Today we’ve been invited to join the lovely Su (aka Zimmerbitch) for a Christmas afternoon tea get-together and chat in the blogosphere. Pull up a chair wherever you are and join in some socially distant camaraderie. I’m often too disorganised and my kitchen too messy to join in with my own post, but today I am bursting with excitement and ready for show and tell. Last week, I went actual shopping and bought an outdoor lounge setting! I know. Very un-me. Couch shopping seems to be a Covid thing here in Australia.

My father appreciated the new lounge. The last time he sat on my old, ricketty chair, it collapsed under him. I also had a second chair with a very saggy seat, such that when I sat on it, it felt like the time when I was a kid and I almost fell into the toilet. As we all know, toilets are perfectly designed to imperil small children. I yelled, “Mum, mum. I’m stuck. Help me get out of here.” Or words to that effect. Not really but the saggy bottom (red herring here) chair was absolutely like that.

I said to the shop attendant at the outdoor furniture store that I needed a lounge that was comfy and strong with room enough for me and the dogs you. Of course now I need to buy more cushions and comfy throw rugs for the colder months. The main purpose of the cushions is to dibs a seat. Contrary to the photo below, the dogs don’t like chairs with cushions. They prefer to sit on the chair with no cushions and they squabble over the best seat.

On this virtual afternoon tea day, I thought it would be perfect to have tea and festive Christmas cake outside on my new comfy lounge under my big sun umbrella. It is steamy hot here. I invite readers to sit back, close your eyes and enjoy a well deserved temporary respite from the winter chill and corona virus worries.

Honestly, ladies and gentlemen, I don’t know what came over me today. Perhaps I was unwell. I even picked some shrubbery and weeds for a table posy. Very rustic. Mint makes for a fragrant inclusion in the vase. In addition to cake, I have cherries and the first (and possibly last) of my summer crop of tomatoes. Christmas in Australia without cherries would be like Santa without reindeer, fish without chips or tomatoes without caterpillars. So who’s for tea?

Now, because it is almost Friday here, it is also time for my Friday song. My husband asked me what depressing song I had in mind this week. It has been that sort of year. I have watched the latest news reports on the tele and the virus situation is very grim in many countries. I can’t change that. I can only offer solidarity and comfort in virtual tea and song because the (Aussie) summer time has come and the trees are sweetly bloomin’. My Friday song is a wee Scottish folk tune, The Wild Mountain Thyme (aka Will Ye Go Lassie, Go?). sung by The Corries. Singing knows no borders so I hope that wherever you are, you can sing it with me.

For those non-essential folk, stay safe in your bower. There is song and community at the end of the tunnel.

Kind Regards.
Tracy.

70 thoughts on “Tea Tune”

  1. Oh, Tracy! Your Christmas Tea is awesome!! Cherries in winter is such a luxurious and decadent thing here, do you mind if I take a couple before everyone else gets here? 😉
    Hooray to your new lounge couch! No more stuck bottoms sounds wonderful. 😀 Love your tea pot warmer and the posy – it looks all so bright and colorful and inviting! Wishing you a lovely Christmas season and summer! ❤

    Liked by 3 people

  2. Tracy–your outdoor lounge area is so pretty! I will gladly have a seat…and some cake and cherries. I did not know that about Christmas and cherries. In the summertime here, I wait for the Mt Rainier cherries to arrive in the market. Such a treat and for such a short period of time.

    Liked by 2 people

      1. I am hyper vigilant, Tracy. So far so good, but I am going to ask my oncologist about the vaccine. I’ve made it this far so don’t want to jeopardize anything. Thanks so much for asking.

        Liked by 1 person

  3. Wow, you got furniture for us? And how thoughtful of you to have the extra tea ready, to share! Cherries for Christmas time sounds delightful; they are two of my favourite things. Thank you, Tracy!

    Liked by 2 people

      1. 😇 I do have a cherry tree but, same as you, the crop is devoured by a variety of insects and birds; it’s ok, I don’t like using pesticides, and the flowers are for everyone to enjoy 🌸

        Liked by 1 person

    1. There is something nice about gathering with families outdoor at this time of year. Everyone is winding down and relaxed. It is such a shame (and worry) that there has been a new corona cluster in Sydney which seems to have thrown the whole country into turmoil and has involved a hasty change of travel plans for many people.
      I’ve only been to the UK once. We were there in December in the 90s. I couldn’t get over the short, short days and the constant chill, but the Christmas lights were gorgeous.

      Liked by 1 person

    1. It is a perfect spot for it, Heather, or for anything really. Thank you for joining in and your support over the last year. I hope you are warm and snuggled up with Ophelia at home. Are you on school holiday break yet? The school term has just finished here and the kids won’t head back to school now until the start of February next year.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Ophelia and I are keeping well at home. Our Christmas break starts end of day tomorrow until January 4th. I hope you and your family continue to keep well and have a Merry Christmas.

        Liked by 1 person

  7. Love your new outdoor lounge furniture. I’m very happy to be joining you for tea there. Your table looks so inviting and I love the tea cozy!

    I’m totally with you on cherries and Christmas. I’ve seen the first of them in the greengrocer here, but they weren’t looking all that flash, so I’ll have to search wider. The boy-child absolutely loves them (as a kid he ate most of a 1kg box of them on a road trip from Dunedin to Christchurch).

    Thanks too for providing music; I really should give some thought to a playlist for future parties!

    Wishing you and your whanau a happy Christmas and a new year filled with good health, joy and aroha.

    Liked by 2 people

    2. Thanks, Su. I finally faced the fact that my dream of a DIY lounge made from recycled materials was not going to happen any time soon. I did have to move a few pot plants to fit in everything, but it is working out really well for the dogs and me.
      I did have a tea cozy fetish at one point and that one was perfect for the Christmas theme.
      Gosh, that is a lot of cherries for the boy-child to eat. I imagine there are quite a few winding sections on the road between Dunedin and Christchurch. You son must have a strong stomach if he could those cherries down.
      It turns out I enjoy my Friday song day, particularly as it involves listening to a lot of music to find a piece just right for the day.
      All the best to you and your family too.

      Liked by 1 person

    1. It is my sanctuary, Martha. You would love it. The dogs are getting used to our new furniture. One has taken up a position under the coffee table on the cool concrete, another under the chair also on the concrete, Ama is next to me on the chair. It is even nicer in winter. It collects the sun. Makea still prefers the shady spot under a chair.
      With any luck you will be entertaining the dogs and beans on your deck next summer, Martha.

      Like

  9. Pingback: Virtual afternoon tea, December 2020 | Zimmerbitch

  11. Lovely colourful afternoon tea, Tracy and the vase of flowers is perfect. I can join you in the song as we sang it in our choir, so I know it well. It’s raining here. I hope you’re getting some…..but not on the afternoon tea.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thanks, Jane. It was a race to get it all set up and the tea drunk before a storm rolled in. We’ve had very little rain out of this latest event. Just a couple of showers, not enough for the garden. Did you get much?
      Who knew that weedy grass and shrivelled mint would be so handy as a filler for the vase? Now that is re-purposing! 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  13. What a beautiful and inviting outdoor garden room you’ve created! I see that the dogs absolutely hate the pillowed sofa. Sure. Tea and tomatoes looks delicious. It’s kinda funny to imagine Christmas happening in summer, but of course the original Christmas would have been in a Middle Eastern desert, no snow at all, though maybe a bit chilly. Southern California’s environment is very much like it would have been then, and outdoors is perfect for celebration now. Put into perspective, any holiday is what we make of it for ourselves and our loved ones. I love the festive tea cozy. Merry Christmas, Tracy – stay safe, be happy.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thanks, Sharon. I used to spend a lot of time outside in that space but I got out of the habit so it is nice to be out there again. Very soon the crepe myrtle trees will be flowering and it will be a sea of colour. I’m planning to be less outgoing in the physical world due to another outbreak to the north of us. Our relative good fortune has meant that people have let their guard down. There is much to be said for having online friends in other countries to help me keep a clear and cautious head about maintaining that guard. I’m practicing my surgeon handwashing again as you recommended.
      I hope you have something enjoyable planned for the break. Take care and we will chat again soon.

      Liked by 1 person

  14. Such an enjoyable read and such a glorious outdoor sitting area! I love “like tomatoes without caterpillars”. 😂

    Thought you might like this review of 2020 by Margaret and David. My husband found it yesterday. It’s a beauty.

    Liked by 1 person

  16. Dogs at their ease in anticipation of a tea party. Dogs do want to be people as they sit lounging on the new garden furniture. Cats as you know claim boxes, bags and new clothing left unattended for them to sleep on or in. But I did not know that dogs claimed new furniture to repose upon. Is the black and white dog one herding breeds? And do you anticipate some dog attention to guests if the tea party gets a bit exuberant.
    Great Corries performance much appreciated. I heard a song on Sirius radio recently from the early 1990s that was new to me. How I missed this song I have no idea but it is “What’s up” by 4 Non-blondes on YouTube. This group was formally describe as an alternate rock band from San Francisco. Not sure what alternate rock might be but the lead singer went on to produce many of today’s hits. Hope you like it.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I had forgotten about that song. I love it. Thanks, Sid.
      These are not normal dogs. Makea, the black and white one, is a Finnish Lapphund. Her job description is reindeer herder and guard dog. Although not doing the job for which she was bred, she still employs these skills on a daily basis. She is very loud as barking is a key requirement for herding reindeer. She also goes from slothfulness to high alert in the fraction of a second.
      The other dogs are FinInish Spitz, aka Finnish bird barking dog. They will also bail up bears apparently. They too are very loud. They are also very cat like. I have to lock them up when there is food on the table like that. They fiercely protect their resources. That includes food as well as people. If we have visitors, I have to separate them otherwise there are more fights (mostly between the red ones) over the guest. Í have gone quite deaf over the years.

      Like

      1. Those dogs are quite a pair! Do they have double coats and do they shed hair? Glad you liked the band. I’ve been listening to them rather than watching their videos without seeing that glam look of the 1990s. It often surprises me how old songs sometimes match new era’s concerns. Ciao Tracy.

        Liked by 1 person

      2. I have two of the red ones. The third one, a boy, is a rescue dog. He has a big ego and a big coat. They all have double coats and they are moulting great chunks of coat as their summer coats come through. There are hair drifts all over the place.
        I have been finding that too with many of the songs.

        Like

  19. That song was awesome and this tea time was an experience – the flower center piece a fav!
    And not surprised the dogs prefer the non cushioned seat…
    Oh and yea with fresh cherries – Australian kind of mood! Thanks

    Liked by 1 person

  20. Hello Tracy;
    Not sure if you know this seasonal favourite YouTube video “Chiron Beta Prime.” It is brief but amusing. Merry Christmas to you and your family!

    Liked by 1 person

  21. Tracy, thanks for the invite…just what I needed! I could easily fall asleep after scarfing down the scrumptious fare on you new lounge! Hehe! Don’t mind while I enjoy the sun. 😀
    Btw, I love the rustic decor. ❤️

    Liked by 1 person

Comments are now closed.