acacia blossoms

acacia blossoms

Saturday, September 13, 2008

Teas Made

My mother had a teasmaid – am I showing my age here? And no its not something that will be banned by the censor board!!! It was an amazing heath robinson type of contraption that pushed the limits of what can be combined with an alarm clock. We have radio alarms; mobile phone alarms; mickey mouse alarms….. what else? alarm clocks that is. Of course the security business here is BIG but that’s another story.

Anyhow, I remember dark winter mornings with school days on the horizon and unfinished homework to explain; mornings when staying in bed was a better option. Long before the last-minute-jump-out-of-bed-and-into-clothes moment had arrived it would start. The first blup… then another. Breaking the cosy caccoon of the night – no going back now. Blip blip…..increasing in volume and frequency with an awful sense of inevitability that only my mother could enjoy because for her it heralded a steaming cup of tea. The blips would become a torrent and then a fog horn would reverberate around the house with a big light that shone even under the closed door flooding into the landing. It shook and belched steam…. It was a veritable time machine!!! What happened to them?

Now I have monkeys….

16 comments:

Angela said...

Thank God for soothing-music radio alarm clocks that wake you gently from your dreams...My grandmother also had such a tea pot with a whistle. No wonder they have disappeared!
Yes, I remember those ugly cold mornings with unfinished homework, too! How good to be grown!
- Hey, I wonder why they make us type those funny letters down there - to find out if we can read and write??

Unknown said...

Grief, I remember those things (hmm, how much does this age me...). We never had one, but I do remember then and thinking, wow, those are pretty cool - much nicer to wake up to a cuppa than the shrill of an alarm clock. I seem to think you can fancy ones now that whip up a latte or a cafe mocha...

Anonymous said...

I never had a teasmaid always wanted one. An old friend's mum had one by her bedside and used it everyday.

Found you via black box!

Crystal Jigsaw x

Tess Kincaid said...

Nice memories. I love the nostalgic sound of a tea kettle on the stove.

Oh, and I've popped in via the mysterious little black box. I enjoyed my visit!

A Concerned Citizen said...

Hey there. I first discovered Monkeys on the Roof through The Gold Puppy. I visit your blog occasionally and absolutely love your writing. Then today that blasted addictive black box widget sent me monkey-ward, so I thought that I would take this opportunity to say hello.

Val said...

well hello and welcome to all you travellers from the black box portal! so nice to see your comments this morning and I am glad I am not the only one who remembers the TeasMaid!!

Angela - they said somewhere those letters are to make sure you arenot a robot?? but sometimes they dont ask....

Absolute Vanilla..wow waking up to latte or cafe mocha - now theres a thought!

Miranda - yes well, a lion face lick definitely takes the cake as a wake up method!! that could get your heart started ... much more than an expresso....even if it was a familiar lion!!!

happy blogging all - I'm off to yours now xx

Unknown said...

I'm going to have to blogroll you. I keep getting blackboxed back here!
;-)

Angela said...

What is this black box you are talking about? What am I missing here?
Internet-Illiterate Angela

hele said...

Every morning as soon as they hear the cock crowing outside I am awakened by four wolf kisses.

And sometimes their feet hits me first :)

Unknown said...

My parents had one too, they were sort of neat. Over here via the black box :-)

Reya Mellicker said...

Alarm clocks and I do not get along. I'm a light sleeper so anything, the tiniest sound, will get me up and going.

The teasmaid sounds really scary!

Georgina said...

Hi I arrived via the amazing black widget at Carol&Chris' Only in Thailand. Your post made me laugh out loud. I went to supper last night and we were talking about teas mades. I did read somewhere not that long ago that they were making a come back. I won't hold my breath, that's what husbands are for. Grin :-) Debs x
P.S. Word Verification Goblin

Val said...

hele - the four wolves sound wonderful and i love your blog with the photos!

Reya - yup it was kinda scary but fascinating too ;-)

Adrianne - thanks! i wanted to leave a note on yours but my connection broke. I'll be back...

Willow - yes - good memories indeed!

Brit gal Sara - thanks for the visit! this black box thing is amazing... really

Lehners in France! I love that my blog made you laugh out loud - thanks for that :-D I;ll watch out for the TM comeback..

thanks guys for your support and encouragement x

Angela said...

Am I too late to add another quote which I just found in my Mr. Clever Book?
One morning, it says, Mr. Clever was awakened by his special Mr. Clever alarm clock.
Not only did it wake you up by ringing a bell: it also switched on a light and said"Good morning" and made a cup of tea and showed what the weather was going to be and told you the time and showed you the date. It also whistled cheerfully while it was doing all that!
Hey, I want one of those!

Val said...

Geli - what a fabulous machine!!
xx

spacedlaw said...

They few off to another galaxy, with the power of their steam engine. The modern versions are noiseless things and would not wake you up.