Sunday, May 30, 2004

Tea and Memories

I had a friend ask me recently why I named this blog Brown Betty Brew and called myself Cuppa. I didn’t realise that these were not familiar terms to some people.

I do love my "cuppa tea" and have had many a good chat with a friend over a fresh hot “cuppa tea” or “cuppa coffee”. Seeing as my blog is taking on the form of a general email to friends, I thought I would go with the “Sharing a Cuppa With a Friend” theme. Hope you are enjoying a relaxing one right now while you sit and check your email or surf the net for a while.

I think that the old Brown Betty teapot makes the best tea and I wouldn't be without mine. I have purchased other pretty teapots over the years but always go back to my old, trusty, Brown Betty. It is ugly as a tea bag, but I love it!! My mother and grandmother used a Brown Betty too. They were diehard "tea grannies" from way back and really enjoyed their cuppas from morning till night. No coffee for them, just tea.

Ah, sweet memories of all those cuppas I shared with them over the years. Wisdom and love liberally added to the steaming brew as it was poured from the pot.
Many an hour was spent sitting around our square, white enamel, kitchen table sharing advice of all kinds, along with laughter, tears, hopes, dreams, fears. You name it, it was talked about over a hot cup of tea at that big old table.

We had early morning cuppas with breakfast to get us started for the day, and late day cuppas to help us relax in the evening. Funny how the same drink was supposed to wake you up in the morning but help you to sleep at night too. Don’t understand how it worked, but it did. The kettle was put on the stove to boil, for middle of the afternoon pick-me-ups, and middle of the night soothers. The cuppa would be doctored up with lots of milk and sugar if you had a sick stomach or mixed with brandy if you had a cold.

How I wish I could share one more cuppa with my mother right now and tell her all about her grand-daughter’s wedding. She would be so thrilled for her, and would absolutely love her grand-son-in-law too.

These joyous occasions always bring back the hurt of the losses in our lives too, don’t they? Joy and sorrow mixed together, two sides of the same coin. That is life isn't it?

I will miss my mom and dad on my daughter’s wedding day, but I will try to enjoy the celebration all the more, and experience it for them too. I am sure they will both be peeking over the edge of heaven on June the 12th and will take in all the festivities of the day with me from their side of the universe. If there is tea in heaven, they will both have a fresh hot cuppa in their hands and will raise their cups and toast the bride and groom across eternity. Cheers!

1 comment:

Kathy Trejo said...

I miss my parents too.