The cost of clutter. And, a Walmart fail.

Last week I discovered my teapot had broken.  I picked it up to clean the counter and it had a huge crack in it. Then it practically broke apart in my hands.

It wasn't a special teapot, nor my only one.  But it's the one we use most because it's the right size for our family when we all want tea.  It was (I thought) sturdy and it was easy to hold.  The spout did not drip as so many do.

I think it got cracked when someone (maybe me, maybe another family member) tried to cram one more thing on the counter it sits on and bashed it against the wall.   It's a counter I'm constantly fighting to keep clean.

Today we are all feeling a little sickly and it's a little cold so we need tea.  A warm drink is in order but coffee sounds terrible.  I had to to go Walmart anyway for a few things so I looked for a new teapot.  Couldn't find one.  I saw the tea kettles but no pots.  I asked the Walmart associate in the area where the teapots were; she looked at me like I was an idiot but then smiled and happily led me to the teakettles.  I said "no, I am looking for a teapot, not a kettle."  She looked at me again and said "teapot?"  Very slowly as if to be sure.  I said "yes, after you heat the water in the kettle you pour it into the pot with your tea."  She just shook her head.  I wondered what she was thinking as she walked away from me.  She was very polite.  I can't fault her behavior toward her customer.  I tried not to act stunned that a person working in a department store wouldn't know what a teapot is.  Or why a department store wouldn't carry one.

 

One of my teapots is this cute little elephant. It was a Christmas gift that my kids picked out for me when we were at the Stash Tea Store near Portland.  They have many, many beautiful pots!  I could linger in that store for a long time.  I bought it and pretended I forgot it when Christmas came. They played along nicely. It's a nice pot but a little small. My girl and I use it mostly for herbal or spicy teas that no one else likes.

This pretty pot was a gift from a friend.  A little fragile for daily use in my house.

Now you know what a teapot is.  Tell me about your favorite one.  And take good care of it, because being without the proper pot on a tea day is not a good thing.