Let's sit and have a cup of tea

Hello! Come in, it's so good to see you again. The kettle is on and there are some biscuits in the tin. Do pull up that chair and we can sit in the sun outside.

If I was meeting you now, I would carry the tea tray outside from the kitchen, all the while chatting and asking you questions as we poured the first steaming mug in the bright sunshine. You would probably ask about home and I would say with a happy sigh in my voice that it is good to be back. I like the slower pace of holiday time, the lazy, balmy days, the crafting in the daytime and the board games in the evenings. It is good to get away from what can be quite a high pressured academic environment. That said, I do miss my friends back in Durham. You would most likely say that it sounds idyllic and laughing I would tell you that I am painting a very rosy picture of my holidays. Much of it this time will be spent looking for work which is possibly one of the most dispiriting things to do.

I'm grumbling now. Could I offer you a cookie? They are a Beach family favourite- chocolate chip. You can't go wrong! As I passed you the tin the topic would move round to the end of term. If you have children are they finishing up for the year? My term ended beautifully with lots of picnics, social events and a wonderful college ball. It took place at a big country hotel with a ferris wheel in the grounds. Very romantic on a still summers evening. Smiling, I would tell you that I am meaning to blog those photos however there has been a bit of a boy overload on the blog recently and perhaps they could wait for a bit!

Cradling my mug in my hands we would chat about the passing of time, how quickly this year seems to have gone, how I only have one more year left of uni. As so many people ask at this stage you would bring up future plans. I am one of the lucky ones who has a pretty firm idea of what they want to do. I am planning on going into teaching. It will mean one more year of study but I am excited by it. I come from a family of teachers so I have a pretty clear idea of the highs and lows of the profession.

Speaking of school, the conversation would move to my own school and my little brother who finished there last week. I think you would nod with understanding as I told you how odd it is to say goodbye to a place I have known well for ten years. I think it was stranger for my parents. All their children have now left school. Our school was very special to us. We boarded there, we grew up there, we made lasting friendships there. On Saturday we went for the prize giving service and it was a very surreal experience to be suddenly losing that connection.
Listen to me! I'm going all nostalgic!

The teapot is topped up, another cookie is offered and as usual we begin that lovely talk about crafts and blogging and creating. I am working on lots of quilting projects at the moment. One quilt for my friend, one for me and lots of quilt squares. Are you participating in the friendship quilt? Have you had your 'month' yet? I have also got an exciting project in the works involving paper scapbooking again. I am excited and terrified about this as I haven't paper scrapbooked in nearly two years. I am hoping it will all come back to me!

We both look at our watches. Where does the time go? It seems five minutes since you came through that garden gate. I feel there is so much left to catch up on but I think that is always the case with good friends. We rise and then another topic springs to mind and we get talking again. It is only on the third attempt that we realise you really must be off. I walk you to the drive and we hug tightly.

Come back soon I say.
It is so good seeing you again. Let's do this again soon.
"definitely" you say as you turn and wave goodbye.

If you were having tea with me today 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!