Triple Digits But There is Still Tea in the Afternoon -- But It's Iced!

Every afternoon at half past three, I stop and have tea.    Triple digits have been the norm for the past six weeks or so, inching up even higher and higher as the summer progresses.    Yesterday, it was 108!

Tea is now taken iced!     Even though we're inside and in air, we've usually been out and about enough that by the afternoon, hot tea seems hot!

And we've given up our beloved breakfast room for afternoon tea.    It faces west and the afternoon sun comes in the windows with a vengeance!

Neither is tea taken on the front porch whether iced or hot -- even though it is on the east side of the house and with the ceiling fan going, it is still too hot to sit outside!

So inside I must come . . . . 

The living room which faces east is cool in the afternoon.

A favorite wing chair, tea and a book.    A wonderful afternoon respite.

A book, tea and a nosh!

The tea taken iced on a plate with two madeleins for my afternoon nosh.

Madeleines go as well with iced tea as they do a pot of tea

The tea, not my favorite Luizianne/Harney's Cinnamon, but rather a black iced tea brew from Roasterie, Kansas City's coffee company.     The madeleines are orange rosemary made and taken to a "do" on Saturday.    A few saved back for my afternoon tea.    It's a Laura Calder recipe except I substituted orange zest for the lemon zest the recipe called for and added about a tablespoon of fresh rosemary.

The book, bought last weekend, Fannie's Last Supper.    From America's Test Kitchen, Chris Kimball about his experience with creating a multi-course Victorian dinner ala Fannie Farmer.

Blue and white, a plant and an oddity of Husband Jim's is a perfect tabletop

The tea and the book are temporary, but the abalone shell (a new purchase this weekend as well -- Husband Jim loves the unusual and he got it for a great price) and the topiary are not.     It's a myrtle topiary which badly needs a haircut.    It's in a hand thrown pot I brought home from England.    I bought it in April and it's August.       It's the longest I've ever had one!     I think I may have found the secret to growing myrtles -- water!    I keep it well watered and always some water in the saucer.    They're thirsty plants plus they are always in such small pots which may indicate the need for more than a normal amount of water.

It's Tuesday and I'm joining Marty at A Stroll Thru Life for Tabletop Tuesday and Sandi at Rose Chintz Cottage  for Tea Time Tuesday.