We will remember, this month of September: Three teas, milestone podcast and a bounty of teacups!

Beautiful teacups gifted to BTS from a special guest, including "September" for a special month!

To borrow from the famous Earth, Wind & Fire song, we at Barb's Tea Service sing this revised chorus:

Ba-tea-ya
Say, we will remember
Ba-tea-ya
Lots of tea in September
Ba-tea-ya

Ending with a boun-tea day

September was truly memorable for BTS—a month brimming with three tea events, a milestone podcast, and a bounty of more than two dozen fine china teacups, ready to be filled with tea and treasured memories.

Barb G. and Carolyn S. with some of the packaged bounty.

At our final event of the month, Tea Customs Around the World at Birmingham’s Next, I had the pleasure of meeting a very special guest, Carolyn S. After the program, she shared the story of her teacup collection, lovingly built over the years with her mother and grandmother in Canada. Now preparing to downsize, Carolyn is seeking new homes for some of these cherished pieces. Like a matchmaking app come to life, she found a perfect connection between her beautiful teacups and an appreciative tea enthusiast—me. With great generosity, she offered her serving ware, and I figuratively (but enthusiastically) “swiped right.”

I "swiped right" to these teacups and couldn't wait to unpack.

This weekend, Carolyn presented me with a box brimming with treasures. I could hardly wait to unpack the English bone china and was greeted by a rainbow of colors and an array of designs. While many feature classic florals, others stand out with unique patterns, including a needlework motif and a tartan tribute. Each bears a name synonymous with quality—Royal Albert, Royal Grafton, Colclough, and more.

A great teacup for this month where BTS celebrated its 50th podcast.

One cup in particular recalls our 50th podcast earlier this month, featuring our five-time guest, Rob G.—a gold 50th anniversary teacup. We’ll save that one for our second 50th (also known as our 100th) and any other five-times-ten celebration that comes along.

And, of course, front and center is a September teacup, perfectly capturing the spirit of this month of milestones.

Fine bone china in a variety of colors and patterns, waiting to make more memories throughout the year.

We will never forget this event-filled September—or the generous gift of teacups that will continue to create memories throughout the year.

With heartfelt gratitude, a warm hug, and endless thanks to Carolyn for this beautiful bounty of teacups!