Engagement Story and Mark Twain

My engagement ring against the grass at the Mark Twain house

My husband and I became officially engaged in Rocky Hill, CT.  I say officially because it wasn't a surprise and we were effectively planning the wedding before a proposal took place.  I helped pick out the ring and in order to save thousands of dollars in taxes, we had it mailed to my friend in CT.  We stopped by her house to pick up the ring and then continued on.  We had a lovely dinner at the Saybrook Fish House in Rocky Hill and then returned to the hotel where my husband gifted me with my engagement ring.  I surprised him with a Cartier watch for his engagement gift.  He knew he was getting the watch and had picked it out but it was a surprise that he got it that night.   As you can tell, we're very practical people.  It works well for both of us.

The next morning, we stopped in Hartford to see Mark Twain's house that has been converted into a museum.  Although we had randomly chosen to stop there, I would recommend it as a great place to visit.   The house would be considered a Victorian mansion even by today's standards.  Louis Comfort Tiffany supervised the interior decoration and one of the earliest telephones was installed in the entrance hall.  Mark Twain resided there from 1874 to 1891 and during this time he wrote The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Huck Finn, and The Prince and Pauper - three excellent reads.  Hartford was a publishing center back then and many authors lived there, including Harriet Beecher Stowe who lived next door.

Below are select Twain quotes.

 "A man cannot be comfortable without his own approval."

 "The lack of money is the root of all evil."

  "Always respect your superiors...if you have any."

  "Travel is fatal to prejudice."

Mark Twain said of Hartford: "Of all the beautiful towns it has been my fortune to see, this is the chief... You do not know what beauty is if you have not been here."  And he was right.  I have wonderful memories of Hartford.

Mother to Son

In 11th grade, I developed an interest in poetry. I admired the works of several poets - Poe, Wilde, Frost, Neruda, and Dickinson. I wrote a few pieces and even won honorable mention in a poetry contest. And that was the end of that. I still appreciate poetry, though, even if I have not written a poem since then.

The title of this post is from Langston Hughes' work and I'm borrowing it in honor of my son's upcoming first birthday.  Hughes writes from the perspective of a mother speaking to her son about life's hardships by using the appropriate metaphor of life as a climb up a staircase.  There are many difficulties and struggles in life, but it is important to keep going and move beyond these obstacles and keep living life.  The moral is that life is tough, but you shouldn't avoid it.  I can't think of a more important lesson for a mother to impart upon her son.

Mother to Son

by: Langston Hughes

Well, son, I'll tell you

Life for me ain't been no crystal stair.

It's had tacks in it,

And splinters,

And boards torn up,

And places with no carpet on the floor --

Bare.

But all the time

I'se been a-climbin' on,

And reachin' landin's,

And turnin' corners,

And sometimes goin' in the dark

Where there ain't been no light.

So boy, don't you turn back.

Don't you set down on the steps

'Cause you finds it's kinder hard.

Don't you fall now --

For I'se still goin', honey,

I'se still climbin',

And life for me ain't been no crystal stair.

Chaa for the Indian Mother's Soul

I prefer tea to coffee, more specifically Indian masala tea called chaa.  It's a cultural thing.  As India is a former British colony, a hot cup of tea is important to the Indian way of life.  Families in India drink it twice a day - in the morning and at afternoon tea time.  When guests arrive, they are offered tea as soon as they walk through the front door and it is not uncommon for young children to drink tea.  It's odd to do a post on tea and it's difficult to explain, but chaa has been a substantial part of my life.  My mom taught me how to make it when I was young and I would make it whenever guests visited.   Although I've gone through many caffeine eschewing phases during my life, it comes to my mind again because when my mom stayed with us after my son was born, I got back into the tea drinking habit.   Now, it's become one of my morning rituals to put on a pot of tea while I sleepily play with my son. 

Though recipes and styles vary from family to family, making a good Indian masala tea is not difficult at all.  The predominant tastes in the tea are cardamom, a staple in Indian cooking, and ginger.  A popular Indian tea brand is Red Label although I prefer Tetley (my family is British influenced in many ways).  Tea masala (a blend of ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, peppercorns, and nutmeg) is found in Indian grocery stores.  If you're more industrious than I am and want a truer Indian experience, substitute the tea masala with the core ingredients of fresh  ginger, cinnamon sticks, and cardamom powder.  Also, use a strong loose-leaf black tea such as Assam rather than tea bags for a fuller flavor.

Chaa Recipe

Ingredients :

• Tea masala
• Tetley tea bags -British Blend (my personal choice)
  
• Sugar

Preparation (makes 2 cups of tea):

1. Pour 1 cup water into a stainless steel pot and bring to a boil.
2. When boiling, add 2 tea bags, 1/4 teaspoon tea masala, and 2-3 teaspoons sugar.
   
3. After about 3-4 minutes, add 1 cup milk.  The liquid mix will turn pale beige in color.
4. Bring to a boil again and just as the liquid is rising to the top of the pot, switch off the heat. Pour through strainer and serve hot.