The notebook and notecards winner is …

Loralie, who will enjoy using these in her blue and yellow kitchen! If you'll send me your snail mail address via the e-mail button at right, I'll get these goodies headed your way. Congrats!

Camellia sinensis, circa 1878

I'm still nosing around pretty regularly on that Library of Congress website, loc.gov, where you can find lots of photos, prints, and drawings that are in the public domain. My most recent find is a circa 1878 ink drawing titled "Cha (tea)." I love the colors and composition of this drawing, and I'm also struck by the fact that the leaves and blossom on this plant look so much like the plant growing in my backyard. I do realize they're both tea plants, but still … to think I'm growing something that someone drew that many years ago seems rather amazing.

The information with this entry says it was "possibly by Kano, 1878," and was a gift from Mrs. David Murray and forms part of the David Murray collection. (Aren't you glad people think to donate such art so it will be preserved?) If you'd like to download this image yourself, click here.

Speaking of transferware …

Many of you have been collecting transferware for years, and while I love it, I have realized I don't actually own very many of these lovely wares. I'm drawn to them when I see them in antique malls or on other blogs, but I've never made transferware a focus of my collecting — although perhaps I should!

I know many lovely ladies who collect transferware, and I was just delighted to discover that one of my favorite authors, Jan Karon of Mitford fame, collects transferware! Click here to read her Facebook post and see some of the pretty dishes she has collected. (Betcha you'll want to collect some, too!)

September/October 2015 Tea Time magazine

Well, I did a bad thing and somehow managed to let my subscription to Tea Time expire, but mercifully, the new issue landed at Barnes & Noble the other day so I could get my fall tea fix. If you've got yours yet, do you just adore those teawares on the cover as much as I do? It's Wedgwood Tonquin Ruby china, and I can't imagine a prettier service for fall.

But a more humble teapot featured in this issue, the Brown Betty, is one I actually own. The headline of this article calls it "plain but reliable." Those aren't bad character qualities, for a teapot or a person, if you think about it! (The older I get, the more I'll take "plain and reliable" over "flashy but flaky" any day.)

And I must tell you I am ready to get my fall baking on, and I found this Savory Pear-Onion Compote in Puff Pastry Baskets just adorable—and so different. There's also a recipe for Chai Scones, and now I'm asking myself, "Self, why have you never made scones with chai in them before?" Lots of fun stuff in this issue of Tea Time. Have you got yours yet?

September giveaway: Teacup notebook and notecards

I was in Michaels over the weekend when I spotted some great new goodies in their $1.50 bins. They actually have several new tea-themed goodies (including a cute new teakettle design my friend Phyllis blogged about here). Because I love old recipes, this vintage design notebook was definitely coming home with me, as were the notecards, and I decided I'd get duplicates so one of you could have a new notebook and notecard set as well!

I love that you can see vintage recipes and advertisements in the background. The colors are pretty, too, and in fact remind me of the color palette I want in my kitchen the next time there's a redo.

So if you would like to win a notebook and notecard set for yourself, just leave an "Enter me" comment to this blog post between now and 7 a.m. EST on Friday, Sept. 11, 2015, and you'll be eligible to win.  (US and Canada only, please.) Good luck!

Happy Labor Day, Friends!

Teatime Tale #36 - I Will Always Love You

I Will Always Love You

            Paula couldn’t wait to hit the Labor Day weekend flea markets. In her town, sellers set up everywhere they could squeeze a card table or canvas tent, from Main Street to the nearby neighborhoods, and she saved her tips all summer so she’d have plenty of ones, fives, and tens to spend the first weekend in September.

            She was a waitress at Hank’s Hog Heaven Barbecue Palace, and the place would be doing a booming business all weekend, but Paula always took Friday and Saturday mornings off on Labor Day weekend to shop the flea markets. The barbecue buffs would get along just fine until she arrived later.

            That Saturday morning, Paula hopped out of bed at six and tried not to wake Dennis, her husband, or Moon Pie and RC, the tabby cats she’d rescued from the dumpster behind Hank’s a few years back. Dennis had pitched a fit when she came home with them, mainly because she always got too attached to her pets, and they always died. Fortunately, Moon Pie and RC seemed to be in great health. Neither Dennis nor the cats stirred as Paula padded to the bathroom, dressed in comfy jeans and a Luke Bryan T-shirt, and pulled on her favorite cowboy boots.

            She put a pot of coffee on for Dennis and filled her thermos with unsweet tea from the fridge. Paula drank unsweet tea constantly at Hank’s. Slinging barbecue was hard work, and she got thirsty as soon as she hit the floor each day.

            Carrying her thermos in one hand, Paula used the other to reach for her handbag. Her friends had wondered how a waitress could afford a Dooney & Bourke ostrich hobo bag, and she’d been happy to tell them about the night a customer dropped a two-hundred-dollar tip. She’d gone to the mall the very next morning and bought the purse. It was six months before Dennis noticed it. When he’d asked if it was new, she told him, honestly, that it was not.

            She looked on the kitchen counter and was pleased Dennis had left the keys to his Ford F-150 as she’d asked him to. She wasn’t looking to buy furniture, but she never knew what she might find and wanted to be prepared.

            Once in the truck, Paula poured some tea into a Tervis tumbler. For the millionth time, she thought how much she loved her tea. After cranking the truck and turning on country radio, Paula pulled onto the highway. Soon, she was sipping tea to Billy Currington’s “Good Directions,” tapping the gas pedal as he sang of asking “Miss Belle” for some of her sweet tea.

            The colorful flea market tents were up on Main Street as Paula passed through downtown, then slipped into a parking space and prepared to shop. First stop was the Kiwanis funnel cake booth.

            “Funny to be serving you for a change,” said Bill McHenry, the new Kiwanis president, as he handed over her funnel cake sprinkled with powdered sugar.

            “Yeah, and I kinda like it,” Paula joked, handing over a twenty and telling Bill to keep the change. Kiwanis did so much good in their community, she liked to give a little extra when she could.

            Paula said hello to some of the regulars from Hank's, then moseyed on to the other booths. Within fifteen minutes, she’d purchased some silver cowboy boot earrings, a candle that looked like an apple pie, and a throw rug crocheted from old T-shirts. Paula thought the colorful rug would look great in her bathroom.

            There didn’t seem to be as many junkers as usual. Paula saw her old high school friend, Beverly, who liked antiques and “upcycled” treasures, as they called them these days.

            “Listen, if you want some bargains, head over to Wilson Avenue,” Beverly said. “There’s a neighborhood sale, and they’re letting stuff go cheap. I got two rockers, a dresser, three quilts, and a butter churn for under a hundred bucks.”

            Paula thanked her for the tip and headed to the truck. She polished off her funnel cake, trashed the paper plate, and was ready to roll.

            Wilson Avenue was just three blocks away, and Paula couldn’t wait to get there. She loved old stuff. In fact, she’d recently redecorated her living room in the Victorian style. That had surprised Dennis, who always thought Paula was fine with his camouflage recliner and pit group. When he came home one day to find a burgundy floral sofa and love seat in their place, he realized big changes were afoot.

            “Mornin’,” Paula said to the woman in charge of the sale. It never hurt to be friendly. Sometimes, it got you a better deal.

            Cars were pulling in quickly, but Paula spotted the antique silverplate set before the other shoppers did. She’d seen something similar in a magazine, but old silver cost a fortune. The set was just ten dollars for three pieces. She wasn’t even sure what they were. A sugar, creamer, and maybe some kind of fancy serving piece?

            Paula took the silver to the checkout table and continued looking. She found a tapestry pillow for the living room for three dollars and a matching footstool for five. She was about to bypass the china and glassware when she realized the little wooden cart they sat on was for sale. Ten bucks? Heck yeah!

            Paula found a rusty toolbox she knew Dennis would love for ten dollars, and for free, she got a brand-new scratch toy for Moon Pie and RC. The seller just wanted rid of it. Paula was happy to help.

            After paying up, Paula got in the truck, refilled her tea tumbler, and cranked up the radio. A favorite song was starting to play, Dolly Parton’s “I Will Always Love You.”

            As she cruised through town and headed home, Paula held up her tea tumbler and suddenly laughed. “Yes, my friend, I will always love you!” And she sipped her tea with a smile.

Asi Tea's Wild Harvested Yaupon Tea: Sweet Tea

It happens about this time every year. Just as I am writing, "Well, this will be my last bottled tea review of the year," one more new bottled tea seems to hit the grocery store shelves. This week, just hours after I sipped what I had supposed were my last new bottled teas of the year, I spotted this Asi Sweet Tea at Kroger. I had no idea what "Wild Harvested Yaupon Tea" was, but you know me, I'll try any tea once!

I love the packaging. When I looked online, I found that the company says its tea "is made from wild-picked leaves and twigs from the yaupon, a type of holly tree native to the southeastern United States. Naturally caffeinated and antioxidant-rich, yaupon has been traditionally used to prepare a stimulating and healthy beverage by the South’s indigenous inhabitants. The native tribes called it 'Big Medicine' and passed on a taste for the tea to early colonists." Who knew? (You can read more about the Savannah company by clicking here.)

This tea is sweetened with organic cane sugar and has just 60 calories in the 14-ounce bottle. I enjoyed the taste of this "Sweet Tea" straight from the bottle but even more so when I poured it into a glass with ice. If you've ever been to a church homecoming and been served sweet tea in a plastic cup, then swigged the tea around until the ice melted a little … well, that's what this tea tasted like, and that's a good memory for me! At $2.69 it was a little pricey, but I can now say I've sipped yaupon tea!

My September column in The Coweta Shopper: Tea 101

My September column for The Coweta Shopper is now up, and if you would like to read it, please click here!

It has a different photo with the online version, but as you can probably tell from the image of the print column, the photo is of the Camellia sinensis plant!

Twinings Camomile, Honey & Vanilla Tea

Last year at Christmas, I received a Downton Abbey Republic of Tea that I absolutely adore, "Butler's Pantry," a honey-flavored blend. It is so rich and delicious, but since I didn't know of any other honey-flavored tea blends, I've been very careful about not using up the tea bags too quickly. Recently, I was intrigued when I came across a new-to-me Twinings blend at Kroger, their Camomile, Honey & Vanilla blend of herbal tea.

Please note that "camomile" is the Twinings spelling, and I'm having a hard time not typing "chamomile" instead! Spelling concerns aside, my big question was, could this tea possibly be as richly honey-flavored as the Republic of Tea blend? Is it possible I can have my honey-flavored tea fix all year round?

Indeed yes, I am happy to say! This tea seems to be light on the chamomile/camomile and heavier on the vanilla and honey, which I find a very happy combination indeed. And of course I always love the fact that Twinings teas are individually wrapped, making them perfect for sharing. (Not that I plan to share any!)

And the iced tea reviews wind down for the year …

With Labor Day almost here, it seemed like time to begin winding down my "iced tea" reviews for the year. When I stopped by Ingles this week to pick up my now-weekly purchase of that yummy Pineapple Coconut White Tea from Jimmy Buffett’s Island Tea, I also picked up the two remaining flavors I had yet to try, Tropical Citrus Green Tea and Strawberry Lime Black Tea.

There's no diplomatic way to say this, so I'll just cut to the chase. This one was awful! This "tea" is really a juice drink, with the green tea extract ranked after the apple juice concentrate, pear juice concentrate, and orange juice concentrate. But there's a weird and almost medicinal aftertaste that I just couldn't abide. I think this is one of the few bottled teas I thought was so bad that I actually threw away most of the bottle. (Sorry, Parrotheads. You know I *wanted* to like this!)

Happily, the Strawberry Lime Black Tea was delicious! Yes, I know it's really just like Kool-Aid for grown-ups, because the ingredients are fruit and vegetable juice, black tea extract, and stevia extract, but at just 50 calories a serving, I think it's fine for an occasional indulgence. And while this one was good, I remain a devotee of the Pineapple Coconut flavor. But with fall arriving, I'm ready to tuck all these bottled teas away and start thinking about the spicy hot teas of fall! Are you?

Some fine fall ideas from Southern Living

Lately, I've been picking up and placing back on the newsstand a number of fall magazines. I was looking for something with some fall baking inspiration (and the last time I went to the grocery store, the new Tea Time wasn't in yet), but nothing appealed to me. Then, when I caught up on my mail this weekend, I realized the new issue of Southern Living had just the inspiration I was seeking! Isn't that Apple Cake on the cover gorgeous? They call it their "No-Peel Apple Cake," and it takes just 20 minutes of preparation, so I want to give this a try.

What I loved most in this September issue, however, was this feature called "Baked with Love: Warm the hearts of family and friends with easy fall baked goods designed to present as gifts." I love pretty food packaging, and I was quite charmed by this image of Pumpkin Bread (at left), which is wrapped in the pan, then surrounded by a tea towel and grosgrain ribbon, with a pretty vintage knife tucked in as well. (I think I've just found the substitute gift for all those time-consuming plates of cookies I made for our business clients last Christmas!) And these recipes alone are worth buying the magazine for. First, I want to make their Spinach-Feta Scones, then the Apple-Cheddar Bread, and finally the Banana-Nut Muffins with Cream Cheese-Honey Filling. (The Apple Cake recipe isn't available online, but the other recipes are. There's so much great stuff in this magazine, however, that I'd recommend buying this issue if you live where it's sold and aren't already a subscriber.)

Were any of you in a sorority in college? There's a fun tour of sorority houses in the South, and I was surprised at how elegant they are! My faves were the spaces belonging to Alpha Delta Pi at the University of North Texas and Alpha Phi at the University of Alabama. For the garden lover, there are wonderful spreads on creating outdoor rooms, and for the football-loving garden lover, there's a clever piece on creating container gardens in the color of your favorite team. Also, I should mention that the featured home plan in this issue is from our Coweta town of Senoia, and it's one of the homes featured in AMC's "The Walking Dead." And now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go check my pantry to see what I need to make some great new scones and tea breads!

Teatime Tale #35 - A Nutty Dessert

A Nutty Dessert

            Ruth reached down into the kitchen cabinet for the tin loaf pan, its scratched and darkened metal testifying to years of use. The loaf pan was just where it always was, right-hand side of the shelf, on top of the muffin tins and cookie sheets. As she pulled it out, she paused to massage her hip. Her doctor kept telling her she needed to have a hip replacement soon, but she was content to pop a few Advil and try to live with the pain a little longer.

            Fortunately, she didn’t have to reach or stoop to gather the flour, sugar, and other staples she needed for baking. That set of brown Tupperware canisters was one of the best purchases she had ever made. The lids on those canisters still fit tight as a tick, just as sturdy as the day she bought them, and besides, they matched the rooster print of the kitchen wallpaper.

            Walking slowly over to her small but tidy pantry, Ruth looked on the second shelf and pulled out a jar of Jippy Peanut Butter. Ruth had eaten nothing but Jippy since it first came out in the fifties. It was the only peanut butter her kids would eat, and the “kids” were almost senior citizens. Her son loved the Creamy, but her daughter wouldn’t eat anything but Extra Crunchy. Ruth kept jars of each on hand at all times, just in case the kids stopped by.

            After she finished sifting and measuring her dry ingredients, she added the peanut butter, eggs, and milk. She greased the pan, poured the batter inside, sprinkled some chopped peanuts on top—after munching a few—and set the timer for one hour. Soon, the rich scent of hot peanuts filled the air.

            Peanut butter had long been a staple in her home. Her late husband, Bill, had always had a tablespoon of peanut butter—the Creamy—on his toast each morning. Occasionally, Ruth joined him in that, but she preferred the Extra Crunchy. Over the years, she’d made just about every peanut butter dessert imaginable: peanut butter cookies, peanut butter bars, peanut butter balls at Christmas. Her chocolate peanut butter pie was always a big hit when she took it to the Senior Center’s monthly birthday parties.

            That evening, Ruth’s neighbor Eloise was coming over for dessert and tea, so Ruth was baking a favorite treat, her Peanut Butter Tea Loaf.

            Eloise, who was hard of hearing, loved it, but Ruth had had a devil of a time explaining why it was called a “tea” loaf.

            “Is there tea in there?” Eloise had asked, hollering as if she thought Ruth was hard of hearing, too.

            “No, no tea,” Ruth had said.

            “I know it’s nutty. I said, is there tea in there?” Eloise had asked, louder.

            Ruth had explained that a tea loaf was just a name and didn’t really mean that much. A true Anglophile, she knew that “tea loaf” usually referred to those English cakes made with dried fruits and served in slices with butter on them, but she didn’t have the patience to try to explain that to Eloise.

            Once, Ruth had made the mistake of trying to watch one of her entertainment programs while Eloise was there.

            “Who are all those gals?” Eloise had asked.

            “They’re the Kardashians,” Ruth replied.

            “Car dash what? That’s a funny name. And why do they all wear so much makeup?”

            Ruth finally learned to keep the TV off when Eloise visited.

            When the timer sounded, Ruth removed the tea loaf from the oven and let it rest in the pan on a wire rack for ten minutes. When Bill was still alive, he’d always gotten into the baked goods before they cooled, and she’d slapped his hands away many times. She smiled at the memory. If only Bill’s hands were there to reach for a fresh-out-of-the-oven dessert once more.

            The rooster teakettle on the stovetop was starting to whistle, so Ruth went ahead and prepared her cup of tea. She liked a strong English Breakfast blend at any time of day, and Eloise didn’t have a preference one way or the other. She came for the gossip more than anything.

            At seven o’clock, Ruth heard a knock at the door and knew it was her friend.

            She looked through the peephole and saw some familiar gray hair. “Come in,” Ruth said. “Let’s just sit in the kitchen and have dessert.”

            “You’re gonna miss your program with all those car dash women on it,” Eloise said. “You don’t mind?”

            “Not a bit,” Ruth said.

            She prepared Eloise’s tea and brought it to the table along with a pink glass plate bearing the sliced tea loaf.

            “Is this that peanut butter thing I like?”

            “It sure is,” Ruth said.

            “It’s got tea in it, right?”

            “No, no tea.”

            “I know it’s nutty. You always say that, but I said does it have tea in it?”

            “No, it does not have tea in it,” Ruth said, speaking each word loudly and clearly. Maybe she needed to rethink having Eloise over so often.

            “I was kinda wantin’ to watch that entertainment program over here since my TV’s on the blink,” Eloise said. “Do you mind?”

            Ruth shuffled back to the pantry and gathered two lightweight TV trays to set up in the den to hold their food. She turned on the TV just as a familiar young face appeared on the screen.

            “Do you like that Molly Silas?” Eloise said. “I don’t much care for her.”

            Ruth grinned. “I need a refill. How ’bout you?” Eloise, her eyes glued to the screen, nodded and handed over her teacup.

            Ruth was still in the kitchen when Eloise called out, “Hey, did you hear about Bruce Jenner?”

            “Give me strength, Lord,” Ruth said. And just for good measure, she reached in the can for a few peanuts before rejoining her friend. It was, after all, much better to eat nuts than to be nuts.

Ye Boston Tea Party March

Those who've been reading this blog for a while know that I love history, and that fact alone has sent me to the Library of Congress website numerous times in recent months. This week's find was the 1890s tune "Ye Boston Tea Party March."

The website says this song dates to the 1890s and was performed by Sousa's Band, conducted by Henry Higgens, and composed by Arthur Pryor.

Got two minutes? Then click here and click on the arrow in the gray box to listen to "Ye Boston Tea Party March" and put a little spring in your step!

A pocket notebook perfect for tea lovers!

Can you tell at first glance what this is? If you said "a cup of tea," you would be wrong, of course, because this is …

A notebook! I found this 4 x 6-inch notebook in a cute gift shop a while back but only recently decided on a new writing project for which I'll use it. (Every new writing project gets its own notebook in my world.)

With the little dots on each page, this notebook would be good for sketching as well as scribbling. Although I got mine in North Carolina, you can find these online by clicking here if you're interested.

Samples from Chi Whole Leaf tea

Recently, I learned about an offer of free tea samples from Chi Whole Leaf, and I imagine some of you quickly ordered samples just as I did. I was intrigued by their powdered teas which let you "drink the leaves."

Of the five samples they sent, I have tried three so far, and here are my thoughts:

Ginger Chai — Tried 1/4 teaspoon of tea first, but the drink was too weak. Tried 1/2 teaspoon next and it was much better. This tea is made with rooibos, but I must say that it reminds me of that popular "Friendship Tea" mix made with Tang.

Green Mint — This flavor, I loved! My only problem with this tea was that I didn't drink it fast enough, so the powder drifted to the bottom of the tea mug, and I ended up getting a swig of a murky, chalky something before I could finish the drink.

Floral Herbs — This was my least favorite of the teas. The hibiscus flavor was quite strong and tart, and the rose and jasmine were almost imperceptible. For some reason, this one reminded me of Theraflu!

You know how they say "we eat with our eyes first"? Well, I think we drink with our eyes first, too, and I realized that seeing these particles floating around in my teas did not add to my enjoyment of them. The taste of two of these teas was actually pretty good at first sip, but when I tasted some of the tea particles later in the sipping, it was a turnoff, and the tea's consistency is, I'm afraid, a problem for me. But I'm not through with the teas just yet, because I think these powdered teas might be good to use in cooking! Did any of you order the samples from Chi Whole Leaf? If so, what did you think?

A Cup of Christmas (in August) Tea

Several years ago, I found the "Cup of Christmas Tea" teapot in a local antique mall, so I was delighted to come upon the matching teacup and saucer the other day at an antique mall in Bremen.

The set was $12.99, which I thought was a fair price. I've seen these selling for more than that on eBay, not including shipping, so I think I got a pretty good deal.

Can you believe that the book "A Cup of Christmas Tea" came out in 1982? It seems like only yesterday I was attending a friend's Christmas tea where she read this book and gave a copy to one lucky guest (not me, although I later purchased a copy for myself). And the book that was "new" back then is now sold in antique stores. Thankfully, so are the teawares I somehow missed out on collecting back in 1992!

Recommended Reading: Victoria Classics European Treasures

Over the weekend, I set aside an hour and a cup of tea just to pore over a new magazine, European Treasures from Victoria Classics. I so enjoyed my armchair travels with this issue that I wanted to tell you of some tea-related discoveries I found within the pages!

Although I've used Portmeirion teawares for years, I knew nothing of the coastal resort of Portmeirion, an Italianate village in North Wales. Pormeirion founder Susan Williams-Ellis was the daughter of architect Sir Clough Williams-Ellis, who designed the village of Portmeirion. I absolutely adored the photos of the hotel and cottage. Yet another bucket list destination!

I would dearly love to vist Ireland, and when I read about The Merrion Hotel in Dublin, I wanted to go. Then, when I read online about their famous Art Tea, I really wanted to go! (Click here to read about The Merrion's Art Tea, "the most lavish afternoon tea in Dublin.")

A feature on "The Legacy of Beatrix Potter" made me love her all over again for her generous gift of farmland to the National Trust, and I did not know that a place called Yew Tree Farm was the stand-in for her famous Hill Top farm in the movie "Miss Potter." If you, too, are afflicted with wanderlust, this magazine is a lovely place to lose yourself for an hour or so!

Teatime Tale #34 — Those Tea Party Pinkies

 Those Tea Party Pinkies

          I couldn’t wait for Social Studies to end. Just my luck that I had gotten Ms. Bradley for the year. Dang, that woman droned on and on. She last updated her wardrobe in, like, the nineties or something, and she had that big long chin hair that she wouldn’t pluck for some reason. Hannah said that one day, she was going to bring tweezers to class and just go up there and yank that thing out, but I told her that was crazy. The school resource officer would probably arrest Hannah for assault or something, and there I’d be, having to visit my best friend in juvie.

            To earn extra credit for the year, Hannah and I signed up for community service projects and volunteered to work with the historical society like we did last year. I had figured it would just be a bunch of boring old people sitting around talking about the Civil War, but it wasn’t like that at all—not unless somebody just wanted to talk about the Civil War.

            That was also how I met Claire Wilson, their party person. Her official title was something like “Community Outreach Coordinator,” but I worked with her last summer and got the scoop. I found out she loved to party, and she wanted to invite me to all their parties—or “community outreach” events—but she said they always had a lot of booze flowing, and it freaked out the grown-ups to have teenagers around. Like we didn’t know they liked their beer and wine. Duh.

            But that afternoon, Miss Claire wanted me and Hannah to help with an afternoon tea for some girls in the after-school program at one of the elementary schools. Hannah told Ms. Bradley we needed to leave class early to help with the tea. She explained that we would be teaching the girls about Victorian tea etiquette. Brianna Simpson heard that and started saying “Fiddle dee dee” over and over, like we were going to Gone With the Wind tryouts. Idiot. She probably didn’t even know that the Victorian period lasted until 1901, and she probably thought Queen Victoria was a rapper. But I didn’t want to waste time thinking about stupid old Brianna Simpson.

            Hannah said Brianna was jealous because Joshua Taylor sat by me at lunch today. I told Hannah that was ridiculous. Joshua had lived down the street from me all my life, and our parents were best friends. I hoped he didn’t get mixed up with a skank like Brianna, but I wouldn’t judge him even if he did. If he wanted to go with someone like her, why should I care?

            When Hannah and I got to the historical society, the first thing we did was get dressed in some hoopskirts and gowns that Miss Claire had ready for us. I got the pink one, and Hannah wore the blue one. We wore big old gaudy hats, too. Little girls loved those.

            Ten girls were at the tea party, and we decided Hannah would go first and give them a few etiquette tips. Since Hannah had two older sisters and never got to be the boss, I didn’t mind if she got more speaking time than I did. I just had one bratty little brother, and I generally got along with him, except when he kept adding new games to my iPad without asking.

            As Miss Claire and the other volunteers brought out the tea trays, Hannah told the girls they were supposed to eat sandwiches first, then scones, then sweets. One little girl was already nibbling on a chocolate-covered strawberry, but Hannah and I just grinned at each other. We knew it was bad etiquette to make your guests feel bad when they messed up.

            When it was my turn, I told the girls not to hold their teacups with their pinkies up. Somebody was always telling little girls to drink tea with their pinkies up, and it drove me crazy. Why did people do that? One little girl said that was a relief because her pinkie was already tired.

            Once the tea was over, I texted my mom to come pick us up, and Hannah and I changed into jeans and T-shirts. As we dressed in the bathroom, someone knocked. It was Miss Claire asking us to stop by her office before we left.

            When we got there, Miss Claire had two navy blue gift bags on her desk.

            “These are for you, Megan and Hannah,” she said, handing one to Hannah and one to me. “Just a small thank-you for helping with the kids in the after-school program this afternoon. You girls are such a big help around here.”

            Hannah and I were beaming. It was nice to be appreciated.

            My cell phone pinged to let me know I had a text. It was my mom telling me she’d pulled up out front.

            “Mom’s here, so we’ve gotta run. Thank you,” I said, holding up my bag as I left.

            “Yeah, thanks, Miss Claire,” Hannah said.

            We dropped Hannah off at her mom’s gift shop downtown, and then Mom dropped me by the house before going to buy groceries. I’d had a few cucumber sandwiches and some Earl Grey at the tea party, but I was still hungry. While I warmed up leftover pizza, I opened my gift.

            Underneath the layers of dark blue tissue was a white box. I wasn’t surprised to open the box and see a cool teacup and saucer inside. Lavender was my favorite color, and the teacup had pink and lavender flowers on it.

            My mom was a big tea drinker, so I got one of her tea bags and made a cup of Darjeeling to go with my pizza.

            Stupid old Brianna Simpson probably didn’t even know how to hold a teacup. And if she ever asked me about it, I was definitely going to tell her how important it was to always hold her pinkie up. Always. Ha!