Thank God for Tea! What would the world do without tea! How did it exist? I am glad I was not born before tea.~Sir Philip Sidney~
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Not long ago, I participated in a lively discussion about tea, at a decorating group, I belong to.There were differing opinions on sweet or unsweet tea, lemon or no lemon and in the case of hot tea, milk or no milk. The merits of certain brands were discussed. We also talked about "drive-thru" tea.
The tea in these photos was brewed, this morning, in a Mr Coffee tea maker. The brand is Luzianne, served unsweetened, with lemon. I like Tetley Tea, also. Most of the time I like my tea unsweetened, with a slice of lemon. Every so often I brew sweet tea. I have lemon with that, too.
My favorite drive-thru iced tea is from Steak 'n Shake. Recently, I tried iced sweetened Tazo Black Tea, at Starbucks. It is quite good.
My (paternal) Texas grandmother served tea without sugar. My grandfather was diabetic and used saccharin. As a child, when I had iced tea at their home, I added lemon and one tablet of saccharin. Nanny made great iced tea! My (maternal) Missouri grandmother, made wonderful lemonade. Many times she would brew tea and mix it with the lemonade. Granny's tea was very good, too! Mother brewed excellent tea in a sauce pan. When brewing sweet tea, adding sugar while the tea is hot, is key.
What are your favorite teas? How do you brew tea? Is it sweet or unsweet, lemon or no lemon, for you?
~The white pitcher in the photos is part of my growing collection of ironstone. The glasses are 2 of a set of 6 vintage glasses. The tablecloth and napkins are also vintage. My straw hat is handmade. I found it in Charleston, South Carolina. The sunflowers, faux. The photo was taken at the north side of our home, looking toward a tree lined wet weather creek.~
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~A Saturday Afternoon Stroll Around Elsah~We stopped at Elsah IL, yesterday, to inquire about an upcoming photography exibit.
While walking around the village, I snapped a few photos.
The photo at right, shows Trumpet Vine pods. The vine grows at the entrance to Elsah.
Other photos show scenes around the town.
***********************************************~2007 Blessing of the Fleet~
Statue of Our Lady of the Rivers, on the Mississippi River at Portage des Sioux Missouri.
~ St Francis Assisi Church at Portage des Sioux~
Boats against a backdrop of bluffs, on the Illinois side of the Mississippi. The photo was taken, looking toward Illinois, from the statue site in Portage des Sioux.
The Blessing of the Fleet, as viewed from The Great River Road, between Grafton and Alton, Illinois.***********************************************
The weather, Saturday, was perfect for a day trip. We drove to Portage des Sioux, Missouri. After visiting the statue of Our Lady of the Rivers, we caught the Golden Eagle ferry to Illinois. We drove down river from Grafton, to catch sight of the Blessing from the Illinois side.
Later we stopped at Historic Elsah, Illinois. We can't pass by Elsah without stopping. We love this little town and it's beautiful 18th and 19th century architecture.
We had a wonderful time driving through the countryside, once again. This time we took a different route. We always enjoy traveling the back roads.