Angela Webster McRae's Blog, page 54

Remembering Queen Elizabeth

I was in the middle of a telephone call last week when my husband came to my office door and held up his cellphone, a news site's headline declaring that Queen Elizabeth II had just passed away. We'd been wondering about her health since that morning, when early news reports said that her family had been summoned to Balmoral and that doctors were "concerned" for her health. I know that if the Lord delays his return, we will all face death eventually, but honestly, I just didn't want the Queen to die.

Why? As an American, I'm sure I don't feel the loyalty her subjects do, but there was so much to admire about Queen Elizabeth. She was referred to in some documentary last week as an "accidental" queen, since she never would have had the job if her uncle hadn't abdicated. Yet as a Christian, I believe there are no accidents, and I can't help thinking that God handpicked her to serve for the time that she did. Could anyone have possibly done a better job of serving in post–World War II England? I can't think of a soul who could have.

Sure, she was beautiful and elegant and had that bit of royal fairy dust that all little girls want, yet I got the impression that duty—to God, country, and family—is what motivated her most. I'm such an introvert that when I think of having to go to all those meetings and grand openings and hospitals and official visits with my hand stuck out to complete strangers, it makes me want to crawl in bed and pull the covers up over my head.

Of course, the Queen's fondness for afternoon tea and Earl Grey was something I always enjoyed reading about. Here's a photo from a book I read years ago, The Royal Shopping Guide, and it pictured the young Princess Elizabeth taking tea with her family. So many of my happiest teatime memories involve, in a very real sense, the Royal Family. On my 50th birthday, my husband and I had tea at Fortnum and Mason and enjoyed Coronation Chicken tea sandwiches using the recipe said to have been created in honor of her coronation. I hosted a tea for friends when William and Kate married, and a girlfriend came over the morning of Harry and Meghan's wedding for a light tea as well.

I was pondering which one quality I admired most about the Queen, and I realized it wasn't her sense of duty, profound as that has been. I value loyalty above many, many other qualities, and she by all accounts remained a loyal, trustworthy sovereign to the British people from the moment she came to the throne seventy years ago. She was so honorable, in fact, that I heard that one of her former prime ministers, Tony Blair, claimed the only two people he could count on not to leak information were his wife and his Queen. I'll bet that, like me, many of you, too, have admired the Queen and were sad to hear of her death. If you're a fellow royal watcher, what will you miss about Queen Elizabeth?

A fun giveaway: Tickets to attend a Kimono and Tea Ceremony in Anderson, South Carolina!

So who are my readers in the Anderson, South Carolina area? I got to visit the charming Carolina Parakeet Tea and Gifts myself several years ago when I was a speaker there, the guest of owner Donna Siemen. I am delighted that the shop is marking the fifth anniversary of its brick-and-mortar location this month, and to celebrate, Donna has offered to give one of my readers *two free tickets* to attend a Kimono and Tea Ceremony Demonstration with Tea Master Reiko Blackwell, shown above, on Saturday, October 1, from 2-4 p.m. So are you in the area or willing to drive there? I wish I could!

According to her bio, "Reiko Blackwell has been practicing the 'Cha no Yu' Tea Ceremony for more than forty years. She has demonstrated widely in the upstate region and beyond, including several performances at Furman University’s Place of Peace. She also is proficient at Ikebana, the Japanese art of flower arranging. She holds an instructor’s license in Kyudo, the study of the Japanese long bow. All of these are elements of Japanese culture."

So if you would like to be entered to win the tickets and be a part of the Kimono and Tea Ceremony with Reiko at Carolina Parakeet on October 1 (photos from my visit are shown here), just leave an "Enter me" to this post between now and 7 a.m. EST on Friday, September 16, and you'll be entered to win them! Please make sure I have an email address where I can contact you if you do win, and that way, I can put you in touch with my friend Donna. Good luck!
Coming Wednesday: Some thoughts on the passing of Queen Elizabeth

Ruffled glass dishes for teatime!

So I left the antique store in Fayetteville on Saturday kicking myself for not having bought those yellow ruffled glass teacups and saucers when I saw them earlier. They were miniature size, and the only thing I could think to do with them was serve chicken salad, as the cup rim was even ruffled, so I don't guess you were supposed to drink out of it. I decided to call that set "the one that got away," although I would love to know who bought them. So I moseyed on up the road to Goodwill, and I was just about to leave when some green glass plates on the end of an aisle started calling my name. "Angela! Psst, Angela. Over here!" they said.

I hustled to the front and got a cart, hoping no one would get "my" dishes before I got back to them! The four cups were just $3.09! Four saucers were $3.09! And four luncheon plates were (say it with me) $3.09! Odd pricing, but hey, a tea set for four for just $9.27? I was so happy and couldn't help grinning, because this set was a much better find than the yellow minis I let slip away. (Take that, Anonymous Antique Mall Shopper Person!)

After going online at home and searching for ruffled green dishes, I learned these were made by the Hazel Atlas Company and are the "Pebblestone" dishes in the Avocado color.

I'm going to set my table with these oh-so-sixties throwbacks this fall, but I can also use them with red and green decor at Christmas and then with pastel greens in the spring. I was so tickled to find them! I left the store thanking the Lord that I didn't get those yellow dishes and that I did get these. (Yes, I think the Lord cares about even our thrifting.) Please let me know if you know anything about Pebblestone dishes! 

The history and mystery of Tea Rings

On Saturday, I decided to visit some of the antique stores and thrift shops of nearby Fayetteville. At one of them, Kelly & Company Antiques, I'd had my eye on this cute little set of four miniature yellow ruffled glass teacups and saucers for a while. They weren't terribly expensive, just $40 for the set of four, and yet not very practical, as I could think of only one set of teatime dishes I could use them with. That limited yellow palette was a concern. Still, I thought I might go splurge on them, and when I went upstairs to the booth where they were, I was delighted to see almost everything there was 50 percent off. Except … those yellow glass teacups and saucers were nowhere to be found! Isn't that the way? I, of all people, know that antique stores have mostly one-of-a-kind items, so why didn't I go ahead and get them earlier? I mean, really, how often do you come across ruffled and tinted glass teacups? (Hint: Part two of this tale will be discussed on Friday.) Still, since I so enjoy browsing antique malls for unusual objects, I left with a fun consolation prize: a vintage tin and a mystery. Ever heard of the Southern Biscuit Company of Richmond, Virginia, and their Tea Rings? I had not.

Tea Rings were, apparently, "a dainty, crisp, spiced cookie—delicious with desserts, iced tea or ginger ale."

And they were made in the company's "modern, light, sanitary plant," so that sure sounds like a plus!

The ingredients were simple enough—flour, sugar, shortening, frozen whole eggs, spice, salt, and leavening. I decided to get the tin and go home and search the internet for a recipe to recreate Tea Rings. But to my surprise, I didn't find a recipe for them! Now wouldn't you think that if a recipe were popular enough that a company decided to sell it, that recipe would have been made, or recreated, many times before? The only Tea Ring I found on Pinterest that wasn't a pastry was a cookie made by another company. No recipe. I find this extremely puzzling, so now I'll be searching vintage sites online in search of a Tea Ring cookie recipe. The cookie looks like a simple cutout sugar cookie, and that coloring on top makes me think that perhaps it's the spice. If any of you have ever heard of Tea Ring cookies, please share! 
And FFV, if you wondered about the initials in that first photo, stands for Famous Foods of Virginia. The Southern Biscuit Company building is now the home of some loft apartments, shown here. And do read the article if you'd like to know which famous cookies were also made there!

Happy Labor Day, Friends!

 

Finding tea at Foxtail Coffee Co. in Newnan

My friend Kathy and I needed a catch-up visit and agreed to meet at the new coffee shop that recently opened near my house in Newnan, Foxtail Coffee Co.

As soon as I stepped inside, I loved the warm feeling from all the pretty wood in the decor. The service was prompt and friendly, and I saw a few younger folks studying their laptops. (They could be writers like me, but I wasn't there to write.) I wasn't there to order iced tea either, since I wasn't sure they would have any, but then I saw this menu board listing an Iced Tea Shaker with Peach Syrup. Yes, please!

And ohmygoodness, this drink was fabulous! I found out it's a concoction of raspberry rose tea with a bit of lemonade and a shot of peach syrup. It was the perfect fruity refreshment for this still-warm summertime weather we're having in Georgia.

And granted, I don't get out much, but is this style of straw hole a new thing? It was new to me, and I liked it, but then I'm easily entertained.

Because I'd skipped breakfast and we were meeting at 11, I was thrilled to see they still had breakfast sandwiches available. I ordered the croissant with ham, egg, and Gouda cheese. What a joy to find a croissant that's a real croissant, toasted and wonderfully flaky, the meat and cheese fresh and filling. Mmm. Kathy ordered the same thing and loved hers as well.

Sweater weather isn't here yet, but once it is, I want to go back and try the Salted Caramel Chai (hot version) that I spotted on that menu board. So tell me about your local coffee shop. Do you go to coffee shops? If so, do you ever find good tea there?

An oversized Christmas teacup

Over the weekend, I visited two antique malls and started seriously looking for vintage Christmas decor. I know we celebrate Christmas in July sales and events, but in my experience, sellers start getting serious about Christmas in August. I bought my first Christmas magazine Saturday, and it's fitting that I found a Christmas teacup and another collectible that day as well. This teacup packaging is marked Ridgefield Home, which sounded vaguely familiar. The teacup and snack plate themselves are marked Gracie China, a brand I've found at T.J. Maxx and HomeGoods many times.

It was only when I unpacked it that I discovered something unusual about the cup. It's that large breakfast size, which I thought was unique, but there was something else too.

I hope you can tell from this aerial view, but the teacup is oval and not round. That's a new one on me, and I thought I'd seen it all in the world of teacup shapes. Guess not! It was $12.99, and I've learned that when I see Christmas things, I'd better go ahead and get them now.

And just for fun, I thought some of you might enjoy seeing the bargain "knee-hugger elf" I found. I've been wanting one of these vintage ones for a few years now, but they have been $25 plus at Christmas, which just seemed too much, so I was very, very pleased to find this one for $6. Any of you started scouting for Christmas decor yet?

Aunt Jane and a Cracker Barrel birthday celebration

I've written about Aunt Jane so much on this blog over the years that I thought you might like to see us out enjoying her birthday lunch at Cracker Barrel on Saturday! If you're new to this blog, Aunt Jane is my late mother's younger sister, who turned 74 last week, and Aunt Jane will not ever let you forget her birthday. Even though (or maybe because) she is mildly mentally retarded, Aunt Jane starts talking up her birthday weeks in advance. She'll say things like, "Yes, I'm going to be an older woman next month" or "How old will I be on my next birthday?" Hint, hint! Here, we're eating our chicken finger meals, and I wanted to report that you can indeed order an Arnold Palmer (half sweet tea, half lemonade), which made me very happy.

There was about a thirty-minute wait to get a table, and that was fine with both of us because we enjoy looking around at all the offerings in the country store. Aunt Jane found some sterling silver earrings she wanted, and I spotted this adorable tea towel. It was $6.99 but on sale for 60 percent off.

So did I get it? You bet I did. I bought a journal and some maple-flavored candy, too, and I'll go back soon when all of their Christmas decor is out. I've found many tea-themed Christmas ornaments there over the years (like ), and fingers crossed, I'll find some again soon!

"Revitalizing a Japanese Tea Town"

Reader Diane M. has shared some of the most intriguing tea-related links with me over the years, and a recent one features a subject I’d not heard about, a plan to revitalize a small Japanese green tea town that has some aging farmers who weren't quite sure about young "outsiders" coming in to save the town. This is a 24-minute video, but I learned so much from it that I wanted to share it here, perhaps for your weekend viewing. It was well worth the time I spent viewing it, and I plan to watch it again!
(And just in case you need it, here's another link to the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LEh69...)  

 

"Tea Parties" Magazine

Now let me just say that I do not normally discover new tea magazines at the CVS checkout, but I did yesterday, so there you go. Tea Parties is an interesting title, published by the same folks who publish Woman's World and First for Women magazines, so that explains the rather thin paper.

The issue includes ideas for such teas as a Fairy Tale Tea, a Victorian Tea, a Harry Potter Tea, an Under the Sea Tea, a Bridal Shower Tea, holiday teas, and more. 

Despite the name, this magazine is not just about tea parties. It has information on the various types of tea…

And quite a few recipes that will please tea enthusiasts, like this one for Earl Grey Tea Cookies. While it's a little pricy ($12.99), I was so intrigued by the thought of a new tea magazine that I had to have it, and some of you may want to look for this issue yourselves—even at CVS, apparently!