The Traveling Teapot: May 2012

Thursday, May 31, 2012

Traveling with the Traveling Teapot

The journey to our grand destination began on a beautiful Spring day.

We had been looking forward to going for quite sometime
and our excitement mounted as we neared the crossing gates.

With The Traveling Teapot tucked safely in her travel bag

we drove to the border and presented our documents.

After a few routine questions from the immigration officer, the passports were

stamped, the gate was lifted and we proceeded.

We were now in . . . . . .

and had wonderful plans to explore an area

where we had never been before.

Join us as we discover a beautiful place

and learn about this region of Canada.

Mary Jane and The Traveling Teapot

The American side of the Falls

American Falls and Bridal Veil Falls

The Canadian side of the Falls

Horseshoe Falls and The Traveling Teapot

As we toured the area we were struck by

the raw energy of the cascading water .

It is an awe inspiring sight to witness the beauty

and power of the roaring waters of Niagara Falls.

The main area for viewing the Falls is called Queen Victoria Park.

It is also where you may board The Maid of the Mist

boat ride and see other attractions.

You may wish to go here for more details and learn more about

this spectacular place!

Proper Documentation

The Traveling Teapot Journeys to a Special Destination

The Traveling Teapot has worked very hard

here at The Amherst Rose,

so we decided to take her on a journey

and travel to a place we have always wanted to visit.

For this excursion we would all need a Passport,

so of course we made a special one

just for The Traveling Teapot

to take on the trip.

The Traveling Teapot has everything she needs for the trip . . .

and so we packed her up in her special traveling bag and

off we went on an adventure.

Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Packing for a Trip

The Traveling Teapot poses for a

photo with her custom traveling pouch,

cup, and teapot print traveling bag.

She is embarking on a journey and must have all

of the proper accessories.

Here she models her antique lace collar cosy and a fetching chapeau.

All Dressed Up and Ready to Go!

A Very Helpful Teapot

There are so many things that The Traveling Teapot

has helped with here at the Tea Room.

Have you ever used a teapot for a String Dispenser?

It works wonderfully and you could take a teapot

that may have a little crack in it that may no longer

be useful for brewing tea and use it for this purpose.

Just feed the string through the spout and place

the ball of string in the teapot!

Does a teapot only have to be for tea?

Not at our house.

Milk and cookies with a favorite

wee one or just for one.

Since the roses are having a blooming riot in the garden,

why not fill a teapot with a colorful bouquet?

Put it in a place to admire and it will make you smile.

A little bird told me that a teapot makes a lovely

home for a feathered friend.

I purchased this pretty in pink teapot birdhouse,

but have made others by using a ceramic

bit to drill a hole in a teapot to

provide a sweet nesting place.

What other interesting things can you do with a teapot?

Just use your imagination!

The Tea Party

We have had many tea parties with The Traveling Teapot

and many of our dear Friends.

But I also had a little tea party and it was just The Traveling Teapot and me.

"The Tea Party"

I had a little tea party
This afternoon at three.
'Twas very small-
Three guests in all-
Just I, myself and me.

Myself ate all the sandwiches,
While I drank up the tea;
'Twas also I who ate the pie
And passed the cake to me.

~ Jessica Nelson North

Tea For Just Me

Niagara Ice Wine Tea and Ice Wine and Pistachio Macarons
from Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canada

The beautiful cup and saucer was a lovely gift from
Marilyn when she delivered
The Traveling Teapot to me.

Thank you, Marilyn.
I have fond memories of your visit here at
The Amherst Rose and
enjoyed my little tea party for one with this
newest addition to my collection
and
The Traveling Teapot.

Celebrating with The Traveling Teapot

The Happy Birthhday Teapot brewed up a lovely pot of

Happy Birthday Tea from Harney and Sons for a Birthday Celebration.

My birthday is this month and my wonderful DH celebrates his birthday in June.

We are celebrating together here at The Amherst Rose this week

as we will not be together in June for his special day.

The Traveling Teapot joined in with The Happy Birthday Teapot

for this special occasion to brew a pot of another special tea,

a gift from a dear Friend who is a collector of teapots.

The Vanilla Comoro,

another Harney and Sons Tea

that I dearly love,

is a black tea with a creamy

vanilla caramel taste

and is decaffeinated so we can drink it late into the evening.

A big Happy Birthday to my DH who has encouraged

and supported me here at The Amherst Rose Tea Room

and is always ready for an adventure, even with a Little Plum Teapot.

(He does put up with a lot "nonsense" around here that most men

would consider ridiculous, and always with a great sense of humor.)

Thank you Traveling Teapot for brewing up such lovely tea for us to share.

Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Tea at Eve's with The Traveling Teapot . . . and Some Other Fun Things

A special Afternoon Tea was celebrated at the home of long time

ATAA Member Eve - also know to us as TeapotEve.

Collector of teapots, consultant, writer, dear friend, mentor,

and hostess with the mostest,

Eve has beautiful accouterments for any tea table.

The Shelly Trios were chosen for this impromptu tea party.

My beautiful trio was adorned with Lily of the Valley,

the flower designated for the Month of May.

The Dainty Blue Shelly Trio

and

The Queen Elizabeth I Tea Cosy

purchased in Rye, England

Two Special Teapots joined the celebration.

The Traveling Teapot and
Eve's newest addition to her Teapot Family.

This special commemorative teapot was commissioned to celebrate the

Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II.

I found it for Eve on another journey that I took with

The Traveling Teapot.

(I confess that I got one for myself as well.)

It will join the teapot that Eve already has that commemorates the

Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria.

Happy Tea Party Participants

pose with The Traveling Teapot

and

The Queen Elizabeth II Teapot

Mary Jane, Carl, Eve, and Bob

We retired to the Great Room for some

old-time fun with the 1919 Wurlitzer Farny Player Piano.

It is veneered in quarter sawn oak in the Arts and Craft Tradition.

Eve has enjoyed it for 9 Years and shared it with many guests.

The Traveling Teapot meets The Player Piano Teapot

Deb pumps out a tune and enjoys her turn at the Player Piano.

You go, Girl!!!

We had such a fun and wonderfully eclectic day.

In addition to the Afternoon Tea Time

we visited The Cleveland Museum of Art

for an amazing Rembrandt Exhibit.

We had lunch at Sweet Mango, a Thai restaurant that

serves delicious food served by a lovely family.

Deb, Carl, and I then met up with Rick, Deb's husband,

for dinner at our favorite Mexican Cantina, El Campasino.

Then . . . . .

Carl and I went to hear my high school friend sing with her band

and we did a little swing dancing.

So much fun in one day and it was all shared with

The Traveling Teapot and good friends!!!

Monday, May 28, 2012

A Pressing Matter for The Traveling Teapot

Do you still iron????

I am thinking that not very many people iron

much any more.

I actually love to iron and do some of my best thinking while

standing at the ironing board as the steam rises

from freshly washed and starched napkins.

I have starched and ironed hundreds of napkins

here at The Amherst Rose Tea Room.

It is not unusual for me grab one of my many teapots

and fill it with water to put into my Pink Sunbeam Steam Iron.

(Yes, my iron is PINK! Those who know me

will tell you that they are not surprised by that.)

My iron also had a wonderful retractable cord which I just love.

With the push of a button the cord winds up

and it sits so nicely on its base.

When thinking of little chores for The Traveling Teapot,

this little task came to mind.

I had lots of napkins to iron so The Traveling Teapot

was "pressed" into service.

(Sorry, just had to say that!)

Thank you again to The Traveling Teapot

for assisting in the daily chores here

at the tea room.

A job well done!

Tea and Time with a Dear Friend

The Monday after the ATAA 12th Anniversary Celebration

I had the lovely opportunity to share tea and time with another ATAA Member,
Teresa and The Traveling Teapot.

This was an impromptu little Tea Party here at The Amherst Rose

and we enjoyed the simple pleasures

of having time to chat and share our thoughts

over many cups of our favorite beverage brewed in

The Traveling Teapot.

Our tea tray included a plate filled with beautiful chocolate covered strawberries

made by Teresa in her hotel room. Now that's talent!

We also had Kensington Palace Scones served with Devon Cream

and a wonderful gift also made by Teresa.

Pale amethyst colored Violet Jelly.

It looked like a jewel shimmering in the faceted jelly jar.

The taste was softly floral and beautifully sweet.

Lovingly made by Teresa, it reminded me of a treasure

that might have been made by Flower Fairies

to preserve the Sweet Violets of the Spring Garden.

Thank you, Teresa, for this very special gift.

Here is a link to a recipe for Violet Jelly if you are inclined to make it.

http://www.prairielandherbs.com/violetjelly.htm

The Traveling Teapot and My Little Garden Fairy

For the past ten years I have had my own little Garden Fairy!

Her name is Giavona and she and her Mom and Dad lived with us

when she was just a little newborn Sprite!

She is my Great-Niece.

I call her my Gia Pet and she is a delightful, inquisitive child with a big imagination.

She loves Dancing, Dressing Up, Eating New Foods,

and Tea Parties!

Always willing to help and learn new things,

she loves to read and often will pick up the children's encyclopedias

I keep here for her to discover new ideas to inspire her.

She visited this weekend and picked up a flower

catalog I had recently received and wrote up

sheets of notes about the flowers she admired that she found in the catalog.

So here is her adventure with

The Traveling Teapot

in The Amherst Rose Tea Room Garden.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When The Traveling Teapot arrived she met The Teapot Watering Can

I introduced Gia to The Traveling Teapot and she immediately

wanted to use her and The Teapot Watering Can

to water the flowers in the garden

which is her favorite thing to do when she visits.

Gia and The Teapot Watering Can

demonstrate the proper form for watering

the Johnny-Jump-Ups

The Traveling Teapot demonstrates her

newly acquired flower watering skills.

Off to water the Petunias, Sweet William, and Trailing Verbena

as The Teapot Watering Can looks on.

Time out for a little dance by the Rose Arbor.

The Martha Washington Geraniums on the Porch

needed a little TLC as well.

Gia had lots of fun and The Traveling Teapot learned another new skill!

New Friends!

Sunday, May 27, 2012

Green Tea Soother

After I had worked a long day in the tea room and the garden,

The Traveling Teapot brewed up a Jasmine Green Tea

for me to use as a soothing foot soak.

Green Tea and Rose Water Soothing Foot Soak

Infused With Rose Petals and Lavender from My Garden

Green Tea is astringent and helps heal abrasions on your feet:

it also has a mild antiseptic effect.

Other flowers and herbs are also wonderful additions to a foot soak.

Peppermint and spearmint have a cooling effect and can help relieve muscle pain.

Thank you, Little Purple Teapot for helping to soothe my tired feet.

And the WINNER is . . . .

The WINNER of the Giveaway was drawn today and it is Andrea!!!!

Please send me your address and I will send off your

package this week when I go to the post office.

Congratulations, Andrea!!!

Teapot Meets TEAPOT

The Traveling Teapot visits The World's Largest Teapot

in Chester, West Virginia

The Teapot is 14 feet in diameter and approximately 14 feet high.

History of "The World's Largest Teapot"
1938	The Chester Teapot was constructed by William "Babe" Devon. The Teapot started its life as a gigantic wooden hogshead barrel for a Hire's Root Beer advertising campaign. Devon purchased the barrel in Pennsylvania and had it shipped to Chester where it was set up on Carolina Avenue, which is also State Route 2. A spout and handle were added at this time and the wooden barrel was covered with tin to form the teapot's shape. A large glass ball was placed on top to make the knob of the "lid". The Teapot stood in front of Devon's pottery outlet store. Local teenagers were hired to run a concession and souvenir stand which was set up inside the Teapot.
1947 - Late 1960's	After being closed for two years during World War II when gas rationing caused a decrease in traffic and thus visitors, the Teapot and Devon's pottery business were sold to Mary Wucherer and Rhelda Cain in 1947. Food was once again sold out of the Teapot until the late 1960's when that became unprofitable. It was at that time that the Teapot was used to sell lawn and garden items as well as china and novelty pieces.
1971	The Teapot was sold to Cecil and Alice Fletcher. The Teapot had been painted blue and white by this time. The Fletchers continued to sell pottery and other gift items from it for many years before they finally closed the business and shut down the Teapot.
1984	The Teapot sat abandoned in place until 1984 when C&P Telephone purchased the land it was on. The main building of the old business was demolished and the Teapot itself was in danger of being scrapped. Geneva Hill, a Chester native, brought citizens to action in helping to save the Teapot from destruction.
1987	C&P Telephone offered to donate the Teapot to the City of Chester. A restoration committee was formed by Councilwoman Anne Ford who polled town residents on their feelings about the Teapot. The town overwhelmingly approved the restoration of the Teapot and fund-raising plans were made. The Teapot was moved to various places in Chester while the $3000 required to restore it was raised. Repair work eventually began on the floor and roof joints. The exterior tin of the Teapot was also sandblasted for cleaning, but it caused wrinkling in some places. As this repair work continued, problems with the State Highway Department and various townspeople caused much debate on where the Teapot should be permanently located. The debate drug on and the Teapot endured a number of years of bad weather which created new problems for it. At this point, Ford's committee was disbanded and further restoration attempts were halted.
Early 1990	The Chester City Council votes to provide funds toward the restoration of the Teapot after Councilman Frank DeCapio offered to take responsibility for its rehabilitation. The Teapot was moved to a location adjacent to the Jennings Randolph Bridge Ramp, a heavily trafficked area at the junction of State Route 2 and U.S. Route 30. The property and a fence were donated by the State. A concrete pad for the Teapot to sit on was donated by the Tri-State Pottery Festival Association. Through the spring and summer of 1990, retired general contractor Sayre Graham, Mayor Roy Cashdollar, and other volunteers finished the Teapot's restoration. Graham removed the old dilapidated tin and replaced it with a rolled roofing tin which basically duplicated the original. Vinyl was placed in between the widths of tin in order to help with expansion and prevent wrinkling. The doors and windows from the concession stand days were reframed and sealed shut. The floor and many of the wooden staves of the frame were replaced as well. A new spout was cut from plywood using the original as a pattern, and it along with the original handle were covered with new tin and placed back on the Teapot. The roof had been replaced during the previous restoration and was still in good shape. The original glass ball which had served as the knob of the Teapot's "lid" was long gone and up to this point, a gold-painted basketball had taken its place. A new plastic ball was obtained to replace it. The Teapot was painted back to its original red and white colors late in the summer. The grounds around the Teapot were also landscaped. The Teapot was officially dedicated at a ceremony held in Chester's community center on October 12, 1990.