2/19/10

For love of tea

My family ancestry comes from many countries. We have the Clonch family from Ireland. The Garretson side has been traced back to France. The McComas clan hails from Scotland. And the Eden's have there roots in jolly old England.
If there is one thing that the English know, that is tea. I was raised in a family of tea drinkers. Sweet tea, sun tea, boiled tea. Nothing like a cold glass of tea with a big slice of juicy lemon. Or so they tell me. I am an oddity. I do not like tea. I have tried and tried and cannot force myself to drink it.
But the funny thing is I am a collector of tea pots, tea for one, tea sets, tea cups, tea spoons and miniature tea sets. My house is loaded with them. I have them blues and pinks and purples. I have them with roses and lilies and doves. I have them with bunny rabbits and sisters. I even have a set with cardinals and dogwood trees on it. I love my tea accessories. But do not like tea.
Every family function revolves around their being a pitcher of tea in the refrigerator. If you walk in the door at my mothers, you can expect ice cold sweet tea. Her grandchildren say she makes the best tea in the world. My oldest granddaughter is 5. When she goes to McDonald's or Wendy's or anywhere out to eat, she has to have her sweet tea with her meal.
I'm not sure how this "tea craze" passed me over. I'm not sure why I am the odd one out. I've often wondered if my love of all things tea is to compensate for my lack of addition to good old southern, iced, sweet tea?