I love the idea of teatime. My ex -- a Brit -- said that his grandfather always carried a thermos of tea with him, and no matter where he was at 4 p.m. he would stop and partake of a cup. For a while when my son was still in grade school, after the bus would drop him home, we'd have teatime. He'd have milk or hot chocolate and we sometimes added board games to our version. It was what is called "quality time," catching up on each other's day, and a transitioning time from daily activities to the dinner hour. I loved how making dinner was no longer a rushed chore, since we'd already had a little snack and I didn't feel that push to hurry up and get food on the table.

It was a feeling similar to this that inspired Anna, the seventh duchess of Bedford, to create teatime. She wanted something to stave "that sinking feeling" between the early lunch and the late dinner of Victorian times. At first, she indulged alone in her private quarters, but soon invited a few girlfriends in. From there it grew, moving into the parlor, and eventually included men.

Long tables arranged in pinwheel fashion, each covered with a floral cloth, set with floral china tea cups and dessert plates rimmed with gold, and a centerpiece of daffodils, greeted the attendees of  "An Evening Tea" presented by Pittsford Community Library. Patricia Drumwright, the founder of the Rochester-based Bedford Circle Tea Society, led us on an amusing romp through the plant, the beverage, and the foods of teatime.

There is much more to tea than I thought. From one species, and three subspecies, come more than 3000 varieties. White and green are the least processed, with oolong mid-way and black the most. Herbal teas, unless they are actual tealeaves infused with flavor, are not teas at all, but herbal infusions.

Americans serendipitously invented the teabag! Enclosing the tealeaves in silk bags for shipping, some of the purchasers knew to cut the bag and empty the contents. Some others thought, "How clever!" and put the whole pouch into the teapot.

Speaking of teapots, next month the society will be exhibiting teapots at the Brighton Library. Check the calendar in May for details.

Next up: Goodbye to Mordecai