Tea Blog

Tea is the perfect accompaniment for many pastimes. Uh, wait, I mean many pastimes are the perfect accompaniment for tea. You need something to do between sips other than say “Aaahhhhhh!!” The other night, hubby and I filled in those “sip gaps” with a game of “Mille Bornes.”

Years ago (as in “during my childhood” so we’re talking lots of years), I played this version of the French card game with friends. It could get rather heated. The goal was to get to “mille bornes” (one thousand miles) first. You have to get a “Roll!” card first, lay it down, and then start putting down mileage cards (25, 50, 75, 100, and 200); you can be halted by hazards along the way such as “Flat Tire” and “Stop” cards. And you have to be careful not to overshoot your goal of one thousand miles, so count those miles with precision.

Considering how heated those games could get, I hesitated to introduce hubby to “Mille Bornes.” But, hey, what’s life without some risks? And, not having that original game set, I almost gave up on the idea. Then, by chance, I came across the game in the local Barnes & Noble store. Opportunity knocked. I answered. Now to see how this all works out.

The first step when introducing a spouse to something special from your childhood is to set the right mood. In this case, that meant steeping a wonderful pot of tea, baking up the perfect batch of Sticky Fingers scones, setting the table and lighting a few candles, and then putting on your most innocent … uh … facial expression.

“Oh, hubby dearest, tea is ready!”

In he walked like a fly into my web. Bwahahaha!

The rest of the evening was filled with teacups clanking, mouths chomping, cards being shuffled, and cries of “Hey, not fair!” (when one of us laid a “Speed Limit” or “Accident” etc. card on the other) and “Mille Bornes!” (when one of us reached that thousand mile mark). About midway through, hubby graciously got up to fix a fresh pot of tea. He also let me have the last scone, richly topped with jam and clotted cream. Yum! And then he tried to hog that box of Walkers Shortbread all to himself. No way!

This is just another example of how everything goes better with tea, whether it’s a book, a movie, or a heated card game. Something to keep in mind!

See more of A.C. Cargill’s articles here.

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