Listening and Sipping Tea Hodgepodge

With gratitude to Joyce From This Side of the Pond for our last Hodgepodge questions of the year.

1. Did you do more talking or more listening yesterday? Was it by choice or by necessity? 

I’m happy to say that I did more listening than talking yesterday. Our grands were here in the afternoon for a few hours and it was fun listening to their banter. JJ had several stories to give us the details on. He talked about his dad’s work on the hot water tank, in detail. Addy filled in anything he missed. He chuckled while calling me, Baa bush Kah, in three separate syllables instead of Baba. Addy read out the instructions on the cookie recipe we made. During dinner together JJ had many things to share. I made the comment that he was quite the conversationalist!

2. Are you a tea drinker? Hot, cold, or both? Flavored? What do you like in your tea? Do you make Christmas tea this time of year? What time of day do you like to sip your tea?
I grew up in a tea drinking household where tea was served regularly and we enjoyed our tea with a sweet cherry syrup or lemon syrup that our mom made and canned in quantity.
At the church we grew up in we’d have meals where tea was served. My friends and I enjoyed making bridges of sugar cubes across the top of our tea glasses before we poured the hot water in. We broke the sugar bridge with the hot water. No tea bags, loose tea steeped. The glasses were hot so the tea was poured into the bowl and we drank the tea from the bowl. At our Russian wedding receptions, Чай не сладкий  (the tea is not sweet) ‘Chai nye slatki’ was a chant that was made while gently tapping our tea glasses with a spoon so the newly married couple could stand and give each other a kiss to sweeten our tea.
I think we mostly had tea in the afternoon or evening.
After I was married I transitioned to coffee and enjoyed tea as an event rather than daily consumption. When I drink tea I enjoy Earl Grey or English Breakfast Tea. No green tea for me. I do not make Christmas tea but I do remember having some in the past.
3. What’s an activity you won’t try, an event you won’t attend, or an athletic challenge you won’t take part in not even for ‘all the tea in China’? 
I will not try bungee jumping. I will not attend a Monster Trucks Show. I will not take part in a marathon.

4. What’s something most people seem to love but is not ‘your cup of tea‘? 

Owning pets.

5. How does your family celebrate New Year’s Eve? 

Hmmm. It has changed over the years and we do not have any set traditions for this eve. Lately we are in bed by 9pm and will hear the fireworks go off at midnight. I used to watch at least one of the countdowns (New York) that were 3 hours ahead of us. Here in Colville the Fourth of July is not a good time to shoot off fireworks because of the fire danger so many folks save their fireworks for New Year’s Eve.

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

I’m still relishing our Children’s Christmas Musical that was on this past Sunday and this song that the Children sang.

You can have my room, Jesus.
You’re always welcome here, Jesus.
I won’t turn you away to a cattle stall.
You can have my room, Jesus.
You can have it all.
Come in, Come in,
Come into my heart, Lord Jesus.
You can have it all.

A Very Merry Christmas to Jo and all of my Wednesday Hodgepodge Friends!

Ellen's avatar
About Ellenhttps://happywonderer.com/I am a wife, mother, baba (grandmother) and a loyal friend. Jesus is my King and my hope is in my future with Him.

14 thoughts on “Listening and Sipping Tea Hodgepodge”

  2. I enjoyed your answers and seeing photos of your grandchildren. They sound so fun. Well, so far with what I’ve read 3 of us have said bungee jumping. lol Merry Christmas

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  4. Your tea traditions were interesting to learn about.

    Baking with grands is so much fun and the cookies look delicious.

    I didn’t specify bungee jumping, but it was certainly implied in my answer to that question!

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  5. I so enjoyed reading your Hodgepodge answers today, Ellen. I had to chuckle about JJ giving you a blow by blow of his dad’s work on the hot water tank…and then Addy being sure to fill in any details that he missed along the way. Brings back such wonderful memories of when our two were young.

    I’m a tea drinker all the way. My day starts with a cup of hot tea…nothing added to it. Loved hearing about the game you used to play by building bridges across your glass with sugar cubes. And seeing the tea poured out in the bowl brought back childhood memories of watching my grandfather pour his coffee into his saucer to drink it. And, my favorite tea is English Breakfast!

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  9. I love all the tea related traditions. Afternoon tea is so civilized. I love a real tea cup too. I’m particular about my cup, no styrofoam please. My grands are all chatterboxes which I love. We’re all chatterboxes here actually lol. Merry Christmas to you and your family!

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  10. I drink tea once in a while. Usually just in the winter. I like it hot, don’t like iced tea. I agree with you on the bungee jumping!!!

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  11. Such an interesting post, Ellen. Thank you for your sweet, comforting words. I loved hearing about your time with your grands; such joy. The tea traditions were so fascinating. Oh and I love the words of the children’s song. I would love to have heard their sweet voices sing. Oh that this could become our country’s mantra. My husband and I made our bi-annual trek into an Amish town near our son’s in Indiana yesterday. We stopped at a Mennonite Bakery and I thought about you. A huge box of six sweet rolls, an Apple, Caramel, Coffee Cake, and loaf of bread later, we are set for the holidays and family. Merry Christmas to you and yours.

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  13. Glad you had that time with your grandchildren. Very interesting story about your love for tea. Bungee Jumping has been said several times today. I wouldn’t do it either. We watch the countdown show and stay up until midnight and toast with champagne. Your random is so sweet. Merry Christmas to you and your family.

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  14. I always like your responses to these things! You make me smile. I drank tea as a child as well…but it was more about the sugar than the tea.

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