The Fairy Tale Girl and Pumpkin Spice Tea

In my blog post last Friday I mentioned Susan Branch's latest book, The Fairy Tale Girl, had arrived in the mail. It's probably no surprise that I chose to read her memoir before Clara Ford's biography, not because Clara Ford's history isn't interesting, but because Susan and I were born the same year, two months apart, and are in the baby boomer generation, forming an instant connection. 

I follow her blog, and loved reading A Fine Romance - a prequel to The Fairy Tale Girl.  I went to a book signing for A Fine Romance, and met Susan and her husband, Joe, and blogged about it here.

The 1960's, Californian, rock-n-roll, free-spirit lifestyle that Susan wrote about in her young adulthood was not my story, but I can definitely relate to being naive and viewing life through fairy tale, 'happy ever after' lenses.  

Susan and I love many of the same things... England, Beatrix Potter, Julia Child and cooking [I, like Susan, roasted my first turkey with the bag of giblets still inside the neck cavity! I can confess that now since I know someone else did it too. ;-)]. Cooking [and decorating] are my creative art forms, since I can't draw a straight line. If you follow my blog you know I love dishes, and enjoy using them to set a pretty table.  It's my creative outlet, and expression of love to those who eat at my table.

Besides the above mentioned commonalities, there's also TEA!  By page 107 [of a total of 283 pages] Susan made specific mention of tea eight times [yes, I counted!], to say nothing of her beautiful illustrations of Afternoon Tea at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London.  

The book is a quick, entertaining read [based on her dairies], written in her own handwriting, and illustrated with her beautiful watercolor artwork.  Many quotes are interspersed throughout the book [pictured below].  

I began reading the book at 8:30 p.m., and by midnight I was into chapter nine.  I would have kept going, but I interpreted my hubby's sigh as time to turn the light off.  I finished it the next day, and am currently in the process of re-reading it - just in case I missed anything the first time.  

It's a great book that made me laugh, tear-up, get angry [with Cliff], and reminisce about my own childhood and family life.  It recalled the early days of the Feminist Movement when traditions were challenged, and guys and gals alike tried to make sense of it all.  I highly recommend this book.

Also in this post I'm reviewing another tea from Plum Deluxe Tea - Pumpkin Spice Tea. It's a blend of honeybush tea, black tea, cardamon, ginger, cloves, calendula, safflower, and natural pumpkin flavor.  Perfect for fall!

The dry leaf even looks like fall, and has a lovely aroma.

I couldn't remember drinking honeybush tea before, so I researched it, and learned it's a 'cousin' to rooibos, and is from South Africa, with a taste sweeter than rooibos.  The ingredients in the blend meld together nicely, and one doesn't overpower the other.  I liked this tea a lot!