A few years ago, my wife, children and I put together a family Christmas album as a gift to our families, complete with original songs, popular covers, and literature readings by my daughter and young sons. Heavily inspired my musicians such as Branches out of California, Sleeping at Last, and The Muppets Christmas with John Denver, we covered songs such as Go Tell It On the Mountain, We Wish You a Merry Christmas, and I Saw Three Ships. I distinctly remember pushing this project off to the last minute and having to snag any free moment to pull someone up to the attic room to record their part for the songs. It features the vocals of the entire family, my daughter on violin, my eldest on guitar, and my second eldest on cello, not to mention the handful of percussion instruments played by everyone on the album.
This Christmas, may I offer you Afternoon Tea, one of the two original songs that appeared on the album. May you take time to pause with those you love to simply sit together by the tree sipping your favorite cup of herbal tea as you look out your windows at a world in the beauty of its seasonal slumber. Admittedly, that’s one thing I’m loving about the new “observatory” we put on to our house this summer. With ten windows in all, our back room is a cozy place to sit on the couch with a cup of tea (or coffee) and look out over the backyard down rolling down to the creek, especially after a fresh snow like we’ve had here the past two days, and just be still.
I have my cup of Yogi Soothing Caramel Bedtime tea in my hands, doctored with stevia and whole milk. Sit back, turn off the lights, and come share a drink with me!
Afternoon Tea
Vincent H. Anastasi – 2015
Come share a drink a with me
of afternoon winter tea
it calms me down
it calms me down
Outside the snow lies deep
I’m drifting now into sleep
it calms me down
it calms me down
And still there’s plenty more to do
but I will steep some tea for two –
Afternoon tea
Clouds of the richest cream
unfurl under herbal steams
it calms me down
it calms me down
Outside the sun’s setting slow
the warmth of the tea let’s me go
it calms me down it calms me down
And still there’s plenty more to do
but I will steep this time with you –
Afternoon tea
Still there’s plenty more to do
but I will steep some time for two –
Afternoon tea
the deepening ground 