Please, do come in to Linen and Tea, my personal Victorian tea room. This was once a bedroom for my youngest daughter and then a guest bedroom, but now, it has finally become what it was meant to be all along--a place to escape while I listen to soft music and enjoy a pot of tea. Some times you'll find me alone deep in thought--just enjoying the peace and quiet as I spend time with the Lord. Other times, I share my tea table with a friend. We savor freshly baked scones, hot bowls of acorn squash soup with a little dollup of whipping cream and nutmeg sprinkled on it, turkey salad with a pinch of curry and a few pine nuts, finger sandwiches, and of course, dessert! I can still smell vanilla and cinnamon from the last bread pudding I baked to share with a friend. Time stands still while in Linen and Tea since there are no clocks to watch. Quite often, when leaving I find hours have passed. Time wasted? I should say not! Any time I can get away with friends, neighbors, or by myself and enjoy a pot of tea and goodies while soaking in as much peace as I can is never wasted time. And no tea is ever wasted as I secretly pour the tea into a pitcher for ice tea the next day. The only problem I can see is since there are sooooooooo many types of tea, I'm afraid I won't live long enough to try them all--even if I live to be 150 years old! I hope you enjoy viewing the pictures taken from different angles. Please write and let me know what you think of having a personal tea room.
Writing for the Lord!
Bonnie
Ah, The fireplace! What Victorian tea room would be complete without one.
The tea cart was originally in the front room but was a necessity in the Linen and Tea room. The quilt on the wall matches the lamp's shade--both handmade and quilted by my youngest daughter. She spent almost 16 years in this room, so a quilt she made just seemed natural to hang on the wall.
This view shows both the curio cabinet and the window. Outside the window is an orange tree, two large (20 foot tall) red Honeysuckle bushes filled with very noisy birds, a Plumeria plant, a Protea plant, and a garden full of wild and not so wild flowers. The California Golden Poppy seeds attach to just about any grain of soil and flower most of the year if I remember to water them. The Four O'Clocks bloom in three different colors. I could go on, but I think you can picture the view from this window yourself--just close your eyes and breath deeply--your mind's eye will let you see the view uninhindered by my adjectives. Maybe you can even catch a whiff of the fragrant, small white flowers when the orange tree is in bloom. Ahhh! Nothing quite like it--a gentle reminder that after the harvest comes a time of quiet growth and then a new season blossoms with the promise of another harvest.
This picture shows the two old hats I found that begged to hang in my tea room. The cat? Doesn't every Victorian tearoom have at least one? Maybe it's only my wishful thinking since I'm a cat person. I confess, it's not real but boy, does it sure fool people when they visit for the first time.
This used to be a closet but with a lace table runner used to hide the wooden cloths bar, my Grandmother's hope chest, several smaller chests, doilies and a tea cup and saucer or two, the transformation was better than I expected. The sheer curtains draped at the top flow nicely onto the wood floor.
My husband once asked me, "Just how many tea cups and pots do you need?"
I replied,"As many as I can find someplace, any place, somewhere and everywhere to display them." He just rolled his eyes and sighed deeply.
Reminds me of the time when he asked me, "Just how much tea do you need? You must have more tins of tea than are legal."
"I probably have more than most people, but after all, I am the Tea Lady and tea ladies always need to have lots and lots of tea." I answered. I did make sure he was wearing his Nitro patch and had the Nitroglycerin pills with him--just in case.
You can spot my husband a mile away. He's the one with his hand guarding the right back pocket of his pants--where his wallet calls home. I'm still working on how to get him to stop this silly, non-calorie burning habit. Maybe an open "house" would work.
