Sweet Tea for the Soul
Wednesday, September 30, 2009 at 1:27AM
image by Javier Álvarez J - bahaviours
If I were going to write you a letter, this is what I'd write today:
It's nearly 1:30 in the morning here. This isn't really all that late for me, the avowed night owl. Two nights ago I went to bed a little after 5:00am because I was scurrying to complete a packet of writing for school. It's not unheard of for me to go to bed that late, but anything after 4:00 is pushing it, even for me. I think I'm still recovering.
I slept so late today that this is the first block of time I've had to sit down to write to you. I spent all day running errands: the butcher (sadly not the baker or the candlestick maker; come to think of it, I wish I knew of an actual candlestick maker in my town), the pet store, home improvement store, big box store (the one with the pretend French accent), and supermarket. We were out of everything at my house. That's what happens when you go away for a week and then hole up sick for another week. In the midst of all my running around, I stopped by the cafe (okay, the Starbucks) and got a black tea latte. I love those things, which is strange, since I'm usually a no-sugar, no-milk tea purist kind of drinker.
But something about those sweet, milky brews with the foam on top make me so happy. They feel like the grown up version of the beginning of my obsession with tea. Our childhood babysitter was a woman named Vali (sounds like valley). My mom had worked with her as a keypunch operator at an insurance company before I was born. Vali always seemed like an old woman to me, but she was probably only in her 40s or 50s when I was a kid.
Vali brought us toys every time she sat for us. My parents say she probably spent more on us than she ever made in babysitting wages. The most memorable gift was an elaborate domino set made up of brightly-colored plastic dominoes and contraptions like ramps and balls, sort of a design-a-crazy-mousetrap kind of toy.
I loved the toys, but I really loved the snacks Vali made. Well, just one snack in particular, the same one I had every time she visited: a ham and cheese sandwich on wheat bread, with mustard and sweet pickles. And to drink: hot tea with lots of milk and just enough sugar. I'm sure I ate those things when Vali wasn't around, but I always associate them with her.
I have a confession: I also went to Starbucks yesterday and got a tea latte. Once I have one I get a bit obsessed. I can't help myself: before I know it, I'm back for more. This is how I found myself today going through the drive-through and paying over $3.00 for something I could make at home for a fraction of the price. (Although I'm still trying to figure out how to foam the milk just so; do I need a special contraption?) There's something about the overpriced version that I can't seem to replicate, something beyond the foam. Maybe it's the syrup.
Yesterday was the first time I'd left my house in a week! How crazy is that? I'd hermited myself away with boxes of tissues, bags of cough drops, and mountains of school work. It felt so nice to be out in the world yesterday that I sat in Starbucks' parking lot and savored the thick layer of frothed milk on my tea. The wind was flying around and it started to rain, but I was cozy in my car with my tea.
I've found myself thinking about childhood a lot lately. Themes of lost innocence and longing for what now seems like a simpler, safer time have been showing up in my writing, too. I'm not sure what that's all about, but there it is. In the meantime, I probably won't go back to Starbucks tomorrow, but only because I'm meeting a friend at another cafe and will order something coffee-based. But I know it won't be long until I hit the tea latte again. And come to think of it, I haven't had a sandwich with sweet pickles in ages. Maybe it's time to buy a jar.
Reader Comments (5)
i love the tea latte's and especially the london fogs, swoon. you can buy the syrup and the little handheld motorized contraption to make the foam and a lovely container to steam the milk on the stove, a little ritual that is lovely in the autumn turned to winter months. but confession. i still find the magic of the foam and taste in the purchased version to be just a little bit sweeter, a little bit richer and i'm sure its because someone else magically hands it to me with a whisk and a smile.
and now, inexplicably, i am craving egg salad sandwiches with the thick slices of dill pickles made in the sunlit kitchen of my grandmother's laughter.
xo
what a beautiful post to come home to.xo
And, of course, I would *love* to be sitting at said Starbucks with you in person enjoying a tea latte. (My favorite is the Earl Grey version there!)
One of my recent cool discoveries is that I can exchange the points I get from my bank/checking account for a Starbucks card. I do this about twice a year. It's quite exciting!
Sadly, most of my childhood food memories have now been eclipsed by the need for a gluten-free, vegetarian lifestyle. I still have the memories, though :-) Aren't we fortunate to live in such a land of plenty and pleasure that we were blessed with these delights and can relish in the memory of them?
Hope your transition back to a healthier, more balanced existence continues well. I'm sure there are lovely Fall changes in the air that are calling for your indulgence. :)