Isabella McCafferty
Most of my favourite things in life are small, and simple, and warm. So in honour of the small, simple and warm it seemed appropriate to begin this new adventure by talking about the power of a cup of tea.
C.S. Lewis is attributed with saying “You can never get a cup of tea large enough or a book long enough to suit me.” I know this to be true.
but first, tea
“in honour of the small, the simple & the warm”
I’ll never forget my first cup of tea. [Rathmullen, Ireland].
I was 16 years old when I traveled from Aotearoa New Zealand across the world with my Irish/Scot grandfather to meet his people and walk on his lands. It had been many years since he had been home and he had almost celebrity-like-status in the simple lives of the relatives and long friends we visited. Eventually we found our way to Rathmullen in Co. Donegal, a place that had helped my grandfather to grow and kept him safe as a boy, as war rained down across the sea in Glasgow.
In a house I don’t remember, visiting people I can’t recall the connection for, I found myself with a cup of tea pushed into my hands. I was astute enough to know better than to refuse Irish hospitality. A cup of tea has never been the same since.
That journey deeply embedded in me the desire to see the world, but it also built nostalgia into tastes and smells. A simple cup of tea has become essential to my day and the rhythms of my life. It also has the power to take me back.
How to make a perfect cup of tea
There is an art to making the perfect cup of tea. Find out how from Jamie Oliver!
My favourite brew
I am a self-confessed tea snob. Sometimes a cup of Dilmah will hit the spot, but my real favourite is Tea Total (New Zealand).
Why is tea so comforting?
This short article from New Scientist explores some of the things that make a cup of tea so satisfying.
The reason for this being the first post on Curate though is more than just about sharing a little of my own nostalgia for a cup of tea. It’s about illustrating the power of something so simple and it’s ability to create connection, between people or perhaps sometimes between myself and the present moment.
So, as this all unfolds, consider this to be me making room for you, pouring you a cup of tea (or some other beverage if you must* … there is room for you too!) and inviting you to share this space.
*Recently, Ted Lasso has brought joy into my life. So, even though I have to disagree with his opinion of tea (I side with Roy on this one), there is still much room for all.
Still, for me, that hot brown water is always going to taste just right – as long as it’s got a little milk added in.
Ted: “You know, I always figured that tea was going to taste like hot brown water. And you know what? I was right. Yeah, it’s horrible.”
