Happy New Year to all those readers misdirected here by Google searching for a subject I wrote nonsense about Venus Williams four years ago ... Should auld blogge postyne be forgot and ne'er brought to mind, etc.
And a Happy Janus Face to regular readers, for whom I have one word: China.
By that, I do not mean our erstwhile trade sparring partner; I refer merely to the products of the potter's art: decorative porcelain in all its forms but especially the decorative porcelain from which we drink fine imported teas (some of them, let's be frank, imported from our erstwhile trade sparring partner mentioned previously in this labyrinthine sentence; although, if I may parenthesize within parenthesis, I would not recommend Chinese teas as the soil in there is suspect so the leaf is possibly contaminated).
But enough of such tangential Chinoiserie. Whether it be bagged or loose, hot or cold, green or black, my 2019 message to you is to steep your tea in a pleasing pot, a vessel designed for the purpose, leisurely and with ceremony, and not just dump it in some chipped mug for two minutes.
For if there is one thing I discovered last year, it's that life improves commensurably with the quality of decorative china you drink from every day. This is an effect not unlike the infamous Law of Attraction, except its life-changing power derives from the workshops of Meissen, Limoges, and Spode rather than from "the Universe."
Obviously, you'll need to obtain a matching set of cups and saucers at some point, too. Not to mention a sugar bowl, milk jug, silver spoons, and, if you're really serious about changing your fortunes in 2109, a three-tier cake stand is essential.
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