Picture the Beauty 23

Day 23 - Afternoon tea by candlelight

Today's beauty was a lovely afternoon tea by candlelight (it was dark by 3.50pm) with delightful company and crockery. Seeing as the tea was with my polymath friend Simone, the chat ranged from the nature writer and closet panentheistic theologian Richard Jefferies to hand-knitted sweaters based on a seamless Scottish design from the 19th Century. 

Staying with the Scottish theme I was then treated to haggis at the home of the warden and his family and entertained by a fellow guest from Cuba playing the piano. Some fig, almond and raw chocolate truffles dipped in green and blacks chocolate were made for the two occasions.

Delightful crockery:

...with truffles in the background

Delightful guest:

This day has also involved a bit of delayed gratification in terms of beautiful things. On Saturday evening I was given some wonderful smelling vanilla tea - not sure whether to drink it or just to keep it to be sniffed - and a lovely home-made Christmas pot-pourri. As neither were wrapped I didn't have the dilemma of to open or not to open. Last night, however, I was given a beautifully wrapped gift, many hours have passed and I have still not opened it, it just looks at me tantalisingly... my mother would be amazed at the self-control displayed by yours truly.