THE FIFTH TEA POT

Or, let me rather rephrase that: it’s more like my fifth tea set. (Don’t worry, even though I am a little crazy, I only got sets for two, not the whole she-bang for a group of six or more!)

I love tea. I love tea time. And I love to redecorate my kitchen table tea tray with the tea set complimenting my kitchen towels, table runner, kitchen sofa pillows.

It all started when I moved into my new apartment, since I had to sell my original tea set due to space issues when I moved in with my now-ex. (Regretting it again and again!) But now, I have space. I have 20 sqm more and enjoy “pointing” my nose at him with a gleeful “Look, I got another tea set! Take that! I can do whatever I want! And if I want to have five tea sets, I will have five tea sets!” (Oh boy, Dr. Freud would have a field day with me!)

I bought the first set last spring, cheery spring design with delicate flowers, fine bone china. The next one was a more old-fashioned (and way more expensive) one with pink peonies from the Miranda Kerr collection. Followed by my advent tea pot. I just had to have a traditional red British tea pot. (And got two separate Christmas mugs with Santa as well!) As a Christmas present to myself – among others – I surprised myself with a set decorated with poppies, including cake and sandwich tray. And now, number five, which is lavender. And it’s the fault of one of my regular interior decorating magazines, where I saw it, googled it and ordered it. All done in a matter of five minutes! My excuse for the expense? My birthday coming up and since no one treats me to anything anyway, I treat myself! And I bloody deserve to spoil myself! There you have it!

I could still kick myself that my sister and I sold the complete Viennese Augarten set my parents had, getting a pitiful amount for the 8000 € worth fine china. We should at least have kept the tea set and the coffee set. Well, now it’s gone and I can’t change it. Sometimes I’m contemplating rebuying at least the tea pot, two dessert plates and two tea cups … maybe I will … but it’s just not the same. And even though our Mum told us to sell it … whenever I think of some of the things my sister and I had to give away due to space issues, I apologise to my parents in my mind that I didn’t keep them. My move-in with my now-ex and all the things I sold, souvenirs my Dad brought back from his travels, like the white-blue woven rug from Pakistan (one for me, one for my sister), the oriental dagger skewers for antipasti, cheese, finger food (why didn’t I keep at least one set?), and so much more … it still makes me incredibly sad to have parted from those items. Never again, that’s the lesson I’ve learned. Never, never again! And so here I am, enjoying my tea pots with the knowledge that I will never let anyone into my life again, who can’t appreciate me and the beauty I surround myself with. And who can see beauty in the most derelict thing …