Abundance and Blessings

Some of my new friends ... Ashley, Sharon, Ros, Michelle-Anne and Shaz 

I am becoming a Tea Granny.  I love tea!  What a great invention!  Tea to South Africans means so much more than just a hot drink on a cold day.  Tea means friendship.  Tea means comfort.  Tea means love.  Tea is never drunk alone.  It is always accompanied by something to dip ... a rusk, Marie Biscuit, a chocolate cookie ...  drinking tea without a sweet snack is like french fries without ketchup, hot wings without hot sauce,  Mickey without Minnie, a birthday without presents and cake.  And tea is always social.  Even if you are drinking it alone, as I am right now, I am not really alone.  I am writing on my blog, checking Facebook and email messages.  I am thinking about friends and family who are far away. I have dipped my rusk.  I now sip and ponder.  I remember tea times gone by.  I plan for future tea times with friends both new and old.  I think about how I will teach my children and my children's children to appreciate the true art of tea.

Chantel, Michelle-Anne, MJ & Jocelyn

Every second Wednesday morning, a group of ladies from our church meet for tea and a visit.   We meet at Michelle-Anne's house and she prepares a huge spread of tea, coffee and sweet goodies.  The visiting is always top notch.  The first time I joined them, I left feeling loved, accepted and just like one of the gang so I was really looking forward to my second visit.  Yesterday there seemed to be more of us than usual.  And then the ladies surprised me with a "welcome to Africa" party.  What a treat!  They spoiled me with smelly stuff, scarves, accessories and other girly things.  I was completely overwhelmed!  These are good people! They have accepted me and loved me from the first day I arrived.  While Derek is away, a variety of people feed me, take me shopping and make sure I am never alone for very long.  And of course, they drink copious amounts of tea with me!  

I suspect it is more than the tea that makes these people so loving, but the tea does seem to play a pivotal role in life in South Africa.  Speaking of which, I  just have enough time for a cup of tea before my new friend Zoe picks me up for our afternoon together.  Time to put the kettle on again.

Getting spoiled

Les and I

Shaz, Leisha and Sharon