2010:365:215 Tea and pizza.

I'm really not a tea drinker!  

Sometimes on a warm summer's afternoon it can be a refreshing beverage, but, on the whole, I prefer coffee.  However, I do own a large number of teapots!  

This big clumpy one is part of a whole dinner and tea set of Royal Doulton which I began to collect in 1979.  So far I've broken only one mug, one large dinner plate and one dessert bowl and have managed to lose a couple of cups and a salad plate (they may be at my own house).  It is now almost impossible to find replacement pieces so, although I use it all the time, it is treated with the greatest care.  

The shape of the pieces is very pleasing as well as the pattern, with its soft woodland tones.  Will-o'-the-Wisp is the design and every time I'm at car boot sales I search in vain for more.

With a wet morning the warm tones were just right for today's 365Project photograph in my "Tea" theme.  

That was more or less all the pictures from today except for a few taken when tonight's pizza delivery arrived.  

Clearly the smell was good and 'you know who' would have loved the freedom to lift the lid!  Still fresh in my memory are the words of our last Confirmation Class who, on feeding Eliot bits of pizza, then decided that he was "obese" because the vet had indicated that he is a little overweight.  Poor dog!  It's a good thing that he doesn't understand the word 'obese' or he'd have quite a complex by now.  

At first there was a casual pretence that he wasn't really interested.  "No, not for me thank you .... I couldn't possibly eat your tea."

But then the true attitude came out ... licking lips and longing eyes ... 

"When am I going to receive a crust?"  

Who could refuse such an appealing stare?  

This will be accompanied by a nice strong coffee ... not tea!  Eliot shows no interest in either drink and last night he even refused to lick a friend's wine-dipped finger!  He does seem to recognise that there's no chance of game or anything while I'm holding a cup ... but the minute my hands are free then it is assumed that my time and energy belong to him!  

Now, back to the desk and get another pile of papers sorted!

I lift my eyes to the quiet hills

in the press of a busy day;

as green hills stand

in a dusty land

so God is my strength and stay.

I lift my eyes to the quiet hills

to a calm that is mine to share;

secure and still

in the Father's will

and kept by the Father's care.

I lift my eyes to the quiet hills

with a prayer as I turn to sleep;

by day, by night,

through the dark and light

my Shepherd will guard his sheep.

I lift my eyes to the quiet hills

and my heart to the Father's throne;

in all my ways

to the end of days

the Lord will preserve his own.

Church Hymnal number 14

by Timothy Dudley-Smith.