Taking a Short Blogging Break

New Downton Abbey Books and Episode 7

I spent my Amazon birthday gift cards on five books, three of which are Downton Abbey related. They all arrived earlier this week, and I'm looking forward to sitting down to look at them over a nice cup of tea.

My daughter, Lori, came over to watch episode 7 with me.  We're savoring every minute of these last episodes.   We both agreed it was a great episode that evoked lots of emotions - laughter, romance, fear, and happiness, to name a few.  Well done, Julian Fellowes!

I LOVED Mrs. Patmore's and Mrs. Hughes' Carson's plot to give Mr. Carson a taste of his own cooking!  We laughed when he literally fell asleep from exhaustion at the dinner table. Hopefully he won't be so quick to criticize his new wife's cooking going forward!

[Internet Photos]

And what romantic wouldn't have been delighted with Bertie's marriage proposal - and on Valentine's Day no less!

Our hearts went out to Lady Mary when the race car crashed at Brooklands racing track, and she agonized at the possibility of Henry Talbot succumbing to the same fate of her late husband, Matthew.  We seldom see Mary teary eyed, but she definitely was last Sunday night. Fortunately it wasn't Henry Talbot's car that crashed, unfortunately it was his good friend's. I'm with Mary... what's the point???

The underdog throughout the series has been poor Mr. Mosely, but he gets to turn in his footman's duds now that he's been offered a teaching position at the local school.  Mr. Dawes complimented him for knowing more than some Oxford and Cambridge graduates, as Mosley  wiped a joyful tear from his eye.  Do you think he'll propose to Baxter now?

The show ended on a happy note when Spratt delivered a new puppy to Robert from his Mama [Violet Crawley].

Only two more episodes left.  Even though my hubby gave me Season 6 DVD's, I'm going to stretch it out and watch the final episodes on TV with my daughter.  Like countless others, I sure am going to miss this show!

An Extended Birthday Luncheon

Last Friday [2/12] a girlfriend took me to lunch at one of her favorite spots, CAFÉ Cortina in Farmington Hills, MI to celebrate my birthday.     

     

It is a 4 Diamond Award, AAA restaurant that was established in 1976. A press wall filled with newspaper and magazine articles from Hour, Style, and Detroit Home magazines [as well as others] was interesting to peruse.  Because it was a wintry day and past 12:00 noon, they weren't real crowded. Only three other tables were occupied besides ours.

    

The fire was cozily burning in the fireplace, and Linda asked if we could be seated in the corner.

The corner table in the photo below was ours.  Christina [our female server] helped remove our coats, and placed a crisp, white linen napkin in our lap.

A male server brought a tableside chest of Rishi teas for us to choose from.  I debated between Earl Grey and Jasmine, and settled on Jasmine.

Instead of sugar packets on the table for tea, the server brought a small glass of simple syrup.  

Notice the unique, individual stainless steel teapot with side handle.  In all my tea room and restaurant adventures I've never seen one like it.

I ordered Penne Con Salsicca - homemade whole wheat pasta with Italian sausage, wild mushrooms, fresh asparagus, and sun dried tomatoes in a herb-cream sauce.  It was delicious!

In the photo below, our male server [whose name I neglected to get] is grating fresh Parmesan cheese on my pasta.

~ Christina [our server] and me ~

Dessert was Millafolia - 16 paper thin layers of dark chocolate crêpes with Espresso mousse between the layers.   Since we were celebrating my birthday, it was brought to the table with a gigantic, lit sparkler.  What a way to celebrate!  Thanks, Linda, for a wonderful afternoon!

President's Day

Did you enjoy President's Day yesterday?  I was in my office most of the day preparing for a President's Day presentation this Sunday [2/21] at Shore Pointe Assisted Living.

I always like to give the residents a treat when I go.  The red nylon bags have Hershey kisses in them since we just celebrated Valentine's Day.

President Calvin Coolidge and his wife, Grace, and one or two of their children were the only Presidential family to dine in evening clothes in the State Dining Room even when there were no guests... just like the Crawley family on Downton Abbey! The dates of his presidency coincides with the timeline of Downton Abbey too, 1923-1929. Just thought you'd like to know that tidbit of information!  :-)

I learned so much about presidents I didn't know before.  Did you know an attempt was made to poison James Buchanan [our 15th president] via his tea?

President Buchanan had reserved a table for himself and his friends in the dining room of the National Hotel in D.C.  The president was known to be a habitual tea drinker, and most northern men rarely drank anything but tea in the evening, while southern men preferred coffee. Arsenic was sprinkled into the bowls containing tea and lump sugar, and set on the table where he was to sit. The pulverized sugar in the bowls used for coffee on the other tables was kept free from the poison. Not a single southern man was affected, but about 38 northern men died from arsenic poison. President Buchanan [who was from Pennsylvania] was poisoned, but because of his knowledge of his symptoms, he was able to communicate to his physician that he may have been poisoned.  He was treated accordingly and his life was spared.  Yikes!  

President Abraham Lincoln, our 16th President spoke this famous quote:  "If this is coffee please bring me some tea.  But if this is tea, please bring me some coffee."

When traveling during the Civil War, good provisions were hard to come by.  At one rest stop, President Lincoln was served a hot beverage.  After a quick taste he expressed the above quote.  No one knows for sure if it was tea or coffee in the cup, but it's assumed it was tea.

Theodore Roosevelt loved Formosan Lapsang Souchong Black Tea, Caravan Tea [both are hearty, smoky teas], and Mint Tea.

The Franklin Roosevelt's loved round cookie-sized doughnuts without holes, rolled in sugar for their tea time.

To read about President Lyndon Johnson's and President Barack Obama's love for tea click here. To read about President George Washington's love for tea click here.  To read about the tea connection with President John F. Kennedy click here.

Valentine's Day 2016

I hope you had a nice Valentine's Day.  My Valentine was very good to me and gave me Seasons 5 and 6 of Downton Abbey [and it's not blu-ray, so I'll be able to watch it].  Did you notice the "Google Doodle" yesterday of the coffee pot flirting with the teapot?  Cute!

I'll be celebrating Valentine's Day through February 20th because I'm going to Cristy's Bennett's Victorian Valentine Tea next Saturday.  I'll be sure to post photographs.

Michelle, at Finch Rest blog, posted a beautiful pink, footed teacup yesterday that I recognized from my mother's teacup collection.  I immediately went to the tote of things I brought from her assisted living apartment when she passed, and there was the teacup!  I'm not one to try connecting with departed loved ones through the spirit world, but on Valentine's Day the teacup was a perfect reminder of her.  Thanks, Michelle!  The rose is fitting not only because it symbolizes love and remembrance, but also because my mom's middle name was Rose.

Sharing a few blog photos from previous Valentine's Day.

~ 2012 ~

~ 2013 ~

~ 2014 ~

*  *  *

Today I'm joining Rose Chintz Cottage for No Place Like Home

Antiques and Teacups for Tuesday Cuppa Tea

Bernideen's Tea Time Cottage and Garden Blog Party 

Sunday Reflection...

Warner Sallman, a Christian painter from Chicago, painted Head of Christ in 1941.  It is his most popular painting, being reproduced more than 500 million times.  A print hung in our living room for a long time before being given to the church.

This Valentine's Day I am reminded that all earthly love pales in comparison to God's great love for mankind.  Probably the most memorized verse in the Bible is John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life."

Hymn writer Frederick Martin Lehman said it best in his hymn, The Love of God written in 1923. There are three verses but I particularly like the first part of verse 1 and all of verse 3.

The love of God is greater far

Than tongue or pen can ever tell.

It goes beyond the highest star

And reaches to the lowest hell...

Chorus:  O love of God, how rich and pure!

How measureless and strong!

It shall forevermore endure -

The saints' and angels' song.

Could we with ink the ocean fill,

And were the skies of parchment made;

Were every stalk on earth a quill,

And every man a scribe by trade;

To write the love of God above

Would drain the ocean dry;

Nor could the scroll contain the whole,

Though stretched from sky to sky.

Flowers will die, candy will be eaten, cards will eventually be thrown away, and earthly love will end, but God's love will never pass away!

Evangelist, Billy Graham, said the Bible is God's love letter to us, and how thankful I am for that love letter!

I recently read a quote by an unknown author that I have adopted as my prayer:  "The cry of my heart is to become like the One who loves me with an everlasting love."

May God bless your week!

Afternoon Tea Television Teaser

This past Wednesday, I had the privilege of meeting with the Senior Producer, Operations Manager, Programming Coordinator, and the Staff and Board of Directors Liaison at WBRW TV station regarding filming a 30-minute television program about tea.

WBRW is a public access TV station serving Romeo, Washington and Bruce Township, MI

The program will be filmed on February 24th, and will be called Afternoon Tea with Phyllis, with a nod to tea time Downton Abbey style.

For local readers I'll let you know when the program will be aired, and for those out of the area I'll provide a link to the station's website where you'll be able to watch it.

I'm very excited about this opportunity to share my passion for tea.  I'll keep you posted...