While I was in Boston, we had some free time to shop at Harvard Square. I stopped in at Tealuxe, which bills itself as a tea bar and cafe. The place had a wonderful atmosphere. According to their website, they came into existence on Harvard Square only in 1996, but it has the feel of a place that has occupied the same space for ages — creaky wooden floors, tables too close together, shelves of tea and tea-making implements. I’ve had better tea, but to be honest, I tried the Earl Grey, and after perusing their menu of teas online, it sounds like I should have been more adventurous. I also didn’t wait long enough for it to brew. I couldn’t find the milk anywhere, and frankly, I don’t think that’s something you should have to ask for with tea. Sugar and various sweeteners were provided, however.

I love a good cup of tea. Every time I go to the Georgia Renaissance Festival, I have to stop in for a pot of tea at the Peacock Tearoom. To be honest, the service is usually anywhere from mediocre to horrible. Sometimes it takes forever to get noticed, and you don’t get your tea any too quickly either. But their scones and clotted cream are pretty good.

I’m tearoom deprived. Evan showed up while I was at Tealuxe and informed me that I had found his old hangout (he used to live in Boston and taught at Gann Academy). I asked him later if he could recommend a good place for tea in Atlanta. He recommended Teavana in Lenox and some place in Little Five Points. Well, I wanted something closer the the atmosphere in Tealuxe, so Teavana being ensconced in an upscale mall wasn’t exactly going to do it (though they do have a great selection of teas and good service, or at least the one in the Mall of Georgia did). And whenever am I going to be able to go to Little Five Points?

There is a tearoom in downtown Roswell, Mittie’s Restaurant and Tearoom, within walking distance from my house. I decided to try to find out more about it, and lo and behold, I discovered TeaMap. If you are looking for a good tearoom near you, you can enter your zip code and peruse the results. I found out that Mittie’s has universally bad reviews, so I won’t waste my time. However, the tearoom I pass daily on my way to work, The Farmhouse Tea Shoppe (though I confess I don’t remember that being the name, but I may not have been paying attention) has good reviews, and Tea Leaves and Thyme in Woodstock has great reviews. Vintage Tea in Alpharetta also looks like a good place to try. Actually, I found out there are quite a few good prospects nearby.

Hmmm… I sense in my future a weekly me-time spent trying out these various tearooms, reflecting over my week. I think a weekly pot of good tea could really change my outlook. I should live in England. I really should. Do my fellow Georgians have any recommendations?

I just paid for my People subscription and was sent an acknowledgment reply addressed to “Mr. Huff.” That bugged me. I know I have a unisex name, and it does happen occasionally, but that doesn’t mean it makes me happy.

I’m feeling down right now for lots of reaons. The kicker is that I actually had a great day. The core of the English department went over to one of our “feeder” schools and met with Language Arts teachers from that school. It was invigorating and productive. And I got to hear about what a good teacher I am from the parents of my students (several parents teach there). That’s always a great thing. I appreciated the compliments. Sometimes I feel like I’m not doing what I need to do, and it’s refreshing to see otherwise. I don’t know. What am I getting at? I just like to hear I’m doing a good job sometimes, and that was nice to hear. Actually, if I didn’t think I could do an important job like this, I probably shouldn’t be, right?

I guess it’s just nice to feel special — like you have an impact. Why don’t I enjoy that more? Try to hang on to it? Why do I have to figure out a way to balance that out by immediately figuring out a way to feel bad about myself? It’s very weird. I need to stop it.

My daughter Sarah has Hatfield lineage. I find nowadays I have to explain who the Hatfields and the McCoys were when I teach, say, Romeo and Juliet or Huck Finn, and happen to mention them as being similar to the Montagues and Capulets or Grangerfords and Shepherdsons.

Actually, the truth is that I find the whole saga fascinating. If you want to learn more, try these sources:

• Hatfield-McCoy Feud; Roseanna: Juliet of the Mountains
• Life Magazine Visits the Hatfields and McCoys
• The Hatfields and McCoys
• Hatfields and McCoys (Genealogy)

And most of all, read the young adult novel The Coffin Quilt, by Ann Rinaldi. It’s a wonderful book.

I wrote a short story, something I’m considering submitting to the school’s faculty edition of the literary magazine. It is based on the plotline of a dream I had last night. This is just the first draft. Tell me what you think, but be sort of gentle about it.
Continue reading “Oh, That Smile” →

When I was in second grade, I moved to Colorado. Overall, it didn’t start off well. I discovered that I was a real geek. A lot of the kids were mean to me that year. My dad left my mom under very painful circumstances (they reunited later). I really liked this girl in Ms. Bryant’s class — I was in Miss Johnson’s — and I wanted to be friends with her. I couldn’t tell you why anymore. Maybe you can just chalk it up to a feeling that we’d get along. Bless her, she didn’t want to be seen with Dana the Dork, so she wasn’t too keen to start a friendship.

In third grade, when we were both in Mrs. Elliott’s class (she’s one of the best teachers ever), things were different. I don’t know why the kids relented. I can only recall being teased in second grade and not being teased much after that (until middle school, but that’s another story). So I became friends with this girl. We played games at recess. We had several things in common that to my nine-year-old mind seemed uncanny. Our names both started with D. We both had weird last names. We both had sisters (oh, that one there is really freaky — too coincidental!). We were both short. And we both sucked at P.E., often competing to see who would be picked absolutely last versus next to last. I don’t think we cared after a certain point.

Before long, we were best friends. I would say inseparable. I had some difficult times as a kid, and she helped me through those times. It is so rare and so special to have a best friend. The losing of a friend like that leaves a hole that no other friend can really fill. Darcy and I were best friends from 3rd to 9th grade (I moved over the summer between 8th and 9th). We were not so good at maintaining closeness over the miles. We tried to stay in touch, but after a time, years might pass before we would contact each other. In the case of our last correspondence, it was four years. I haven’t actually seen her in about 10 years.

We have been writing over the last few days, and I feel like I have received the gift of my best friend. I missed her so much, and I am so glad to have her back in my life. She knows all my secrets, and she still loves me.

This isn’t coming off as eloquently as I’d like, but I just wanted to say in front of everyone that I’m glad you’re back in my life again, Darcy. Let’s not let years pass ever again, and we have to figure out a way to visit sometime soon(ish). We might be going to Colorado this summer…