Thursday, December 31, 2009

Just So You Know, I Can't Play Soccer




By the way, if you happen to such at soccer too and like the shirt above you can buy it here.

Wednesday, December 30, 2009

The Loveliest Wallet



Little Town Tea lovers, don’t you just love my wallet? This year Santa decided to give me the loveliest wallet. I just had to share one of my favorite Christmas gifts with you because it is just so fantastic. Looking for one just like it? Try your local Target store.

Tuesday, December 29, 2009

My Christmas Present to Myself


Hello Little Town Tea lovers. Every Christmas for the last four years I have bought myself a Christmas present. For the last few months before Christmas all of my money and shopping goes towards others, which I enjoy, but sometimes I see something amidst the endless stores that I can’t help giving to myself. This year’s gift to myself was this teapot necklace. Isn’t it lovely? Recently, my little town has gotten itself a new shop that sells tea and tea accessories. When my friends came down the weekend before Christmas we went to that shop and had ourselves some tea. It was at the cash register that I saw this perfect little necklace and I have hardly taken it off since. It is my favorite Christmas present to myself yet. I hope that my readers also indulge themselves in a treat such as this during the holidays because sometimes we need to treat ourselves to little treasures.

Monday, December 28, 2009

My Lovely Morning



Good morning Little Town Tea lovers. I just had to share this picture with you. This beautiful sky is what I was lucky enough to wake up to this morning. I quickly grabbed my camera and shot a picture before it went away. What a wonderful way to start the day.

Sunday, December 27, 2009

Christmas



Alas! Christmas has already past me by. It is amazing how fast that holiday can go by after all of the time spent preparing for it. It was a wonderful Christmas though and the first one spent in my new house. The weekend before Christmas some of my closest friends came to my little town to visit me and we had a wonderful time going into all of the little boutiques and antique shops and having tea. They were all able to see my new house and I was able to show off my Christmas decorations and all of the little projects I have been working on around the house, which has been coming together quite nice and is finally emanating a somewhat homey vibe. It was a wonderful weekend.
For Christmas, I was able to spend it with my family on Christmas Eve. It was so fun being with the family and seeing the excitement on my nephew (age 5) and niece’s (age 2) face. I gave my nephew a pet fish who he immediately decided to name Army Guy. For my niece, I gave her a purse filled with some of the necessities, such as a pink jeweled mirror and a fish wallet. This year I received a digital camera. For the last four years I have just borrowed my ex’s camera when it came to my picture taking needs, but now I have my very own and you will be able to see many more images on my blog, such as my Christmas decorations. Enjoy! It is a gift that just keeps on giving.
I hope that all of my Little Town Tea lovers had a wonderful Christmas and that you have a happy new year!

Saturday, December 26, 2009

Long Time No Blog



Greetings Little Town Tea lovers. It is nice to be back to blogging. It has been a crazy couple of months since the last time I blogged. A lot has happened, but it has all been for the best. First of all, I moved back to my little town and away from the vast valley of California, so that has been a change. I love it here. You see the stars, you can leave your car unlocked without a worry, it snows from time to time, and, most importantly, it never smells of cows. Due to this move, however, I now have to drive eight hours a week to commute to my credential program. The drive is getting better though. I borrow some great audio books from the library and I have large amounts of time to contemplate and sing.
Another major change in my life is my employment. For the last several months I have been substituting in my little town. I have mostly worked at an elementary school, but I have also subbed for the local high school. It has surly been an experience full of the good and the bad that can come from teaching. Let’s just say that my fridge is covered full of beautiful letters from my adoring students, but that my bathroom is stocked with plenty of cold medicine that is just waiting for me to get sick once again. Ugh. I do begin student teaching, the last part of my credential program, starting on the fifth of January. I hope to find the time to blog about that experience because I think it should be quite interesting.
The last major change that has occurred since the last time I wrote on my blog is that I am now single. My ex and I decided that it was best to go our own ways because of our desire for separate futures. After almost four years of being in a relationship, I am now single. It has been an interesting experience being single and I have gone on a few dates, which have also been interesting and will perhaps one day be expanded on on a different day. Overall, though, the experience has been good and I am truly happy with my life and where I am at this point in time.
All in all, that is what has been going on in the life of Little Town Tea. Please stay tuned for more updates about my life, my loves, and my adventures in student teaching.

Thursday, May 28, 2009

Apologizes for my lack of bloggage.

Hey there lovers of Little Town Tea. I am very sorry for not writing as frequently as I usually do during these last few weeks. With my move, the end of college, and other difficulties in my personal life, I have found myself with very little time to dedicate towards this blog. Unfortunately, it will be a while until the internet will be hooked up at my new house, and when I do find the time to trek it up the hill to my parents house, I am fairly sure that the time I will have using their internet will be spent on my on-line class. But don't lose hope, keep checking and I am sure in no time I will be back at it with my daily posts.
Love,
Little Town Tea

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Little Town Tea's Poem of the Week

Crow Testament
By: Sherman Alexie

1
Cain lifts Crow, that heavy black bird
and strikes down Abel.

Damn, says Crow, I guess
this is just the beginning.

2
The white man, disguised
as a falcon, swoops in
and yet again steals a salmon
from Crow's talons.

Damn, says Crow, if I could swim
I would have fled this country years ago.

3
The Crow God as depicted
in all of the reliable Crow bibles
looks exactly like a Crow.

Damn, says Crow, this makes it
so much easier to worship myself.

4
Among the ashes of Jericho,
Crow sacrifices his firstborn son.

Damn, says Crow, a million nests
are soaked with blood.

5
When Crows fight Crows
the sky fills with beaks and talons.

Damn, says Crow, it's raining feathers.

6
Crow flies around the reservation
and collects empty beer bottles

but they are so heavy
he can only carry one at a time.

So, one by one, he returns them
but gets only five cents a bottle.

Damn, says Crow, redemption
is not easy.

7
Crow rides a pale horse
into a crowded powwow
but none of the Indian panic.

Damn, says Crow, I guess
they already live near the end of the world.

Monday, May 25, 2009

Little Town Tea's Quote of the Week

"I paint objects as I think them, not as I see them."
- Pablo Picasso

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Little Town Tea's Poem of the Week

I Heard a Fly Buzz--When I Died
By: Emily Dickinson

I heard a Fly buzz -- when I died --
The Stillness in the Room
Was like the Stillness in the Air --
Between the Heaves of Storm --

The Eyes around -- had wrung them dry --
And Breaths were gathering firm
For that last Onset -- when the King
Be witnessed -- in the Room --

I willed my Keepsakes -- Signed away
What portion of me be
Assignable -- and then it was
There interposed a Fly --

With Blue -- uncertain stumbling Buzz --
Between the light -- and me --
And then the Windows failed -- and then
I could not see to see --

Monday, May 18, 2009

Little Town Tea's Quote of the Week

"I doubt that the imagination can be suppressed. If you truly eradicated it in a child, he would grow up to be an eggplant."
- Ursula K. Le Guin

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Little Town Tea's Poem of the Week

Insomniac
By: Maya Angelou

There are some nights when
sleep plays coy,
aloof and disdainful.
And all the wiles
that I employ to win
its service to my side
are useless as wounded pride,
and much more painful.

Monday, May 11, 2009

Little Town Tea's Quote of the Week

"All of us failed to match our dreams of perfection. So I rate us on the basis of our splendid failure to do the impossible."
-William Faulkner

Sunday, May 10, 2009

Happy Mother's Day


I hope you have a lovely day.

Thursday, May 7, 2009

The Decemberists


For those of you who have taken advantage of my Playlist, located at the bottom of my blog, you might have heard a few amazing songs done by The Decemberists. If so, I hope you are enjoying their fantastic melodies and lyrics with unique story lines. Wes first turned me onto this band. Right away I feel in love with The Decemberists. I had never heard a band that took such care writing their lyrics. Each one has an in depth story with such unique characters that I still am amazed that they have been able to put out as many CDs as they have. Recently they came out with their new CD, entitled The Hazards of Love, and all the songs intertwine with one another to create one long and story. I included my favorite music video of The Decemberists below so that you can get a taste of this brilliant band and, as I mentioned before, you can also find some of their songs on my Playlist. Perhaps you will fall just as deeply in love with this band as I have.


Wednesday, May 6, 2009

Little Town Tea's Poem of the Week

Brown Penny
By: William Butler Yeats

I whispered, 'I am too young,'
And then, 'I am old enough';
Wherefore I threw a penny
To find out if I might love.
'Go and love, go and love, young man,
If the lady be young and fair.'
Ah, penny, brown penny, brown penny,
I am looped in the loops of her hair.

O love is the crooked thing,
There is nobody wise enough
To find out all that is in it,
For he would be thinking of love
Till the stars had run away
And the shadows eaten the moon.
Ah, penny, brown penny, brown penny,
One cannot begin it too soon.

Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Little Town Tea's Book Corner


Sophia Kinsella's book, Can You Keep a Secret?, was one of the fantastic books that traveled with me on my trip to Hawaii. Sophia Kinsella, author of the Shopaholic books, The Undomestic Goddess, and Remember Me?, writes with such perfectly timed humor that you will find yourself cracking up every time you turn the page. Although I am a fan of her Shopaholic books, the ones I have read anyway, I found Can You Keep a Secret? on a whole new level of wit. This particular book is about a woman named Emma Corrigan who works at Panther Cola, has a perfect boyfriend, and is hoping to get a promotion. She is a successful woman who gets by in her life by keeping secrets. One day, however, she sits next to a very handsome man on a business flight and when the plane hits some turbulence she spills all her secrets. After Emma gets off the flight, a little shaky and embarrassed, she cheers herself up by reminding herself that all of her deepest secrets were spilled to a mere stranger, a man she will probably never see again. Emma puts the incident behind her, that is until she goes to work the next day to find that mere stranger in her office and that he is the CEO of Panther Cola.
This is a book that will make your sides ache from laughter. I promise that you will want to keep turning the pages to see what happens next. I bought this book for my mom for Mother's Day last year and she loved it. So, whether you are looking for a book for yourself or are trying desperately to find the perfect gift, I recommend buying Can You Keep a Secret?

Monday, May 4, 2009

Little Town Tea's Quote of the Week

"My only purpose is to teach children to rebel against authority figures."
- Sherman Alexie

Sunday, May 3, 2009

Doubt


I rented Doubt from Netflix a few weeks ago both because Meryl Streep had been nominated for a golden globe and because as a Catholic I was curious to see how they would present this movie. After I watch the film, I found out that this film was adapted from a play by the same name that premiered in 2004.
Doubt takes place in a Bronx Catholic school during 1964. The first black student, Donald Miller, has recently began attending the school after he transferred from a public school. He is among countless Irish and Italian students and feels, understandably, out of place. Father Flynn, played by Philip Seymour Hoffman, begin to bond with the boy. Sister James, played by Amy Adams, notices the relationship between Father Flynn and Donald and she reports her observations to Sister Aloysius, played by Meryl Streep. This begins the story of Doubt.
This film is very intense. It is a powerful and emotional film that will leave you angry and upset. This range of emotions comes from the amazing acting that is performed throughout the film. I have seen Meryl Streep and Philip Seymour Hoffman shine in many roles, but these two executed their characters perfectly, making you feel as if you were in the situation and not watching a film from the comfort of your favorite overstuffed chair. I would greatly recommend this film because of its intense story line and the fantastic acting seen throughout.

Saturday, May 2, 2009

Anchors Away!


Lately I have fallen in love with anything that has an anchor on it. They remind me of the open sea, salt in the air, pirates with eye patches, and jolly songs about pillaging. The picture above was taken when I was at Pearl Harbor during my trip to Hawaii. Seeing this huge anchor started my love with anchors. Since I have gotten back from Hawaii, I have visited etsy a few times to look at all the homemade anchor products they have. Below I have listed some of my favorite with links. If you happen to be an anchor lover too, maybe you will find something you like.



This anchor bracelet is beautiful and full of charms that make me want to hop on a ship and spend the next few months enjoying the fresh air and hoping that I don't get scurvy.



These anchor hair pins are adorable. They would be the perfect touch to dress up any sailor outfit and would be the envy of all your ship mates.



This brooch is my favorite etsy find. I love the way it shows all the essential pirate themed charms and how the monster of the sea, the giant octopus, rules over them all. This would be a perfect trinket to wear so as to ward off any unwanted and dangerous creatures that linger in the deep sea, creatures that feed off pirate ships such as your own. It would remind you and your ship mates to never let your guard down, because the dangers of the sea could come and eat you at any moment.



Finally, this journal is the perfect place to keep your daily notes about the trip and all the adventures you may have.

Friday, May 1, 2009

Lumpia!


Hello Lovers of Little Town Tea. Today I have a very special treat for you. A few weeks ago my friends and I had a potluck and I learned how to make lumpia. So, today I am going to teach you how to make this very yummy dish. Lumpia, for those of you unfamiliar with this dish, is, basically, a egg role from the Philippines, but, in my opinion, much better. My Aunt Jane is Filipino and whenever I visited her she would make me lumpia, but it was not until now that I knew how to make it myself. Thanks to Greg, that guy who taught me how to make that fantastic clam dip that I posted the recipe for, which can be found under the label cooking, I now know how to make oh so wonderful lumpia!

First what you need to do is go buy some chicken, green beans, and carrots. The chicken, by the way, is optional. Pure veggie lumpia is fantastic too. Cut all of the ingredients into very small pieces, as seen in the bowl above, put in your desired amount of garlic salt and pepper, coat the bottom of a large skillet with olive oil, and cook the ingredients until they look ready to eat.

Next, you need to start rolling the lumpia. The wrappers Greg bought were from an Asian grocery store and can be used for spring rolls, egg roles, and lumpia. The wrappers are very thin and stick together, so while you are pulling them apart and rolling the lumpia make sure you do not tear them. So, when you are ready to roll the lumpia take a small amount of the cooked vegetables and meat, like a small hand full, and put it at one corner of the wrapper. Begin rolling the ingredients. Once you get to the middle of the wrapper, fold in the corners on the left and the right and roll the rest of the way. Once you have finished rolling, put a little bit of water on the exposed corner and press it to the roll so that it will stick and not open up while the lumpia is frying.

Next, you will need to take a pan and fill it about a third of the way up with olive oil. Let the olive oil get very hot. You can check to see if it is hot enough by taking little pieces of the lumpia wrappers and seeing how well they fry.

Take some kitchen tongs and set the lumpia in two or three at a time, depending on the size of your pan. Make sure to let each side fry evenly. Once the lumpia looks nice and crisp take it out with your tongs and set it in a bowl that has paper towels inside. Make sure to set the lumpia up on its side so that the oil can drip out of the roll and onto the paper towels.

Once your lumpia has all been fried and has had a chance to cool down, sit down with your friends, grab some banana catchup (which is amazing, by the way) and enjoy your delicious lumpia.

Thursday, April 30, 2009

David Sedaris

"I love things made out of animals. It's just so funny to think of someone saying, 'I need a letter opener. I guess I'll have to kill a deer.'"
— David Sedaris

David Sedaris, author of Naked, Holidays on Ice, Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim, Me Talk Pretty One Day, and When You Are Engulfed in Flames, did a reading at the Modesto Junior College last Saturday night and I was lucky enough to attend. For those of you who have not yet read a David Sedaris book, his books are hilarious. To be honest, I have never read one of his books and only bought a book of his because I knew he would be signing them. I have always listened to David Sedaris on CD. He has such a great voice and such a way of reading his work that I continually buy his books on CDs or get them from the library. The first time I ever heard him was in my brothers car. Bryan was listening to his book Holidays on Ice , a book I recommend for those of you who have not read any works by David Sedaris, and I laughed so hard I cried. My favorite story in that book is entitled "Six to Eight Black Men."
Anyhow, the reading was amazing and by the end of the night my face hurt from laughing so much. I think the best part was that after we got out of the theater David Sedaris came out and signed books.



I found out after this picture was taken that no pictures were allowed to be taken of David Sedaris. Opps! Anyhow, David is the one sitting down by the elevator doors. After what felt like an eternity, Wes and I got to meet David Sedaris and have him sign our books. This turned out to be an interesting meeting and one I will never forget. He first asked Wes if he was a Leo and he did a little growl and pawed at him with his right hand. When Wes said that he was not a Leo, but that his mom was, David asked Wes if he had recently had sex with his mother. David then went on to ask me if I had a sister and a brother. When I told him I did, he asked me if I could forgive them if they had sex with each other. And that, in a nutshell, was my encounter with David Sedaris.



Here is what David Sedaris wrote and drew in my book. I call his drawing the Abe Lincoln turtle.



Here is what David Sedaris wrote and drew in Wes' book. David Sedaris told me that if I had a cat it would look like his drawing...

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Little Town Tea's Poem of the Week

It's Dark in Here
By: Shel Silverstein

I am writing these poems
From inside a lion,
And it's rather dark in here.
So please excuse the handwriting
Which may not be too clear.
But this afternoon by the lion's cage
I'm afraid I got too near.
And I'm writing these lines
From inside a lion,
And it's rather dark in here.

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Little Town Tea's Book Corner


I read Sue Monk Kidd's The Mermaid Chair over the summer while I was in Santa Cruz. It was just one of those books you can't put down and you find yourself reading all night while you tell yourself "just one more chapter." This story takes place on Egret Island, a fiction island that Sue Monk Kidd places off the coast of South Carolina. The main character, Jessie Sullivan, is a married middle aged woman who must go to the island to take care of her troubled mother for a few months. Her mother's house, the house she grew up in, is next door to a monastery. While staying with her mother, Jessie begins to question her relationship with her husband as she starts falling in love with one of the monks next door. Jessie also begins to learn about the mermaid chair, a shrine at the monastery that the brothers have dedicated to a saint that was once a mermaid, and she begins to learn a secret about her father that her mother has hid for many years. It is the vibrant characters and the twist and turns, that Sue Monk Kidd so perfectly executes, that keep you always wanting more.

Monday, April 27, 2009

Little Town Tea's Quote of the Week

"If you're looking for sympathy you'll find it between shit and syphilis in the dictionary."
- David Sedaris

Sunday, April 26, 2009

Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Blog


Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Blog is one of the most fantastic things I have seen. It is a 43 minute musical that was made for internet distribution. It stars Neil Patrick Harris, Felicia Day, and Nathan Fillion. Neil Patrick Harris plays a super villain named Dr. Horrible, while Nathan Fillion plays a superhero named Captain Hammer. Both men are infatuated with Felicia Day, who plays Penny. It is very funny and the music is fantastic. I provided a video below with my favorite song performed during Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Blog. If you have not seen Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Blog you need to either visit hulu or YouTube now. Both sites have the full musical in three parts.


Saturday, April 25, 2009

The Best Soundtracks

So, since high school I decided to buy soundtracks instead of CDs by a single band or artist, for the most part that is, so that I could hear an array of music by an array of musicians for the same price as buying a CD in which I would just hear one band or artist. Since I am a major movie lover, I would make an extra effort to listen to the music and decide whether or not the soundtrack was worthy of my purchase. Anyhow, after years of buying mostly soundtracks I decided to let you in on my top three favorite soundtracks, because you, my blogger friends, are just that cool.

Now, these are in no particular order. These three soundtracks are all so different that it is difficult to rate them. But they are all great and always seem to fit my mood in some way or another. Among these awesome soundtracks is Juno. I think what I love best about this soundtrack was that the majority of music was from artists and bands I have never heard of before. It is best described as a unique soundtrack full of music that will make you feel "hip" in the indie world.



The soundtrack for Garden State proved to be my favorite CD during high school. It is a beautiful mix of music that is guaranteed to make you feel better. For me, this is the best CD for getting over a difficult breakup. Colin Hay's song "I Just Don't Think I'll Ever Get Over You" especially helped me get through difficult breakups during high school.



Amelie is my all time favorite french film, plus it has a fantastic soundtrack. The music on this soundtrack is very inspiring and I find it the perfect music to listen to while I am writing. As I have written in a previous blog, this soundtrack is also my favorite to listen to as I am running in the early morning. So, if you are looking for some great music, pick up one or all of these wonderful soundtracks.

Friday, April 24, 2009

Making Fiends


So, you lovers of Little Town Tea, I hope I am not boring you with my YouTube clips that I find interesting and want to share, because here is another one. Today's posting is about a show called Making fiends. By clicking on the highlighted words you will be linked to the website that first showed this wonderfully dark and humorous series of shorts. I found this fantastic website that has Making Fiends episodes, as well as other different shorts about things like muffins and really frightening bunnies, my freshman year of college. Ever since I have been in love with the website and all the amazing things that have come from Amy Winfrey, the creator of Making Fiends. For your viewing pleasure, I provided the first episode of this show below. If you find it enjoyable, go visit the website and see the rest of the hilarious episodes.

Thursday, April 23, 2009

Little Town Tea's Poem of the Week

Theme for English B
Langston Hughes

The instructor said,

Go home and write
a page tonight.
And let that page come out of you--
Then, it will be true.

I wonder if it's that simple?
I am twenty-two, colored, born in Winston-Salem.
I went to school there, then Durham, then here
to this college on the hill above Harlem.
I am the only colored student in my class.
The steps from the hill lead down into Harlem,
through a park, then I cross St. Nicholas,
Eighth Avenue, Seventh, and I come to the Y,
the Harlem Branch Y, where I take the elevator
up to my room, sit down, and write this page:

It's not easy to know what is true for you or me
at twenty-two, my age. But I guess I'm what
I feel and see and hear, Harlem, I hear you:
hear you, hear me--we two--you, me, talk on this page.
(I hear New York, too.) Me--who?
Well, I like to eat, sleep, drink, and be in love.
I like to work, read, learn, and understand life.
I like a pipe for a Christmas present,
or records--Bessie, bop, or Bach.
I guess being colored doesn't make me not like
the same things other folks like who are other races.
So will my page be colored that I write?

Being me, it will not be white.
But it will be
a part of you, instructor.
You are white--
yet a part of me, as I am a part of you.
That's American.
Sometimes perhaps you don't want to be a part of me.
Nor do I often want to be a part of you.
But we are, that's true!
As I learn from you,
I guess you learn from me--
although you're older--and white--
and somewhat more free.

This is my page for English B.

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Little Town Tea's Book Corner



The Life and Adventures of Joaquin Murieta
is the first California book ever written. It was written by a Native American named Yellow Bird, also known as John Rollin Ridge. He is also considered the first Native American novelist. I read this book for my Multicultural California Literature course. It is quite an interesting read. It is about Joaquin Murieta, whose name is spelled a number of ways, and his life as a criminal. Joaquin Murieta and his gang are well known for being feared throughout California during the late 1840s and early 1850s. This book is interesting because of the approach Yellow Bird takes. He sympathizes with Joaquin while making some of the members of his gang into villains. Yellow Bird also makes some derogatory remarks about some of the Native American tribes in California, which is interesting since Yellow Bird is Cherokee. Although it might not be the most historically accurate book and does display some prejudices, it is interesting to read the first book written in California and the first book written by a Native American.

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Little Town Tea's Quote of the Week

"If everyone demanded peace instead of another television set, then there'd be peace."
- John Lennon

Monday, April 20, 2009

The New Hair Cut

Thank you Lover of Little Town Tea for all your helpful advice while I was contemplating my spring haircut. Sorry that I have not put pictures up sooner. I finally got out today with a camera. My boyfriend and I had a photo shoot of me in my cap and gown for graduation pictures, so please excuse the large lumpy graduation gown in some of the photographs. So that you all can view this much belated post, Little Town Tea's Poem of the Week, Little Town Tea's Book Corner, and Little Town Tea's Quote of the Week will all be pushed back a day. So, without further ado, here is the before haircut...


...and here is the after haircut


Sunday, April 19, 2009

The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio


One of my latest movies sent by netflix was The Prize Winner of Defiance Ohio. It is one of those movies that has been on my list for months, but has just kept moving around due to new releases and different television series that I am so addicted to I cannot bear having a movie in between disks. Finally, I decided that this was a movie that I needed to watch because even the preview made me weepy, so I decided to watch this instead of The L Word, which, by the way, is an excellent series. Anyhow, I watched this movie Thursday night before I went home for Spring break and it was fantastic. This film is based on a book that is based on a true story. This film is about a mother during the 50s and early 60s who supports her ten children by entering different contests. Her husband, a former singer who lost his beautiful singing voice due to a terrible car accident, is an alcoholic and spends the majority of the money he manages to make as a machinist on booze. To keep her family of twelve afloat, the mother writes jingles and does other entries for contests by submitting her entries under her children's names. All of this really happened and when Terry, one of the middle children, grew up she wrote a book about it. At the end of the film they show all of the real ten children grown up. This film is guaranteed to bring a tear to your eye. I provided the preview below. Give it a watch.


Saturday, April 18, 2009

Early to Bed, Early to Rise



Although I am a 22 year old college student, I love getting up early. I wake up between 4:30-5:00 in the morning. After brushing my teeth, I make my bed and begin stretching for my morning run. After my run, I take a shower, eat breakfast, and begin my day before most people are even opening their eyes. I love being awake at a time most people aren't. I am most aware of my quite surroundings when I am running. As I run past my apartment building, all the windows are dark and even the ducks are sound asleep. It is such a peaceful time of day. By nine or ten o'clock I have finished most of the tasks I have set aside for the day. By this time I go to class, if I have class for that day. If I don't have class, I spend the rest of the day doing things for myself, such as writing on my blog, reading a book, watching a movie, working on George and Paul, or taking a nice afternoon nap. To me, being an early riser is bliss.

Friday, April 17, 2009

Nick Piteria is a Wonder

A few years ago my brother was showing me some videos he had come across that were entertaining. Today's video is one of them. This man, Nick Piteria, is a wonder of a singer. I chose this video out of all of the ones he has put online because it best demonstrates his vocal ranges. For this song, "A Whole New World," he sings both the male and female parts. If you were blind folded you would not know that it was the same person. Enjoy this unbelievable video.

Thursday, April 16, 2009

Brought to You by Trader Joe's


For those of you who haven't noticed, I am a huge Trader Joe's fan. I love their products and I love their prices. So, in recognition of this amazing grocery store, I am committing an entire post to some of my favorite Trader Joe products.

These sponges are the best. Not only are they bright and colorful, they have the perfect amount of "scratchiness" to them so that they can get off all the food, but not damage your dishware. Another fabulous thing about these sponges is that they never get that awful musty smell that regular sponges can get. These are best if used, in my opinion, with Trader Joe's lavender dish soap.

If you are looking for some good wine that doesn't make your pockets jingle any less, go to Trader Joe's and get some Charles Shaw wine. This wine, that has been renamed "Two Buck Chuck," is both delicious and inexpensive. It literally is two bucks. Some of the reds I have not been too thrilled with, but I have been happy with all the white wines I have tried.

Going green? Why not pick up one of the most fabulous grocery bags on the market? I bought one of these fantastic bags last year and use it all the time. Not only does it have amazing art work, it keeps your food colder. I must say, I love Trader Joe's.

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Little Town Tea's Poem of the Week

A Poison Tree
By: William Blake

I was angry with my friend;
I told my wrath, my wrath did end.
I was angry with my foe:
I told it not, my wrath did grow.

And I waterd it in fears,
Night & morning with my tears:
And I sunned it with smiles,
And with soft deceitful wiles.

And it grew both day and night,
Till it bore an apple bright.
And my foe beheld it shine,
And he knew that it was mine.

And into my garden stole.
When the night had veiled the pole;
In the morning glad I see,
My foe outstretchd beneath the tree.

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Little Town Tea's Book Corner


Leslie Silko's Gardens in the Dunes is my favorite Native American novel. It is a beautiful and tragic story that follows two sisters who are separated when they are forced into different away schools. I used this novel, along with three other novels, to write my final paper in my senior seminar class that dealt only with Native American literature. As I wrote in my paper, Sister Salt, the older of the sisters, is thought too old to be sent to the same school as her sister, Indigo; “the authorities judged Sister Salt to be too much older than the others to send away to Indian boarding school. There was hope the little ones might be educated away from their blankets. [. . .] Chances were she’d be a troublemaker and might urge the younger students to attempt escape” (67). Realizing that the older the person was the harder it would be to melt away their Native American identity, the authorities separated the two sisters, with neither having any knowledge about the other. While Indigo is taken away to a standard boarding school, Sister Salt is shipped away to somewhere that is loosely referred to as “a school.”
This book continues to follow each sister in her separate life and adventure. Leslie Silko, a Native American herself, does a fantastic job demonstrating the life a Native American girl on her own and what she would have to deal with at the time the story is set. It is an eye opening book with a story anyone would enjoy. I highly recommended picking up Silko's Gardens in the Dunes.

Monday, April 13, 2009

Little Town Tea's Quote of the Week

"I'll not confer with sorrow
Till tomorrow;
But Joy shall have her way
This very day."
- T. B. Aldrich

Sunday, April 12, 2009

Happy Easter Little Town Tea Lovers!



I hope you all have a wonderful day hunting for brightly colored eggs among the dandelions and tulips that flourish in your grassy lawns.

Saturday, April 11, 2009

Snail Mail


One of my favorite past times is writing letters. There is nothing like sitting down with a mug full of hot green tea, finding the right pen, rummaging through a box full of different stationary, picking the perfect one, and writing a letter. Unfortunately, I have difficulty putting the time aside for one of my favorite hobbies and only perform the task once in a blue moon, but when I begin writing I don't just write one letter. Last week I found myself in the mood to write. I turned on Joni Mitchell, made some tea, lighted a pumpkin spice scented candle and wrote three letters, including one with drawings and complete bios of my fictional pirate crew of the "Dirty Mermaid." Not only is writing letters enjoyable, it is so much more personal than receiving an e-mail or writing on someone's facebook wall. So, when you are listening to some good music and find your hand wanting to move and your mouth thirsting for the taste of tea, pick out the right pen, go through your box of collected stationary that you have picked up throughout the years, pick the right one, and write a letter.

Friday, April 10, 2009

Baby Ducks


Although I am cursed with terrible allergies that cause the roof of my mouth to itch, my eyes to water, and my nose to drip, I love this time of year because of the baby ducks that begin to appear all over campus. When I was just a young lass, my dad would buy me a baby duck or two every spring. There was nothing like cuddling up to the little yellow and black balls of fluff. They would follow me all around the house and we would be best friends. At one time we had over twenty full size ducks at my house. Seeing these little baby ducks in all of the ponds throughout my lovely campus reminds me of my childhood and my little ducklings that have since passed away. So, make sure you enjoy this time of year. Go grab a bag of bread, find a pond with little chirping baby ducks, and give them some bite size pieces of bread, even if there are glaring signs not to do so.

Thursday, April 9, 2009

My 50th Post


I just realized that today's post is my 50th. I find that amazing. I feel like I just began this blog. I am so happy that I have been able to post as frequently as I have been. I usually have difficulty keeping up with something like this and taking the time to do it. I hope you are all enjoying reading this blog as much as I am enjoying posting on it.

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Little Town Tea's Poem of the Week

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
By: Maya Angelou

A free bird leaps on the back
Of the wind and floats downstream
Till the current ends and dips his wing
In the orange suns rays
And dares to claim the sky.

But a BIRD that stalks down his narrow cage
Can seldom see through his bars of rage
His wings are clipped and his feet are tied
So he opens his throat to sing.

The caged bird sings with a fearful trill
Of things unknown but longed for still
And his tune is heard on the distant hill for
The caged bird sings of freedom.

The free bird thinks of another breeze
And the trade winds soft through
The sighing trees
And the fat worms waiting on a dawn-bright
Lawn and he names the sky his own.

But a caged BIRD stands on the grave of dreams
His shadow shouts on a nightmare scream
His wings are clipped and his feet are tied
So he opens his throat to sing.

The caged bird sings with
A fearful trill of things unknown
But longed for still and his
Tune is heard on the distant hill
For the caged bird sings of freedom.

Tuesday, April 7, 2009

Little Town Tea's Book Corner


Fannie Flagg is one of my favorite authors. The books I most adore by this author are Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe, which was later adapted into a movie, and Can't Wait to Get to Heaven. Her books have a small town southern style that always makes me feel at home. Each and everyone of her characters are memorable and seem to just jump right out of the page. She takes her time to add all the little details that give the reader a perfect visual of the setting of the story and the characters who are in it. If you haven't read a Fannie Flag book you should go pick one up today. If I were you, I would start with Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe. It is one of my favorite books and is perfect to snuggle up with on a Sunday afternoon.