I was watching Downton Abby the other night. I was thinking about the grandmother that is played by Maggie Smith. I have watched the show since the first season and something about her character was familiar. I could not put a finger on it until this week. She reminds me of my Aunty May. My Aunty May came from Brighton England around 1909. She lived to be a 107 years old and was about 16 when she immigrated to the United States with her parents and siblings. I didn't know my grandparents, they passed on many years before I was born, But my Aunty May was like a grandparent to me. She was VERY English. Very proper and stuffy in some ways and always called me "Ducky". Really she did. But she was also wise and kind beyond words and took on the roll of parent and grandparent when her brother was gone. My Aunty May lived until I was in my thirties. she was born around 1893. When I think about it, the history she was a witness to is astounding. From horse and carriage to men on the moon and beyond. I guess starting a little tea company has a bit of nostalgia for me. I learned how to make a proper pot of tea from her and I think the sharing of that knowledge is as much a pleasure and the drinking of tea is itself.