"Tea with Patsy Clairmont"

Patsy Clairmont is a Christian writer and speaker whom I got to know many years ago, but I had never read her 1997 gift book "Tea with Patsy Clairmont" until I came across a copy in mint condition for $2.50 at the thrift shop What's in Store last week. I've seen Patsy live and on video and found her a hilarious and yet thoughtful speaker, but I somehow missed getting to know her as a fellow tea lover. I don't know why this connection didn't occur to me before, because one of Patsy's early books was even titled "God Uses Cracked Pots." In "Tea With Patsy Clairmont," she says she has "discovered that many women relate to feeling fragile and broken. Yet we girls are finding we are strengthened when we are honest with each other and receive one another, cracks, chips and all." Amen to that!

One reason I love my teawares so much is that often there's a "person" behind a piece. There are gifts from friends, recalling holidays and special teatimes we enjoyed together. There are also surprise treats I found while out antiquing with my mother, and even pieces I bought for myself after receiving a "shopping alert" from a friend in cyberspace! Patsy has plenty of such stories herself, and one of my favorites is about The Time-Share Teapot which she and a girlfriend share. She also opened my eyes to the importance of the spout's location on a pot. She notes that in general, "The spouts that are positioned low, close to the table, are for serving coffee. When a spout is located mid-pot, it's for tea. And a spout that is even with the lid is a chocolate pot." I've always distinguished pots by shape and size, mainly, but I do believe that this "spout" information lines up with what I've seen. Patsy also makes some funny spiritual applications about "spouting off," but I'm sure none of us is guilty of that! If you haven't read this delightful book, I'd definitely recommend adding it to your wish list.