There's Nothing Like a Cup of Tea

There's Nothing Like a Cup of Tea...

Perfectly-Steeped

Charlotte’s Tea is a fund-raising event held at 1810 Carter House, Kingston, NB every August.  The tea is named in honour of a lady who was keen on history, loved desserts, and made a fine cup of tea! Charlotte Amelia Henderson Miller Fullerton was born on August 16, 1916, in Holderville.  She lived most of her life on the Kingston Peninsula and contributed generously to the local historical society.

Charlotte Amelia Henderson

Charlotte’s Tea features an array of delectable desserts lovingly prepared and served by local women. An extensive selection of specialty teas complements the wide assortment of sweets. Patrons are encouraged to come back for seconds… and thirds!

Extensive Array of Sweets

Charlotte’s Tea is brought to you by her peeps---daughters, daughter-in-law, granddaughters, nieces, grand-nieces, grand-grand nieces, son-in-law, neighbours, friends. That’s the crew behind the selling of tickets, the picking of berries, the baking of desserts, the sweeping of floors, the setting of tables, the steeping of tea, the washing of dishes, the laundering of tablecloths, the singing of songs, the laughing on the back deck. The list goes on.

Some of the Crew:

(Joan, Barb, Beth, Gail, Treva, Kathy)

Those of us fortunate enough to have known Charlotte, may recall some of her memorable sayings which reflect her character, values and wisdom. Every quote has a story, of course.


“Is that child hungry?” (Whenever she heard a child crying.)

Charlotte and Emily

 "There’s good in everybody."

Goodness

“Your tongue will hang you.” (Directed to some of her daughters...not mentioning any names...)

Daughters: Gail, Barb, Janet, Kathy

 “I don’t know what I would have done without my sisters.” (During a time of personal crisis.)

Charlotte and her Sisters

(Betty, Mary, Jean, Gladys, Charlotte, Margaret)

“Would you mind bringing in an armload or two of wood?” 

Filling the Woodbox

“If you can’t say anything nice about that person, don’t say anything at all.” 

Aesop and Charlotte

“You know where the molasses cookies are.”

Famous Cookies

“Let’s remember, we’re all immigrants.” (Commenting on controversy over refugees.)

Remember?

 “I’ll give you a quarter if you can find the…” (flashlight, flyswatter, telephone book, etc.) 

Lost and Found Reward: $.25

 “While you’re on your feet, would you mind…” (As her mobility deteriorated.)

Barb and Charlotte

“Things will be better in the morning.”

Bagheera and Charlotte

“The spirit’s willing, but the flesh is weak.” (As she aged.)

Matthew and Charlotte

  “Now, let’s all sit down and have a cup of tea.”

There's Nothing Like a Cup of Tea...

There’s Nothing Like a Cup of Tea

In our busy working day
Time just seems to slip away
Man, he works from sun to sun
But women’s work is never done.

Cleaning, sewing, making bread
Keeping our dear family fed
Toiling in the kitchen there
Full of worry, full of care—

How we long to stop a bit
Rest our bones and simply sit—

Chorus:
Oh, there’s nothing like a cup of tea
To bring us back to sanity
It’s a sign of such civility
To simply sip a cup of tea.

How bracing to sit in the afternoon
In a clean and polished and shining room
We lose our troubles as you can see
By brewing ourselves a cup of tea.

Words and Music by Carolyn Murray, 1984

Plan to join us next August at 1810 Carter House for Charlotte's Tea. 

...Until Next Time...

Doshas and Dusters

Doshas and Dusters

I managed to spend six consecutive weeks at our camp this summer.  For the most part, I was alone, with weekend visits from my room-mate who is quick to say, “Some of us have to work for a living.” Well, not me!!

Tom, Working for a Living

At a family party, one of my cousins asked, “What do you do at your camp all summer, Barb?” 

Allow me to answer that question. There’s lots to do! The social life in Long Reach is vibrant. There was the Rhubarb Beer/Cider-Tasting Wharf Fundraiser at my Ancestral Home.

      

Long Reach Products

There was the day trip to Deer Island with two of my sisters, one of whom liked to stop and comment on every lobster trap, mailbox and half-ton we saw.

Deer Island Mailboxes

There were two family beach parties at Gail's beach, welcoming relatives from the Yukon, British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario and all corners of New Brunswick. 

Three Generation Beach Party-ers

There were six lunches at the Carter House with six different dates. 

Carter House Tea

There was the Pie Party at the Gorham Cottage to welcome baby Brooke to Long Reach.

Brooke and Andrea

Every Friday night, The Smokehouse at Fullerton's Market is open for supper and meeting up with the neighbours. Hard ice-cream and hot coffee are available everyday!

Smokehouse Suppers

On Saturday mornings, the Kingston Market is the place to be for shopping and socializing.  

Kingston Farmers' Market

And every other Sunday, you can attend church!

Long Reach United Church

Our Fourth Annual Menopause Camp, a fun-filled afternoon with eight local women of a certain age, was a great success. The agenda was jam-packed beginning with lunch prepared and served by our YOUNG Camp Counsellor, Ruthie. A yoga instructor by trade, she determined our Doshas—something everyone, menopausal or not, might benefit from. What’s a Dosha, you ask? Very briefly, the three doshas are biological energies found throughout the human body and mind. Vata is composed of space and air; Pitta of fire and water; Kapha of earth and water. Which one are you?

Menopause Camp, 2018

 We had a Menopausal Complaint Session balanced with a Menopausal Gratitude Session, followed by a Dear Abby Wisdom Exercise and some Menopausal Math. Menopausal Door Prizes included notepads, incontinence pads, hairnets, facecloths and cooling soap. Our Menopausal Soundtrack consisted of songs with the word “HOT” in them. The afternoon concluded with a Menopausal Dip at the wharf-- we kept our bathing suits on this year. We never got around to the Art Workshop led by Auntie DoodleBop, Artist-in-Residence, nor to the Toenail Polishing Event. There is so much to cover at Menopause Camp! (Applications are being received for next year. Some restrictions apply.)

Register Now!!

HOT on the heels of Menopause Camp, was the Third Annual Charlotte’s Tea, a fundraiser for Kingston Peninsula Heritage, named in honour of our mother. We included a singing component this year with our own Carolyn Murray’s original composition, There’s Nothing Like a Cup of Tea. Who knows, maybe next year, Charlotte’s Tea, The Musical!

The Charlotte's Tea Choir
Apron String Sextet

There was the First Annual Duster Party --dress code, duster and pearls. What's a duster?  "...a long, lightweight overgarment, worn especially in the early days of open automobiles to protect the clothing from dust." Need one?

Bring back the Duster!

We were fortunate to have Noel spend three weekends with us over the summer. Having him in our lives is so enriching, sharing experiences we might otherwise not pursue, such as The Busker Festival, The Huntsman Aquarium, The Kandy Shoppe, St. Andrews, New River Beach,  Smackdown WWE at Harbour Station, Sea Dog Cove and The John Deere Trail.

Noel at the Huntsman

Without Noel in our lives, our vocabulary would be bereft of jumpscare, legitness, and gainstin’. We probably wouldn’t bother with hotdogs, bonfires, smores, Yahtzee, remote control cars, mini-cereals and beach glass creations.

Beach Glass Creations 

by Noel, Barb and Tom

We might still kayak, pick apples and make applesauce, but it wouldn't be the same without him.

Rollin' on the River

With all that activity and social hubbub, I needed some quiet moments to recharge. There is no TV at the camp and Internet access is limited, so I spend a lot of alone time listening to books. I fell heir to four bags of rescue yarn which included 63 granny squares crying out to be put together. I assembled this afghan while listening to Hemingway's The Sun Also Rises. Of course, that inspired a name for the finished product.   

The Sun Also Rises

And that’s how I spent my summer!

...Until Next Time...

Charlotte's Tea

Charlotte's Tea

Charlotte, Age Two

Charlotte’s Tea is held in honour of a lady who was keen on history, loved desserts, and made a fine cup of tea!

Proper Tea Service

Charlotte Amelia Henderson Miller Fullerton was born on August 16, 1916, in Holderville. She lived most of her life on the Kingston Peninsula and contributed generously to the local historical society.

John Fisher Museum, Kingston NB

Charlotte raised a large family on a busy farm. Should you arrive at meal time, an extra plate was quickly set and a chair pulled up to the table.  Meals were hearty and always included a delicious dessert.

Thurlow Henderson (Father) 

George Fullerton (Father-in-Law) 

Vara Smith (Friend and Neighbour)

Long before “eat seasonal” became trendy, she adhered to that practice with Rhubarb Pie in May, 

Rhubarb Pies

Strawberry Shortcake in June, 

Strawberry Shortcake made with Biscuits 

and REAL Whipped Cream

and Raspberry Whip in July. 

Raspberry Whip

Cottage Pudding took care of any stale white cake, although very little ever went stale in her house!  

Cottage Pudding

A neighbour recently confessed that, as a teenager, he kept coming back to the arduous hayfield mostly for the Gingerbread with Whipped Cream.  

Gingerbread with Whipped Cream

And everyone who entered Charlotte’s kitchen knew where to find the cookie tin full of Soft Molasses Cookies, kept at child level for easy access.

Soft Molasses Cookies

The welcoming abundance at Charlotte’s table reflected the love and warmth she extended to those of us fortunate enough to have known her.

Charlotte, Age 93

Charlotte preferred her tea black, perfectly steeped, in a china cup and saucer, if you please! 

Perfectly-Steeped

Charlotte’s Tea is held in August at 1810 Carter House in Kingston, NB. You missed it this year, but plan to attend in 2018. It is a sell-out event, so get your tickets early!!

Tea-Ladies!!

 

1810 Carter House, Kingston, NB

...Until Next Time...