Let's sit and have a cup of tea

Come in, come in out of the cold.
The wind is blowing a gale and the rain is starting to sputter in from the North. We are expected a storm sometime tomorrow.

It's good to see you in Durham again. Here, take the comfy red sofa and I'll pop the kettle on....

If you were meeting me now I would sit down next to you on that soft sofa, feet curled up around me, hands cradling a mug of tea.
I would apologise that it is a bit cold in the lounge. We haven't yet put the heating on, being students and all that. We would laugh together as I told that you that the quilts are definitely coming into their own.

Speaking of quilting I would quickly rush upstairs and come down with a very special box in my hands. I would tell you all about the friendship quilt that Fiona has initiated, about the lovely parcels that arrive most weeks and the beautiful squares that have arrived in the post. We would pour together over the patterns and colours. I would tell you how lovely it is to be a part of this worldwide creative group. That every time a parcel arrives I get to chat to my housemates about blogging and dear blog friends. You would give me suggestions for how to quilt it together. I would tell you that I want to incorporate the creators initials onto their squares and may embroider them on when the quilt is finished.
I would carefully move the layers of material to find the square I am looking for, which is very relevant today. The lovely tea cup that Deb sent me all the way from the states!

Thinking of tea, do you want a top up? No? I have a spiced pound cake just out of the oven which is truly scrummy with a bit of butter. Can I tempt you?
As we dived into the cake I would tell you about how the last month has been. How I forget what a whirl student life is. How it really is one thing after another and that I can only really look at a day at a time. I would confide that all the things I am involved in are good. That I am loving my course this year, that I am doing more children's work and that I have the great blessing of leading a home group from church. That said, these things take time along with looking after our dear little house.
I would ask you how you manage it? How do you juggle work and cooking and housework and for many of you children?
This adult lark takes quite some doing!

But enough about me. How are you? How has your October been? Ours has been soggy and windy. I crave those crisp and sunny days with crunchy leaves though they have been few and far between. I am hopeful for what November will bring! How is your blog? I am interested. It feels like a few of us are taking more of a break between posts. I certainly am. Maybe it is this time of year, more hunkering down and creating than time spent online? Or perhaps it is the business that preludes Christmas.
You would probably laugh at me for discussing christmas so early! I would tell you that I am involved in another lovely creative swap with Miriam, sending decorations to other bloggers.

I am going to pop the kettle back on. You can never have too much tea in my opinion.
You would ask me how I am enjoying living out and I would tell you that I still love it. I still like having a place to call home, I like my little room in the top of the house and the view over the chimney pots. I would tell you all about our little dinner parties. Of the joy of having friends over on a saturday night to share food.

I look at my watch and realise we have been talking for most of the afternoon. How time flies with friends. Durham will be packed on your walk back. Many families come and visit in this first half term. Is it half term for you? What are you up to? I am working in a school at the moment one afternoon a week so this week will be a bit more relaxed for me too, even though lectures continue.

I would lead you to the door, passing you your coat from the peg. We would hug tightly and I would make you promise to come for tea again in a month when I have a feeling that it will feel slightly more wintery! Isn't it lovely that we have been meeting like this for nearly a whole year!

I would wave you off as you walked down the hill calling goodbye as you rounded the corner.

If you were meeting 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!