I can hear Ms Bean snoring at the foot of the stairs. Our pup has bad hips. She stopped climbing the stairs to sit on my mountain-view chaise, dutifully watching me write, last year. She knows her limitations, and although she’s not that old in doggy years, she’s made a few adaptations in order to continue living the good life. Adaptability, a very Darwinian trait.
While cleaning out and sorting through our unfinished basement last month, we came across an unopened box. “No,” I said to Bob, “absolutely not!” Up until that point I had been perfectly adaptable. It seemed like a fine plan to toss or donate whatever had survived the journey from NJ to VA without being opened and inspected. Why cart a bunch of packed boxes around with us forever?
But this box was filled with teapots. I don’t know why, and I wouldn’t call it a collection exactly, but I’ve always loved teapots.
There’s the red Chinese pot with a bamboo handle my first room mate in college gave me. There’s the aubergine art nouveau teapot I found at the Monmouth Art Show. And there are no words to describe the delicate, pale yellow Belleek teapot from Ireland, with its tiny, iridescent shell feet. One of the few treasures I have from my Nana is a small porcelain tea leaf strainer and saucer. Which is why Great Grandma Ada’s expression is so apropos this morning.
hak mir nisht keyn tshaynik
stop bothering me, leave me alone
It literally means don’t bang a teakettle at me; don’t hammer on a teapot.
This morning I had to turn off the news. This news junkie has had enough of Donald Trump. What does he mean, how do you feel about him, is this the final nail in his coffin? My head is spinning from too much teapot banging Trumpisms. I wish the media would leave him alone already!
My adaptability strategy? I’m going to a Christmas Concert at the Catholic School. Hopefully, tea will be served! Here is my antique doll cupboard with what else for the Love Bug, a porcelain tea set! 
MountainMornings 
That’s one of my mother’s favorite expressions. Really too bad how the language is dying out. My father is fluent- doesn’t have anyone to talk with anymore and is very disappointed that my sons, as religious as they are, haven’t learned any Yiddish, only Hebrew. As for teapots– love them and love I’m a Litlte Teapot- have a picture somewhere of my mother singing and acting it out for my sons.. then maybe 2 and 4, now 30 and 28.
It’s too bad the language is dying out. Ada is the youngest of 3 sisters and misses the opportunity to speak also. We need to record them don’t you think? My attempts do not do it justice.
Sent from my iPhone
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