The Art of Taking Tea.

The Chinese were drinking tea on the misty borders of of recorded time. They kept their pleasures close. The first taste of tea allowed to Europe did not come until the middle of the sixteenth century.By the eighteenth century tea had become a national passion, and, even though it was so expensive, was brewed throughout the land. Once gentlefolk had drunk the first brew, their servants would make tea for themselves from the used leaves and then in turn sell the twice-used leaves at the back door.

Anna 7th Duchess of Bedford, grew tired of the sinking feeling which afflicted her every afternoon round about 4 0'clock, in the long dull space of time betweene meals. In 18 40 she plucked up the courage and asked for a tray of tea bread and butter, and cake to be brought to her room. Once she had formed the habit she found she could not break it, so spread it among her friends instead. As the century progresed, afternoon tea became increasingly elaborage. By the 1880s ladies were changing into long tea gowns for the occasion, appetites sharpened by the customary afternoon drive in the carriage.These tea gowns were soft, diaphanous, festoonedwith lace furbelows, and always suitably loose-waisted. By Edwardian times, the smart hour for afternoon tea was five o'clock or later, and what had started as a little time for refreshmendt had become a full-blown social occasio, with hot dishes, footmen handing round the teacups, and even professional musicians.

These facts are taken out of "The London Ritz Book of Afternoon Tea." Quote on the side of the book: "The art & pleasures of taking tea."

Obveously this Duchess lady did NOT homeschool five children, keep up with laundry, cook meals etc. I'm sure my mother would most assuradly "call for tea and cakes" because of her "sinking" afternoon feeling, but fact is, my mother's goal for her afternoon is just to have time to lay down in be for a half an hour!! I have never in all of my life seen my mother be bored, unless we are on vecation. And even then, she always finds something to do, simply because, "bored people are boring.."But she does find that balance to just simply stop, but not becasue she's bored. So the sorce of the pictures below are not because my mother was in need of entertainment in her afternoon, but simply because she enjoys doing such things. She has had one indoor dressup farewell tea. One outdoor dressup farewell tea. And for the first time, an outdoor tea, just for fun, we were glad not to bid anyone farewell! :) I admit, we were stressed out a bit at times preparing for this. :) My dear mother didn't get to prepare much a few days before because she was sewing a dress for an up-coming wedding. I was trying to prepare small tasty tea items while she sat at the table sewing. But it all worked out, we had a splendid time. It was So much fun to dress up like southern belles. We do this not for the sake of being vain, but remember the histroy of our beautiful historic mothers, to celebrate womanhood, to treat ourselves like a princess for a night. We did it with our mothers clothes when we were little, so, we do it again on this sweet night...

My dress and hat waiting to be worn.Little girls' tableThis is Debbie, I thought she was the most charming lady that night. I love her dearly, she just one of those wondeful mentor/type of ladies to have in your church. She's a jewel.The little girlies had such a good time....I'm sure their conversation was of the purest, but it sure looks like gossip in this picture! :)Oh, and our dear southern Linda. She has showed up at people's door she knew well, and was so disguised that they didn't know her!! She's a great lady! She was just recently healed from some major sholder problems!!

You should have heard the little girls talking all proper and drinking with their pinkies held high. "Aren't these sandwiches delightful." "Let's take a walk like proper ladies."MY dear firends Tianna & Cassandra! lovely Tamra & Lucy.Janis in all her frills.Cynthia, Mother, and Martina.Sara Kay, Linda, Trish. Note: The two ladies on the right wanted their nails to show, so take notice! :)Darling sisters...Tianna w/ her charming fan..As well Cassy.Dear Emma laughing at Linda's paper about southern women.


If there was one cultural thing I wish we still did it's this: afternoon tea. It's on my "list" of 1oo things I dream of...perhaps...it's slowly coming ture. Me and my mother have decieded to have "afternoon tea" (instead of the children snacking on other things) and make that our time when she reads to us etc. instead of the mornings. Lovely thought. we shall see how long it last! :) Even if it's jsut for a season, I think it's safe to say my dream has been answerd?

May you all forever live in the loveliness of afternoon tea with the King. But the best part is, He sups with us always not just in the afternoon. Cheers!

Deborah Isabel.

From Wence I come...

My roots, my heritage, my forefathers....from whence I come. The Amish. My parents both grew up Amish. I totally love where I came from. This summer we had the privilege having a week an a half of tent meetings in our home town. Holmes County. I have lots of pictures, but I am just going to talk about the things we did that have to do with my family. We had a family reunion on my mom and dad's side ....My mom's side was held at my great uncle Abe's house. It's the "home place" where my Great Grandparents lived.This is the house where my grandma and all her brothers and sisters grew up.My silly cousin Cris.(Brother photograper)Brother with the block. And another...I got her feet! she followed me around....she was my seconed cousin, I think she wanted me to take a picture of her! :) She was sweet. She asked me how many pictures I could take with my camera, I told her around a thousand or two. "What happens when you take that many pictures? Can you use it again!?" She said. I explained that I put the pictures on the computer, then I can use it agian. She seemed to understand and be with me on it! So sweet she was.Grace has a wagon ride with her cousin Tyler.This used to be the wash room.This was the "Purple porch" notice the the light purple floor.I so enjoy the creativity of the Amish. They are so industrious. On this beautiful morning we met my Grandma(MY dad's side), Aunt Elsie and her a few of her daughters, and my aunt Fannie for her birthday. My cousin who was at the time engaged (pictures of her wedding later in the post) Made purses for all the women involved in her wedding. WOW. And that morning she had already had breakfast with her recently married sister.And now that sister was at home in her new house canning peaches as we met for lunch.. I love them.

Lovely place called rabecca's Bistro.My cousins Leanna and Dianne.Lovely food. I have to talk about my sweet Grandma as she ordered from these interesting foods. She said sweetly to her daughter to help her if she can't pronounce the "Baja" salad when the waitress comes! :) Dad is so like her. Looks, everything.She is simply darling. She has such a sweet relationship with the Lord. 'Memory day" at Grandma's house on my mom's side. We got out old pictures, old toys, school stuff, papers, and journals. Mom her sisters and mother talked and laughed about old memories, we dug through some old cabinets that "still smelled the same." Me and my cousins listened on with amusment as we listened to stories about or dads or old boyfriends and friends that we never heard before. After a lunch of choco. milk and corn on the cob we fed the horses the cob. That's a tradition on my mom's side. I can't imagine not having choco. milk with my corn on the cob.Have you ever played magazine? My mom and her sisters used to play this. They kept the magazines. Here's how you do it: You each pick a model, (and sometimes their partner from the men's section.*wink) and then their name, then their clothes for whatever activity they do that day... fun..The ladie on the right with the flower was always my mom's pick.My dear grandma's sewing room. My grandma and my mother.The quilt that is being worked on in my grandma's living room.These were some cards that we once sent to grandma and were found in her cabinet. :)My grandma's kitchen.On the right is counter is her chocolate maple cake. They rememberd how mom was always the cake person. She would sneak rows of chocolate or banana cake at a time! :)(My mom and the sister right under her.) After supper the sister would often hang out in the bathroom while the dishes were waiting. One would be on the toilet, the others would sit around and talk.some old photo's of grandma.This past week I had a privilege of going to an amish wedding. My cousin's. I was table waiter.I made a navy dress for the wedding, the Amish color for "love" my mother tells me.The ceremony was at their neighbors shop while the reception was held at their own newly-build shop. The ceremyon started at at 8:30 a.m. and ended at 11:30 a.m. Below is all the men standing waiting to file in the shop. The men sit on one side facing the side that the ladies sit on. The sides face each other with the preacher in the middle. I could actually understand most of the sermon except the scripture reading that was in High German, but the rest was in Pennsyvania dutch. The couple sits across from each other with their wittnesss on either side of them. When my dad was a little boy and his older sisters got married it was extremely hush hush about who the witness were, you didn't find out untill the morning of. Not sure why? :) It's not that way anymore. My dad's home place. He grew up here, worked in that barn. When he was a little boy his grandmother lived in a house right beside them, one day that house burned, and his grandma was in it. Now my aunt and her family of then children live in the hosue my dad grew up in, and my grandparents built a new house after the other burned where my dad lived for the last few years of his life at home. He was the youngest and lived at home by himself for quite a few years. We tease him about being spoiled. He knows he was. :) His dad would make room in their buggie garage for his car. Which is not very normal for a Amish father while his son is in rebellion.

The house on the left is now my grandma's house, and the one on the right is my Aunts. They take such good care of my grandma. The trailers in the front are a generator-run walk in fridge and a full kitchen complete with five stoves, bocsh mixers etc.The reception.A song that was placed on each plate:"Got is de Leihbih.As a tablewaiter after you helped prepare the food (my job was salads)They fed you at 9:30 a.m. so you wouldn't be so hungry as you serve the others. Then at 10:30 a.m. right before the vows we went over to the service to watch the couple get married. It was the coolest sight to walk across the field with the beautiful veiw and watch the navy dresses and white apron tails flow in the breeze. Then we came back and fed all the people. Then after everything was cleaned up we ate agian. Then they opened the presents after most people had left except the family. They give wonderful practiacal gifts. Then after the gift opening (we left for home half way though that) they wait untill 6:30 p.m. and cook another whole meal for the "youth supper' and reset the tables and have new table waiters and everything. So it's an all day celabration. Good stuff. The food was wonderful. They had Gravy, "Mush" (mashed potatoes, which their neighbors helped them peel. They mad about 350 lb. of potatoes! amazzing. ), Dressing, Corn, Chicken, Rolls, Cinnamon butter, Turtle cake, ice cream, and strawberries. It was so so good. And so stress free, they had eveything so organized! Down to who fills up the gas in the generator evey hour.

The middle name in the picture below is "Dan J Miller". My Grandpa.He was such a gentle man. When my dad was in his "room springa" (the time in a Amish youth's life when they have a taste of the world before they settle down and join the Church. Not all are like this, but alot are.) that he asked his dad to go somewhere and his dad didn't want him to. But my grandpa didn't yell, after some questioning by my dad, he simply went down on his knees and began to cry. If that won't brake your rebellion I'm not sure what will. :)Wonderful man. He was an Amish bishop for 47 years. My dad isn't even that old. I so honor my Amish relatives. When looking at them as a sea of people in navy at this wedding, perhaps they look very different, perhaps even strict. But when you get to know them on a personal level, they all have wonderful personalities, they all are so creative, a lot of them are saved, they are sweet, and funny, and enjoy life. They are not miserably wishing to not be Amish (perhaps a few are) but they enjoy it. That's their life, and a wonderful way of life it is. Maybe it's because I moved away from the culture 11 years ago that I find it so fascinating. It's so amazing, these people have so, so much good tradition and morals. Of couse, like most things, they can be pushed from one extreme to another. But alot of the Amish I know truly have a relationship with the Lord. My great anut Mary (hero of mine) came over to me to quick give me a hug before they left the wedding. She told me that the other week she had a born again experience.She said she's not sure if that's what you call it but she meant another revival in her life. She's the sweetest. We had a wonderful time.

He controls my " hence I go..."

Deborah Isabel.