Some of the teapots I've collected since I was about 13 years old are shown above. That year mom asked me what I wanted for Christmas and, much to her surprise, I requested a teapot. It was the first of many to follow.
Since, I have received several from my godmother and other family members, and two from my late, beloved grandmother, which I treasure most. One of those, the most unusual in my collection, is seen in the first photo. It's a squatty, stacking set with what I believe is an "occupied Japan" mark on the bottom of the pieces. It's quite charming, and I've never seen anything like it elsewhere. The small brown pot in the center photo is of a more commonly seen style. It belonged to my great grandmother. I love to imagine her using it so many years ago. The last pot shown is the one that started my collection that Christmas when I was a girl.
I was happy to share my collection with the library where I work for a January display, as January is National Hot Tea Month. It's the perfect month for it, don't you think? With the frigid temps, the snow, and the gardens frozen over, there is nothing finer to do than brew a cup of tea and sit, sipping, with a good book--or pile of garden catalogs.
Regular black or green tea is brewed from the leaves of Camellia sinensis, a lovely plant in its own right. How the leaves are processed determines the type of tea produced. I like my Camellia leaves with a hint of added flowers, as in jasmine or lavender, or with the citrus oil of bergamot (an orange, not an herb) as in Earl Grey. I even have tea with rose petals in it. Of course! It must be the gardener in me. At any rate, I find a cup of hot tea to be soothing, warm, and delicious. According to the health literature I occasionally peruse, tea is loaded with antioxidants, too. Bonus.
Won't you join me in celebrating National Hot Tea Month? Let's brew a comforting pot of tea and get comfortable with our books and catalogs. It's the next best thing to spring! Teapot photos by JulenaJo.
Julena this is sure the month to have Hot Tea Month. Sounds good on a cold day.
ReplyDeleteHi Julena~~ Coffee doesn't count as tea, does it? Is February Coffee month? LOL I know, tea is better for you but what can I say? Everybody needs one vice. Ha ha. I love your teapots and the history behind them. And the fact that you shared them with library patrons is all the nicer.
ReplyDeleteNever did care for hot tea, it was always iced tea in summer when I was growin up in Kentucky. I still haven't developed a taste for it, but I know the benefits.
ReplyDeleteYour tea pots are too pretty to use.
This is pure style Julena, so precious, can't be valued in terms of money. Better not to bring them into daily use. People who drink tea in them would hardly understand the emotional attachment. If dropped and broken they would say sorry. Thats it.
ReplyDeleteBoth my sisters take tea and they make black coffee for me. Tea is served when friends come but not with such elegance.
Happy new year to you Julena, hope you had a wonderful Christmas and enjoyed the holidays. i apologise for me long absence.
Every month is Hot Tea month at my house. Heck, every DAY is Hot Tea Day! Can't start my day without a cup.
ReplyDeleteYour tea pots are beautiful and I think the specialness and connection to your family make them all the more so. I had no idea January is National Hot Tea month. I will surely strive to brew a pot and have a cup! Happy New Year to you too!
ReplyDeleteI always associate "a nice cuppa" with calming down. Whenever there was any kind of family crisis, or anything upsetting from the dog running away to the Kennedy assasinations, my English mother would run to put the kettle on before anything else.
ReplyDeleteThis makes me want to go start a cup of tea!
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing - stop by my blog sometime - I garden in OHio too!
Oh, I just love the teapots. I'm a tea drinker and a teapot painter :D
ReplyDeleteHang in there. Your bookshelves will be finished at some point and winter will go, as it usually does.