27 April 2013

Let's sit and have a cup of tea.

Hello.

It's good to see you again. I'm glad we've decided to meet up regularly. It's been a month and I want to fill you in.

If I was meeting you today I would take you to a new little place I have found in Durham. It isn't warm here but it is bright and there is the busy chatter of Saturday shoppers walking up the cobbled street. If we were feeling particularly brave we would order our drinks of choice (earl grey for me), a biscuit and a cake or two and then sit outside watching the students struggle up the towpath by the river. The route we affectionately call "windy gap".

You would pour the tea (how kind) and I would sit back to settle in for a long chat. I would tell you that I am so glad to be back in this city. I often wonder if I will ever get bored of it but have decided that no, a river, beautiful bridges and a cathedral overlooking it all is the perfect combination. I would tell you that we are finally getting into Spring and how wonderful that is. If you were British you would roll your eyes at me and we would share tales of woe about how long the winter was. If you weren't of the British persuasion you would probably roll your eyes in exasperation and wonder why we talk about the weather so much and secondly why we are insisting on sitting outside.


I would laugh then and chatter away about how my friends and I are enjoying the longer evenings. How nearly every day this week we have popped on a coat and shoes and gone for evening walks. Sometimes along the river, sometimes up in the woods and once to a park that overlooked the city. It is good to get out after a day of revision.

At the words of revision you would look quizzically at me and ask me how it was going. I would bite into my cake before I answered and then tell you that it is going pretty well. That our church have kindly set up a space for us to work which is lovely and peaceful and less of a pressure cooker than the library is. I would tell you that I am feeling reasonably on top of it but it is hard to know if I am on the right track or not because every exam is slightly different.

If we were together now I would offer you another cup of tea and tell you about how revision seems impossible without a good cuppa next to me. We would laugh together about that. I would ask you about blogging, about what you are planning to post and what is inspiring you. I would confide that I am completely sold with bloglovin however I never used google reader so that may be a factor! I would tell you that I have been loving Julie Kirks series of better blogging and that there has been lots in there to think about and to act on.


I would offer you the second biscuit and as we picked up the crumbs from our plate I would ask you about what you are making at the moment. I would tell you that I really enjoyed the sewing bee and that I hope it inspires people to have a go and pick up a needle. I would smile as I told you how grateful and awed I was by the response my new quilt and the film I made got. That I am so inspired by the blogging community.

The tea would be nearly gone, just the dregs in the pot and the smells of imminent lunch would be wafting up to us from the restaurant next door. I would mention casually that I am missing the boy. That he is currently away on a holiday field trip in the states. Just for the week. But man is it a long week. I would tell you laughing that I am so very grateful for email and that at the very least there is a good project life spread to be made about this week!


We would probably stand up and slowly walk back into town after paying our bill. We would say as we always do how nice it is to see each other and how wonderful blog friendships are. I would wave you off as I walked back to college and promise to see you again for another cup of tea soon.

If you were with me now, what would you tell me?

If you would like to write a "tea" post please add it to the linky at the bottom so we can all sit and share with you! The linky will be open for a week so you have plenty of time! 


12 comments:

debs14 said...

I love this idea Abi! How lovely to see another glimpse into life in Durham. The photo of the girls sitting down made me smile, just look at the diverse kinds of footwear from wellies, to fur boots to birkenstock sandals!
I loved your quilt tutorial and feel really inspired to have a go myself.

Jo.C said...

I have really loved reading these so joined in this month. Great post and I'm another commenting on the weather :0)
Was up your way at Beamish. You'll have to visit if you haven't been. A lovely day out, a bit expensive but once you get the ticket it lasts all year x

Sian said...

I'd be wishing you all the best with that revision..cheering on the revising is what I seem to be good at these days :)

Sinead said...

Hi Abi!
Lovely post again - I really do love this idea, and would love to have a real cuppa with you! Your photos of Durham are just stunning, it seems like a wonderful place to be at uni and spend time with friends. Glad the revising is going well, you can do it!
Hopefully I'll get to join in and add my post to the linky at some stage during the week. I've been kind of snowed under (hence the delay in emailing you back too - so sorry, there should be a message in your inbox tomorrow!) so fingers crossed! xxx

Maria Ontiveros said...

That photograph is so stunning! I can't get over it. I'll be linking up on Monday with my news. I'd tell you how happy I am that you are doing so well at University and to enjoy these days.
Rinda

Beverly said...

I have popped back into our blog world just in time! I have loved our tea time and feel a tad caught up with you but also so curious about a few things. I would tell you that Jamaica was glorious. I would whine about my seasonal allergies and the cold I have had since I got back. I would....well, I think I'll just have to have you over for tea later this month. Happy to hear the revisions are going well :)

alexa said...

Lovely to be able to pop in and lad to know that things are going well for you and that your spirits are lifting - even if the boy is away! Fields trips, huh! That photo of Durham cathedral and the river is truly stunning. Himself went there as a student too so some of the places you talk about are familiar to mr, through his telling me about it. Such a lovely post - I always enjoy your writing :).

JO SOWERBY said...

Thank you for adding me to the linky while I was away in London. I had a wonderful time as everything happened as it should. So glad ur enjoying life in Durham and one day I will come visit you either there or at home. Drove past the turn off yesterday to ur house.
Hope whatever the gorgeous boy is doing is worth that time away from you and look forward to our next cuppa,
Jo xxx

Clair said...

There's so much to love about your beautiful post - the words, the emotion and, most definitely, the photographs. Blissful x

Ladkyis said...

Thanks for the cuppa and thank you so much for hosting this - I love joining in

Ruth said...

Thanks for the continued chance to share in your everyday.

Ginger said...

Hi Abi! I love this meme you started :) If we were to meet for tea I would tell you, you have some amazing IG photos,especially the one above. I also would have lots to say about the weather!