The Wandering Bark

When I was little, it was often my grandmother who got my sister and I ready for school; my parents leaving the house at the ungodly hour of 6:30 or 7 to commute into the city.  I remember those frigid winter mornings, where I could smell my mother's perfume intermingled with the light fumes of the exhaust as the car warmed up in the driveway.  Granny would bathe us, and make us little bowls of porridge decorated with illustrations of Peter Rabbit.  I liked my cereal extra thick with an inordinate amount of brown sugar, and a square of butter.  And of course we'd get tea.  My Granny is from British Guyana, and in the 1950's immigrated to London.  Needless to say, my sister and I grew up with enough tea, mince pies, and Princess Diana paraphernalia to last a short lifetime.  Anyway, once in a blue moon I'd get a surprise.  Sometimes I got tea in a very unassuming, porcelain cup.  I remember drinking up my English Breakfast and nearly sputtering in fright to find a little green, porcelain frog staring back up at me.  Fright turned into quick giggles of relief and I would look forward to getting tea served in that mug-though I never quite knew when it would happen.

Funnily, I found these!  Reminiscent of my grandmother's, these sweet teacups made by Russet and Empire are perfect if you're in the mood to surprise a guest, or unsuspecting friend.  Pretty cute, huh?