Tea for three – Jean’s cup of tea is coffee
Jean’s cup of tea is coffee.
If the three of us – Alice Ute and I – were meeting in a café we might hear the words “Tea for three?” from the person who took our order. “Tea for two” is the well known phrase, but as there are three of us in Attract Readers it has morphed into “Tea for Three”! We became aware of our “ tea preferences” when we first met up, and they are repeated each time we meet in person.
What is my cup of tea? “Cup of tea” usually means something we like.
Well in the tea line my preference is often coffee! Although later in the day – when we meet up – I can have tea, first thing in the morning I like to have a mug of coffee. And toward the end of the day I am back to coffee. Despite all publicity to the contrary if I drink tea after about 6 o’clock it keeps me awake at night, while coffee seems to have no effect at all.
What kind of coffee? It can be instant or “real” – depends on the mood I am in. Yes I do have milk, (preferably a flat white if I am out and about), no sugar, and if there is some cream well I will go for it. Having said all that I do limit my cups to no more than three a day, and if I feel like a hot drink do sometimes just have water on its own.
My favourite mug.
I am fussy about the weight and feel of what I drink from. Bone china or porcelain rather than earthenware or pottery. There also has to be some softness in the shape.
So I surprised myself a few years ago by buying and choosing some highly patterned china mugs with a straight up and down side. Despite what I thought I wanted I chose something different! (Shock, horror!)
My favourite mug has a vitality which is very appealing first thing in the morning when I want a spark of inspiration. It is big enough to be generous, and heavy enough to feel satisfying. But it is the first glance that is most appealing. So even while I am reaching for it in the cupboard I have a visual treat.
My mug inspires me
It has echoes of those lovely Japanese woodcuts (Hokusai, Hiroshige) and Chinese paintings of chrysanthemums. I love the fact that the birds break free from the pattern, but you feel they could become part of the background just beyond the handle. (Rather like the birds in Escher’s painting which transition from background to foreground.) So there is tension and a suggestion of a story… a feast for the imagination.
The colour is so vibrant although in a restrained palette. Best of all, the gold glints in the light which gives me a feeling of warmth, opulence and abundance.
When I first bought this mug it was love at first sight, although I did have to remind myself that it wasn’t what I would normally choose. And first love it has remained!
So my conclusion has to be that although the touch and feel is very important, it is the visual impact which actually matters more to me. I like to ensure I have inspiration at every point in the day.
Although our tea preferences are not a personality-type-by-numbers solution, they have helped us appreciate our differences. We find it fascinating that we each have strong views about our cup of tea!
Do you have a favourite mug or cup? What is inside it? What inspires you?
Would you like to know more about our tea preferences? See Alice’s and Ute’s posts as we have all written on the subject of “Tea for Three.”
