosemary, Pam among the tea fare creators

Like Jamison, I, too, have found that exercise class is more than just yoga poses and planks (although, with regards to the latter, on the balance sheet of activity, I'm running a bit in the "red" on those), but I had a head start in the buddy connection. My "best-tea", Pam, invited me to join her exercise class a year and a half ago. My main motivation was nothing more than to keep active. I wasn't focused on weight loss (though that's debatable as to whether that should be) or training for a marathon. I just wanted to flex and stretch within my limits in order to maintain a somewhat mobile lifestyle. Aside from succumbing to the always looming allure of our cushy recliners, my husband and I walk regularly and, depending on the season and locale, we also golf, ski and snowshoe. And, no matter how mediocre I fare in each, I enjoy participating, and want to keep doing, as many as I can.

Exercise classmates and fellow snowbirds.

So, that was my state of mind when I joined Tend, an exercise class with the motto: "strengthen, sculpt, connect." Lead by owner, Patti McGowan, a tour de force of energy, charm and encouragement in a  petite frame, the sessions emphasize stretching, mobility and setting challenges, but all within ability. The heart of the class is encouragement and community. It makes one want to come back.

In the past, I've done self-directed gym workouts, adding a year with a personal trainer, as well as home sessions with vintage Jane Fonda videos and, more recently, YouTube sessions. But, I never looked forward to any of them, and, perhaps, that's why they fizzled out.

BTS Tea at Troy Historic Village, our instructor, standing, far right

With Tend, I have not only accountability, but now, as a regular, I have a cohort. Some of the same folks who I "cow and cat" pose with in the studio, I also join for dinner, golf and, yes, afternoon tea.

In one class, I met Cheryl, who, although we'd lived in the same neighborhood for years, had never crossed paths. Our introduction at Tend, lead to not only golf, but a visit in Florida while our snow birding travels overlapped in January.

Another great connection through class is with Rosemary. We found we had a shared passion for afternoon tea that put us on the path of a "Southern-themed" tea time last summer, hosted and catered by Rosemary with the incredible assistance of, and inspiration from, her sister and Pam.  And, Patti was there, too.

Patti's support goes beyond the gym and studio, having invited us to her home as well as attending our outside interests. At one of Barb's Tea Service's tea talks at the Troy Historic Village, she was there to greet Pam and I before, during and after.

Tend's mission is real and, without a doubt, there's a lot of emphasis on "connect". 

In addition to Jamison's article, I looked for other resources on the topic of unexpected benefits to be found in community fitness groups. I came upon a succinct synopsis from Planet Fitness. And, while it may be self-serving to its business, I found it hit many of my "truths". Here's their top five:

5 Social benefits of exercise that might surprise you

1. It makes you more reliable
2. It helps you find people you like
3. It improves your memory
4. It makes you a happier friend
5. It can help you adjust to new surroundings

    Important add to the above, Planet Fitness states: please always consult with a physician prior to beginning any exercise program. 

Another Venn diagram of people and activities (and, you know, tea time is always one of my circles!), there's an overlap of tea, golf, neighbors and exercise friends.  

Healthy cake, unexpected and more fun than planks.

With all the stated unexpected benefits of exercise class, I must also add, the individual, deliciously healthy, cake that Patti gifts us on our birthday. 

So, yes, fitness sessions can be so much more than planks . . . thank goodness!

Quilt Trip: A quilt show of sewing masterpieces is awe-inspiring!

Murder of the Viking, scary title, beautiful quilt, by Judy M.

Quilting, per Wikipedia, is "the stitching together of layers of padding and fabric, [and] may date back as far as 3400 BCE.  Historically it was a practical technique to provide protection and insulation, however. . . many now are primarily art pieces."  A recent quilt show, where we walked through a maze of hanging masterpieces, exemplified the latter.  We were in awe and awesomely inspired.

Judy, Barb and Cara at CAMEO Quilt Show

Last weekend, Cameo Quilter Guild held a quilt show at the First Methodist Church of Troy, and I'd been counting down the days to the event ever since Judy M. (our son-in-law's grandmother and Cameo member) notified me of it several months ago. Making this more of a family event, Cara R., sister-in-law and quilter, drove up from Cincinnati to join me at the event.

Judy had many quilts on display and they were not only beautiful but varied in themes and colors. Hard pressed to pick a favorite, we voted for "Murder of the Viking", a rather scary label for an artfully sewn scene of a pleasing palette. 

Decorative stitch mystery quilt, Judy M.

Murder in Yellowstone, Judy M.

I am passionate about quilts, but more as an observer. My one and only "master-piece" was started thirty years ago when Cara, still living in the Detroit area, and I took a quilting class together.  Cara was a star pupil while I, although off to a decent start, struggled to keep my blocks straight. 

My sister-in-law immersed herself in the craft and leaned into "old school" hand quilting, bringing her supplies and projects on many family gatherings. While Cara still has some "loose ends" to complete, she continues putting quilts together for her church charity that collects personalized blankets for foster children. 

Refresh on my first and only quilt. 

A nice fold shows less of uneven blocks

           

I've admired both Cara's and Judy's quilting artwork for years, not only for their craftmanship, but for creative customization as well. When our daughter and son-in-law were married five years ago, Judy gifted them with a nature-themed quilt, befitting this couple who have a goal of visiting every national park. 

I asked Judy what got her started in quilting and, she too, has a history of sewing for charity. While taking care of her mother, she contributed to "little dresses for Africa", a non-profit organization that provides clothes to children in orphanages and schools in impoverished communities.  Ready to take her sewing skills to the next level, she purchased a new sewing machine and stitched together a couple of quilts on her own before connecting with CAMEO. The rest, as they say, is quilting history.

Barb T.'s (grand) baby quilt, one

Barb T.'s (grand) baby quilt, two

Another fabulous quilter of my acquaintance is great friend, Barb T. (we met over another shared passion, TeaTime Magazine) who has made over seventy quilts, many as gifts for babies, including her own grandchildren. Barb still sews on her 1940's sewing machine and, like her quilts, it's another timeless treasure.

Barb's appreciation of quilts began early. She grew up in a house filled with them, furnished by her parents who acquired the vintage treasures at antique auctions. 

It was later, however, before she created her own. Barb took several quilting classes and then, at the office, a co-worker showed her the brushed flannel rag technique.  They used to work on them during their lunch hour and it evolved into a tradition. Everyone Barb knew who was having a baby, received their own special quilt.

Barb T.'s brushed flannel rag quilts

Quilts, perfect for baby showers & grandchildren

For Cara and I, the quilt show inspired us to take on new projects.  I gave my quilt a "refresh" with a delicate wash and air dry, folded it artfully (the less straight lines are tucked behind) and added it to our guest room bed for a bit of tasteful granny chic. (I will also add that Cara saved my quilt from total non-compliance with a much-needed intervention and gifted the completed covering to me several years ago).

Family, friends, (some quilters) together for afternoon tea. Barb T. & Judy in red, Cara, in white patterned blouse.

Cara has a plan to resurrect some of her grandmother's more utilitarian, but still pretty, quilts and salvage pieces to be framed and shared with our family. 

In the Venn diagram of people I know who love to quilt and go to tea, the ladies mentioned above overlap. In fact, at our last afternoon tea outing in October all these quilters, not surprisingly, we're in attendance.

We're ready for another "quilt trip" to admire more works of art. And, perhaps, another afternoon tea outing, too. 

Ember Temperature Control Mug: I finally met you, yet . . . you're amazing!

It was nice to meet my new Ember temp control mug

I knew I needed you:   a cup warmer with an App so I can control the temperature with my smartphone and receive updates on the charging station. It would be an amazing mug that would keep my tea hot even if I was temporarily distracted and called away by a new Amazon delivery or a buzzing dryer. But, like Michael Buble's wistful, yet hopeful, ballad, I just hadn't met you yet. . . .

Solid white light let's one know, perfect temp is achieved and time to enjoy!

That is until my birthday last week, when the "kids" (our millennial children and their partners), gifted me with a sleek, black temperature control mug from Ember. It allows users to not only select their optimum heat setting but also keep their hot beverage warm for up to an hour and a half.

Blinking red light signals mug is charging.

Control mug from phone App

I have to admit, I'm tech-challenged and, although Ember makes set-up pretty easy, it still took me some time to read through the instructions, get the app, and figure out all I needed to do. But, once the saucer-shaped charger was plugged in and my mug was placed on top, a blinking white light at its base signaled the cup was working. It was shortly followed by a solid white light, telling me my desired temp had been reached and my tea was ready to enjoy.

I did and for quite some time, too.

True to Ember's promise, each time I left my tea table to attend to other afternoon activities, my mug welcomed me back with a perfectly warmed drink.

I love, love, love it! 

With apologies to Buble,  I sing my Ember mug's praises:

"And, somehow, I knew that it would all turn out

You'd make me work, so we can work it out,

And, I promise you, mug, you'll give so much more than I get,

Now that I met you, I'm temp-set."

                                                                           

Michigan Central Station: A Detroit landmark's incredible comeback story

Michigan Central Station, "Detroit's phoenix", rose from neglect and decay to its original glory.

Ten months after the reopening of Michigan Central Station, we finally toured "Detroit's phoenix" - a building that for most of my adult life showed little of its original grandeur, instead serving as a mammoth billboard of neglect and decay. It's fate, unlike the mythical bird, was uncertain for decades. The depot-in-decline was the topic of a myriad of plans, from police station to casino, that never materialized, with the threat of demolition always looming. Fortunately, in the nest of graffiti and ashes, Ford Motor Company, along with numerous highly skilled craftspeople, lit the torch for the emergence of the train station's magnificent restoration. 

Barb and Chris tour Michigan Central

Dramatic prose? Perhaps, but I'm allowing myself a little excess to match the incredible comeback story of Michigan Central Station. A masterpiece from the early twentieth century with ties to the Gilded Age Vanderbilts, it evokes a lot of hometown pride from the first step into its opulent lobby.

Restored waiting room, sans benches, for event space.

Years of neglect left ruble and ash.

           

Committing to our goal of becoming better tourists in our hometown, we eagerly accepted an invite to tour Michigan Central Station with friends, and podcast special guests, Rik and Carol. 

A bit of history:

The Michigan Central Railroad (MCR) was a subsidiary of the New York Central Railroad, which was owned by William Vanderbilt. From 1884 until 1913, MCR ran out of a depot downtown at Third and Jefferson, but the growing railroad business called for a bigger venue and a more convenient location. The ideal spot was found in Corktown, where it still stands today.

Bronze chandeliers and Corinthian columns, part of the depot's grandeur

The same pairing of architectural firms who designed Grand Central Terminal in New York were chosen for Michigan Central Station. With its cream-colored brick, marble floors, bronze chandeliers and Corinthian columns it was made to impress and reflect the growing status of the city of Detroit.

Ticket office now serves as entry to the gift shop.

The team of architect's final product was a three-story train depot and an eighteen-story office tower. At the time, it was the tallest railroad station globally with an accompanying out-of-this-world cost of, in today's dollars, 79.6 million. 

That's just ten million short of what Ford Motor Company paid in 2018 to the Moroun family, who acquired the station after tax foreclosures in the 1990's.

Today's Tour:

Our ninety-minute tour, with an informative, well-paced guide, covered the lobby, ticket office, waiting room and men's lounge. The latter, outfitted with Mahoganey paneling, is filled with intricate ornamentation including acorns and oak leaves, symbolic of the Vanderbilt family, and downward-facing decorative spikes. Our star of the group gave the correct answer to the name of this pointy features and won a prize! 

Gentleman's lounge includes intricate ornamentation

Lounge's Mahoganey paneling

Per our tour guide, the cost of restoration was one billion dollars. Honestly, it's not hard to believe. It wasn't just a new build, this was a complete rehaul of an historic jewel, long robbed of its beauty, and left to near rubble and ashes.

Carol guessed question correctly and won a prize!

Tour organizers and special guests.

The rise of Michigan Central Station is not a myth, but it did have some wildly admiral intervention. Dramatic, for sure. It's a comeback story that reflects the pride Detroiters can feel as that mammoth billboard broadcasts a different message of inspiration and promise. 

 And its worthy of our own come back - and often.

 

Raving about The Raven: Edgar Allen Poe-inspired cafe in downtown Port Huron

Port Huron's The Raven: on an afternoon bright and cheery, we enjoyed a scrumptious chai tea brownie 

On an afternoon bright and cheery, while we pondered tea sincerely, biz lunch at The Raven with chai brownies. Quoth me, I'd like more. 

Last month, we mixed business with pleasure while visiting Port Huron on a cool, but sunny, March afternoon. Barb's Tea Service has been invited to host a tea in this historic Michigan city later this year and, after a very enlightening tour of the Port Huron Museum, we took a quick drive to the main street of town to have lunch at The Raven.  A unique waterfront restaurant with, as you may have surmised, an Edgar Allen Poe theme. It's as delicious as it is quirky and we can't wait to go back.

Lunch on the second floor & adjoining balcony. We'll take advantage of the latter soon.

The Raven was new to me, but not to BTS team member, Pam B., who, knowing we were traveling to Port Huron, suggested this cafe for lunch. A few years back, on a trip to Stratford, Ontario, her posse of patrons of the arts stopped at The Raven for a repast before crossing the Blue Water Bridge.

Coincidentally, our business contact at the museum, also recommended The Raven. 

A quick review of the menu and I was sold. They had me at "Pit and the Pendulum Grilled Rueben". 

On arrival, we followed our hostess to the second floor to cozy space which faces the water. In warmer temps, we would have enjoyed a table on the adjoining balcony, but on this late winter afternoon, we were content to enjoy the views from inside along with the comforts of a hot beverage.

Although we did partake in their delicious coffee, along with a soup and sandwich combo, we did take tea in the form of one of their "Dreamland Desserts", specifically the chai brownie. This scrumptious confection is served with a drizzle of caramel syrup. It was incredible. 

A glimpse of Port Huron from top of the museum. See you later this year!

Our server was incredible as well - even offering to brave the chilly temps to take a less backlit photo of our table from the balcony. We declined, but we were appreciative - actually in awe - of the offer.

We plan to go back soon and take advantage of that balcony. . . and, perhaps another chai brownie or two. As earlier quoth-ed, we'd like more. 

For more information on this delightful Port Huron cafe, check out this link to The Raven.