I understand the biology but really sleep is so odd. Dark comes – we get tired. We all sleep at the same time even the birds even the animals. Our dogs. We all crawl into our safe corners and sleep. Except the nocturnal ones I suppose- but what if people were nocturnal. How different would we be. Bigger eyes maybe. Would we even need lights to see by?! Maybe our houses would be designed to have windowless light free bedrooms for sleeping in the daylight.
Or if we never needed sleep at all and our lives only lasted 30 years. How different would we be. How much more precious would our lives be. And with no sleep at all. No bedrooms. No shutting of the eyes. I think we would have a lot of break out rooms full of quiet.
Early morning ducks just want to GET OUT!!
If only I had the camera aimed slightly higher this would have been the money shot. But capturing the image of the ducks flying out of their bedroom AND opening said bedroom door at the same time leaves a lot to luck.
Did you see the newly hatched chicks in the header? Here is a close up.
One day old. Yes! MORE chicks!!
In New Zealand we drink a lot of tea. If someone comes to your house you ask them if they would like a cup of tea or coffee. Anytime of the day not just in the morning. It would be dreadfully rude not to offer a cup of tea. When I lived in New Zealand people dropped in all the time for a cuppa. But now I live in Illinois. People do not just drop in here. Maybe it is because I am out in the country or maybe a cultural thing or maybe I have few friends but I miss people unexpectedly dropping in for a cup of tea and a natter.
Over the years I have stopped being prepared for people to drop in – now I wear horrible clothes and don’t do my hair for entire days on the weekend.
Anyway – back to tea. Not fancy tea. Just gumboot tea. Or builders tea.
When there is no one to share a pot of tea with. ( the last 15 years) I make my tea using a tea bag. When I use a tea pot I always put the milk in my cup first. But when I use a tea bag I put the milk in the cup last so the hot water hits the teabag first. And I am a very impatient person so while I wait for the kettle to boil I grab the mug and the teabag and the milk so everything is ready.
At this point my impatience goes one step further as I wait for the kettle to boil (too long). I watch myself put the teabag in the mug, then pour a little milk over the dry tea bag, (horrors) – return the milk to the fridge and return to watching water boil. I know that my gentle-self wants that perfect cup of tea (milk last) but my inner impatient self must go fast, must not waste movements, must have everything ( the milk) put back where it belongs ( in the fridge) so I can take my hot tea straight to the table and sit down sooner. I literally watch myself make an inferior cuppa so I can go faster to my chosen space to relax for a minute before leaping to the next task.
And I laugh at myself who I know so well!
I open Our Tiny Flour Shop at the mill at 9am on Saturday mornings. So I am at the mill baking bread in the toaster oven. Today’s loaf will be Red Fife, Black Emmer and our High Protein Bread Flour.
Have a lovely day!
So how do you like your tea!!
miss c
The Kitchen's Garden 
44 responses to “SLEEP IS FUNNY”
I drink black tea made with tea leaves in a scalded pot with water at a rolling boil. No tea bags for me. I put milk in it, usually after I have poured it into my tea cup (no mugs — mugs are for coffee, cocoa or soup) because I judge the amount of milk by the color. My favorites are Assam and Ceylon. If I want a sweet tea I’ll make homemade chai, or drink iced tea with simple syrup.
That sounds wonderful! A real tea drinker! You are blessed with patience I think! My grandma drank her tea from a cup with a saucer but when we were kids we all drank our tea out of Mugs like peasants – she was appalled.
What fun to come on late and find how everyone partakes of ‘coffee, tea and me’ !! Especially during this forever lockdown era I seem to have a rather ordained pattern . . . a huge, strong mug of black coffee in the morning, a few glasses of usually dry white wine with my main-meal lunch, a big glass of milk with supper and a few cups of green tea during evening activities . . .enjoyable for me and rather healthy to boot ! One stevia tablet in the coffee mug, no sweetener in the tea and very definitely no milk in either. Yes, here in the country during ‘normal;’ times there are always people behind the door – well, my first offer is always wine whatever the time of day – 30 years in the business world saw to that – but I do keep decent tea on the ready . . . . some do prefer sugar but hardly anyone I know asks for milk 🙂 !! So, horses for courses . . . someone mentioned that they found coffee in Europe too strong – I believe that as most Australians have big problems with the coffee in the States which here (truly sorry!) is known as ‘dishwater’ !! Starbucks came and opened a chain of shops all but a few of which have had to be closed . . . here baristas learn their craft at almost university level ! Oh . . . just love your duck photo . . .
I miss the cafes of home with that good strong coffee. Down here there are no cafes. Going out for a cup of coffee is just not in the culture. You buy coffee in a paper cup and take it with you. I can get good coffee up in Chicago though.
There was so much here to think about today that I got lost on your Facebook page and looking for your instagram pictures and the rabbit hole swallowed me whole! So here I am for a second try. I would have been first had I not gone wandering. Sweet baby chicks. Always precious. People in Oregon don’t seem to drop in either. It’s left me a bit lazy about dressing up and keeping as tidy as before. In Calif, you made an appt to see someone or have them come by. Here pretty much the same. In Tenn when we lived in apartments, the neighbors all dropped in and kept an eye out for al the children. I miss friendly neighbors.
My daughter is the tea drinker. I grew up in Germany having coffee and milk in the afternoons with cookies. Beer for dinner. Yes, as a child that was how it went. Bread (nice chewy rye) was delivered hot to our door in the mornings with a bag of sourdough rolls for our breakfast. I do miss it. Everything changes. Sleep is something I have little experience with these days. My children, sister and most of the people around me are night people. I’m an early to bed, godaweful early to rise. I’m all alone in the world at 4:00 in the morning. Nice! Everyone else misses the best part of the day. 😉 Hugs
You are not alone! I get up at 4am too! I LOVE the concept of hot bread delivered! Especially a good rye. I don’t suppose you have an old recipe lying about do you – I have yet to really focus on rye.
I was never good at bread so no recipes. I’ve never found a bread like they made in Germany. Hoping to get back there soon. If I’m lucky enough to find one, I’ll forward it to you. 😉
Is your air bnb still going? I often think that if I ever made it to the states we’d book a night (or six!) on the far my … so one day I may well drop by for a cuppa! 💞
I sleep in the Airbnb now. I love this room.
With milk and sugar- I like the strong English Breakfast tea. Your photos are delightful- thanks for sharing them and have a lovely week!
Strong, with milk and too much sugar.