Friday, October 16, 2015

The Ties that Bind


From time to time, certain things from my childhood come together to create a catalyst of memories that overwhelm the present, forging a seamless bond between then and now.  One such catalyst is Russian tea and the chill of fall weather. 

When I was little, snuggled in the single-wide trailer that we called home, my mother would usher the fall season in with steaming mugs of Russian tea.  She and I were the only ones in our family that liked the gland-puckering flavor of this fall favorite, but we looked forward to it with great anticipation.  Even now, just the spicy scent of Russian tea can transport me back to that cozy living room high in the mountains, and flood me with warm memories of the love and family of childhood.

Russian tea has become a fall tradition in my household as well.  My children look forward to it as I did as a child and often share an afternoon mug with me on particularly blustery fall days.  We'll gather in the living room with the fire crackling on the hearth and read a chapter or two of our current read-aloud book, hands encircling warm mugs of liquid memories.


Not only does Russian tea remind me of my childhood, it also remind me of the ties that bind.  I think of my cozy childhood, safe and protected in my parents home, but I also think of the extended family that enjoyed the sweet hospitality and fellowship offered by my parents in their humble abode.  I think of my aunts and uncles, my cousins and grandparents.  I remember my aunts, fingers entwined around thick mugs of tea, laughing with my mom around our kitchen table, as my dad and the uncles engaged in one quirky adventure after another.  I remember the cousins playing board games on the floor in front of the wood stove after coming in from exploring the vast wilderness in sub zero weather.  Russian tea in the fall brings with it all of the shared history of a lifetime of family.

For the Aunts
Today I prepared a big batch of Russian tea.  This batch wasn't for me - I had already made my fall supply - it was for my mother, my grandmother, and for the aunts.  I made Russian tea so that we could all remember.  You see, one of my aunts left this earth last Sunday.  We are gathering, my parents, grandmother, the aunts and uncles and cousins, tomorrow, to say goodbye.  And we are gathering to remember.  So, I thought, how better to remember than with Russian tea and the chill of fall weather. 

These truly are the ties that bind.

9 comments:

  1. Sorry for your loss.

    I would like to know how you make, the recipe, for Russian tea, if you are willing to share it.

    Peace,
    Todd

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  2. Found it on your site. Should have looked first.

    Peace,
    Todd

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  3. May your shared memories be sweet and may you all remember the love that was shared.
    Deborah

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  4. It's been many years since my aunts have been gone, but I still have warm memories of family times together. "God gave us memory that we might have roses in December" - and families forever.
    God bless.

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  5. I too, am sorry for your loss. Coming from a small family I only had two uncles and two aunts. My husband had seventeen. I have been blessed to know them all. Natokadn

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  6. Enola,

    I would love to try your recipe. I have one question, I'm not a big fan of heavy clove. Do you think cutting the clove down to a 1/4 teaspoon will be alright?

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    1. Sandy;
      Yes, I think that would be perfectly fine! I, too, was a little leery of that much clove, but truthfully, I don't even taste it. It seems to blend quite nicely with the other flavors. You'll have to let me know what you think! I do have a hard time finding unsweetened tea, so I have substituted sweetened ice tea mix and just reduced the sugar. I have also used sweetened lemon iced tea and left out the Kool-Aid lemonade. Just play with it until you get the flavors you like!

      Enola

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  7. My daughter and I also shared Russian tea as she grew up. In her retirement years my mother finally slowed down enough to join us.

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  8. My mother used to make Russian tea, and I still make her recipe. I think of her every time I have a cup.

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