My daily life is becoming (nicely) described by more rituals of tea these days: tea in the morning, tea at night, tea sometimes during the day. I had a cup of coffee yesterday, a desperate, basically pharmaceutical act to get me awake at around 3:00 p.m., and I really don't know how people can drink that stuff first thing in the morning. My stomach was somewhat empty and just one cup left me urping, bilious and jittery. I like it after a meal occasionally or maybe with a late diner breakfast, and that's about it.

Anyhow, so I'm thinking an awful lot about tea. I would never be a miffy, mostly because I never use m, but I have to say that I am willing to be quite gauche about using my tea saucer. Especially when tea mugs are getting bigger and bigger and keep the liquid hot for quite a while. It really helps regulate the temperature of the tea to pour some out in the saucer and drink--slurp genteely--as necessary. I do think about Eliza Jane Wilder in Farmer Boy every time I do it, though.