February Celebrations

Mary Mason Campbell writes in "The New England Butt'ry Shelf Almanac" (illustrated by Tasha Tudor), "The long darkness of night is shrinking, and day is stretching after its winter rest. . . "  We had 27 inches of snow last week so it looks very much like winter in our part of the world.  I love looking out my window at all the white as opposed to the alternative--brown.  But I must say I'm loving that when we sit down to dinner in front of the bay window at 5:30 each evening I can once again see outside.  Living further south and west of New England gives me more daylight sooner and I love that.

Mrs. Campbell also gives us some history on the first uses for tea in this country.  She writes that it was first introduced to New Englanders in 1670 and that "no one seemed to know just how to prepare or serve it.  There was no such thing in this country as a teapot. . .it was boiled, then the liquor was thrown away and the tea leaves eaten, sometimes with salt and butter, sometimes with sugar and milk."  She tells of an old Nantucket book that describes the first tea party there. . ."the hostess put a five-gallon bell-metal kettle of water on the crane, poured in four quarts of tea leaves and the whole was boiled for an hour, then the dark bitter liquor was drunk from silver porringers.  Since this did not produce a very palatable beverage, the hostess entertained a practical suggestion that it had not been properly prepared and the liquor had best be used to dye woolen yarns."  Mrs. Campbell includes this recipe, among several, to serve at today's tea parties. . . .

Tasha Tudor found ways to celebrate February indoors.  Making valentines, especially for the dolls, was a wonderful way to spend the still-dark evenings.  Last year the Maryland Chapter of the Tasha Tudor Museum gathered to make their own valentines along with a Sparrow Post mailbox.  You can read about it here.  I've been reading a lot about Beatrix Potter since the first of the year in preparation for a monthly post on Morning Musings about her since this is the 150th anniversary of her birth.  I know that Tasha was one of her devotees so I would not be surprised if Tasha had gotten the idea for her miniature letters and post box from Beatrix who had done the same years before. . . .

"A Time to Keep" by Tasha Tudor

Tasha also liked to celebrate George Washington's birthday.  Her great-great-grandfather Colonel William Tudor had been a friend and aide to George Washington and had helped form the Society of the Cincinnati.  He studied law under John Adams and served as the first judge advocate general of the United States.  I'm not at all surprised that she would encourage her children to put on historic costumes and re-enact our nation's history. . . .

"A Time to Keep" by Tasha Tudor

But I think she probably loved Valentine's Day the most because she was a romantic at heart. . . .

"Around the Year" by Tasha Tudor

"Around the Year" by Tasha Tudor

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Take Joy!