Teatime

Times are a changin'.....

[Warning!!!!!: If you've have known me a few years or more, you may have to sit down to read this as it is quite a shocker!!!]

For 45 years I have been a tea hater.......the smell of it made me feel sick, never mind the taste.  Ugh the whole soggy teabag thing....who could enjoy that?  Yuck - just disgusting...

I always felt that I had leave England because it is, after all - a country full of tea drinkers.  It is quite the English activity - and indeed an integral part of the day, to indulge in the ritual of a nice cuppa!  Ugh - just the sound of it makes me feel quite ill....

And so I move to the US but it was even worse! Whenever I'd go to someone's house, they'd make me a "special" pot of tea - knowing of course, that as I was British, it would be just what I'd want!

But all that has just changed in the last 3 weeks....... what has become of me??????  Who can help me?

Recently, I have found myself not able to drink coffee and a few other things so was having hot water with a slice of lemon in it instead ....but then lemon went on the "do not consume" food list and so I was left with hot water.....This was fine for a  while - albeit boring -  until I went to a friend's house and saw she had some ginger tea.... Hmmm... I looooooove ginger ...surely a bit of ginger flavor would be good in the boring hot water???

And so I gave it a try.... The ginger tea also had lemongrass, peppermint leaf and pepper in it..... hmm... so  I just put the teabag in for like 5 seconds for fear of that awful tea taste.... But actually it was quite soothing and vibrant. 

So the next time, at the same friend's house,  I dared to leave the teabag in a little longer...... and the next time, I noticed she had peppermint tea to help digestion so I gave that I try.........

And now I''m converted!!!  My old tea-hating days are over.... But rest assured, I'm still only at the herbal tea stage - and only ginger and peppermint!  I haven't gone overboard just yet - although I do now leave the teabag in while I drink it!!

I recognize that I still wouldn't be accepted in England as I'm not actually using tea leaves or a teapot or anything quite that ritualistic....but still - change often starts in small steps - small ginger and peppermint steps....

And so, in honor of my conversion, I made a teatime ring!  Didn't know how to fashion ginger and peppermint - so did a teapot ring instead!!  Maybe I should call it my slippery slope ring..... 

But where will the slippery slope take me?  Will it be mushy peas next?  Please no!  Or maybe I'll go a little slower and just have to buy a tea maker! Remember those? - an alarm clock that made a cup of tea to wake you up in bed!!!! !  My mum used to have one! 

On the other hand...maybe I need to get off the slope quickly and find a way to get back to coffee!!!  Anyone out there with a lifeline?????