Mary Martin Somers' Colonial Tea House is a place to relax and get away from the hassle

During the long winter months at Clinton, Ma, U.S.A. it's a good idea to treat the icy streets with due respect, but if you need a breather from the stress of a hard day's work the place to rest your weary body and mind is an equisite Colonial Tea House whose owner is sure to greet you with a warm smile and a tea pot wrapped in a finely decorated covering cloth.

Mary Martin Somers was fixing a tasty cup of exotic genseng tea--just one of a list of tantalizing blends of black, red, green and herbal teas--when the curious writer-visitor put words to his thoughts:

"Hi! This is a great place! What do you think about doing an interview for Jaquemate about drinking tea on a cold winter day?"

"I'd love to," she said, setting the cloth covered tea pot on the table. But before chatting the visitor slowly allowed the hot brew to surge through his blood vessels.

"So how did you get into the world of tea houses?"

"Well, I had always been interested in the idea of setting up a tea hourse but had been working at as an executive..."

"An executive?"

"Yea, in a company, doing accounting and that kind of thing. Working in corporate world means long hours away from your home and family and, to tell the truth, it's like being in a cubicle. You can't be creative in a cubicle and I wanted to be creative."

"So you gave it up."

"The business hassle is like living in a box."

"Sounds like that song by Pete Seager: 'Little boxes, little boxes..."

"Ha! Ha! I don't remember that."

"Perhaps that reflects my age!"

"Maybe. Ha! Ha! Anyway, I just got this feeling it would be great to do something different and that was when the idea of the tea house appeared. I wanted to create an environment warm enough so people could relax, feel at ease and get away from the daily hassle--no computers, no junk food--a place just to be or to read or talk with friends, relatives or your couple."

"You sure have a taste for decoration!"

"The decoration had to mesh with the idea of the relaxed environment I wanted to create, although there were certain difficulties such as the size of the windows. My intention was to develop an inviting atmosphere, not flowery, not a replica of those all-alike places, not frilly--that's for another market."

"What about your clients? Who are they? I mean there seems to be a greater abundance of pubs in the town..."

"Actually, there are a lot of companies in the area, banks too, and then women especially like tea houses."

"So the gentle ladies are your most faithful clients."

"Perhaps. But on weekends we get couples, young people, groups that come to relax and have a good time enjoying tea and our other specialties."

"For example?"

"Well, if you come in early you might want to try our morning platter--fresh baked muffins, scones, croissants, butter, jelly and a choice of tea..."

"My mouth is already drooling! Ah...tell me something: do you brew your own teas?"

"Some, but mostly we buy from venders, some of whom travel around the world to bring back exotic blends. I am always on the look out for fresh new blends."

"O.K.Hold on to your chair. Here comes a question with a tag attached: what is the secret for making a good cup of tea?"

"It has to do with the time you brew it and also the tea maker should know the properties of the tea he or she is brewing. The English tend to like their tea strong. But you don't make tea stronger by leaving the leaves in longer. A good tea takes from 3 to 5 minutes to brew."

"Would it be correct to say that tea making has to do with the quality of the water and the tea leaves? And then maybe we need to be educated in the art of tea drinking..."

"That's very true! There are some people who drink tea as if it were coffee."

"Might I ask just one more question: what effect has the tea house had on your life style"

"Quite a bit, I would say. The relaxed atmosphere helps people free themselves from hassles, and it helps me too. It allows me to be creative, to serve others, to help them, to help make them happy."

After that chat, with the warm genseng tea glowing inside, somehow the sub-zero weather outside seemed almost Spring-like.

The Colonial Tea House is at 

180 Church street, Clinton, Ma. 01510. 

Phone: [phone]

Web: colonialteahouse.com

e-mail: [e-mail]

(To be continued!)