(My little sister, Melody, about four years ago)

I found a great word today - slubberdegullion. It means "wretched slob". It's not the meaning of the word that fascinates me, but just the fact that there is a word that contains "slubber". It makes me laugh every time I think about it.

I am happy to report that the quality of my life is much improved from my last blog post. Not "absolutely wonderful" yet, but it is at least "good" now.

Again, too hot for tea. Maybe I need to find a summer equivalent of and start a new blog! Tell me what you think:

The Lemonade Snob

The Popsicle Snob

The Otter Pop Snob

The Ben and Jerry's Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ice Cream Snob

The Frozen Chocolate Snob

The Ice Water Snob

Unfortunately, I do not feel knowledgeable about any of these topics to the extent that I would start a blog on them, or even write a blog post on them.

I am in the process of purging from my home a great deal of unnecessary. I have a large pile to donate to the local charity thrift sale (instead of throwing things away - imagine that!) My bedroom has for so long acted as a storage area that it's really the cancerous area in my apartment right now, and I am trying to spend time every day working on it. The other rooms have remained pretty clean this week.

In fact, the only reason I'm writing this post is to procrastinate. I didn't really have anything meaningful to say (obviously). Goodbye!

Stress and Organization

(Photo courtesy of www.openphoto.net)

Oh, my sanity.

Why, you ask, have I not updated this site?

To be honest, I haven't been very "tea" lately. If I were to express my thoughts and feelings and epiphanies I've had lately, they would probably look like this:

OH MY GOSH! WHY ARE PEOPLE SO STUPID?!?!? HAVE THEY ALWAYS BEEN LIKE THIS AND I HAVE NEVER NOTICED?!?!? WHAT IS WRONG WITH THE WORLD?!!! I NEED CHOCOLATE!!!!

As you may have guessed from the above unintelligable capitalized segment of my recent thoughts, I have been more than a little stressed lately.

And it has mostly been too hot for tea.

When you ask someone, "How are you?", what are the responses you most often receive? For me, I often hear "tired" and "busy". Everyone is always tired. Everyone is always busy. Because of this revelation, I have purposely avoided the use of those words in response to that question for years.

It's probably the pride in me, i.e. the rebel. Because it's not that I'm not tired and busy. Please examine the below short conversation and my thoughts:

Me, to friend. "How are you?"

Friend: "Ugh, tired and busy. How are you?"

Me, also tired and busy, but wanting to cheer up friend, or at least to make the exchange feel half positive: "Good! So, have you not been getting enough sleep? Do you have more homework than usual? What's going on?"

Because of this denial in myself, I am the last person to realize if I am stressed. Please let me know if you are the same way so that we can commiserate. theteasnob @ comcast . net

Well. I have had an extremely stressful week. I am happy to say that I am almost, if not fully recovered (which is a good place to be the day before Monday).

I don't have much else to say. I think I will bring a mug, a bit of milk, and some tea to work tomorrow. I desperately need this week to be better than last, and I am confident it will if I take steps to ensure I don't get too stressed.

Boundaries.

Another gorgeous and happy day. I hung my paintings, which look so stunning I cried (just a little bit, though!) I also bought a fern. My living room actually feels like a parlor, but not so stuffy.

I'm usually not one for decorating, which is why I've been here for nearly a year without attempting any kind of furniture rearranging, much less hanging pictures. I have always wanted (or at least I've said I've always wanted) my dwelling to be a safe place - a refuge - for others as well as myself. Without compromising my health and my sanity, I will give as much as I can to those in need of physical, emotional, or spiritual support. It just takes some natural intuition, lots of love, a good dose of Holy Spirit, and life experiences - and suddenly you'll find you often know a good thing to say or do.

I have been learning boundaries lately. Boundaries at work, in ministry, with neighbors, with good friends. When to say "no" and when to stay quiet. I guess I've messed up so much I'm learning what I need to do to protect my sanity, because regardless of what my overzealous conscience thinks, it's not my job to save the world.

For me, that's another kind of surrender. I can give God my life, but I want to take care of everyone else. It's just another thing I want to control, to fix - other people's problems. There are times when I have the opportunity to do that - to make someone a meal, to have a good talk, to let someone spend the night. And there are times when it is best to stop being involved. You know what they say - "You can't help everybody." Here's my response: "I'll help whomever I can. God will help everybody, be it through me or through his Holy Spirit, or through another human like me." It's putting them and their problems in God's hands.

This is not to say that when I see a need, I just ask God to take care of it and keep walking. I have to realize what I'm committing to before I take on a responsibility and make sure I'm up for that. It is so easy to burn out doing ministry, to become disillusioned and tired. And then you become a burden yourself. So you absolutely have to take really good care of yourself. And sometimes that means saying "no" or directing a person to someone else.

Side random thought: Whenever I can't think of what to do in a situation, I consider what my response would be to a friend presenting to me the same problem. Then I do whatever I would tell my friend to do. It works! Have you ever done this? It's always easier to give advice than to remember to follow it.

Control.

(These are my two-week old kittens!)

Today was wonderful for a lot of reasons! Enough sleep last night, first day of summer (and the sun was hot, for once!), latte and cinnamon roll and conversation for breakfast, the end of a productive week at work, and Friday, of course!

On Fridays at work, we skip our breaks and take an hour-long lunch, driving to some cheap food place, where we enjoy some time away from work, as well as each others' company. Today we went to Taco Bell, and after half an hour of stuffing our faces and laughing with/at each other, we were done eating. Three of us decided to visit a Japanese tea shop on the other side of the shopping lot. I had been aware of the presence of this shop since I'd moved here, but it said "bubble tea" underneath the sign, and I don't like bubble tea.

Well! The next half hour was restful and enjoyable and full of company of people I love. A gal named Martha sat us down in the tea ceremony chairs and made us small cups of tea. We chatted with her and with each other. The prices were reasonable and we each bought a bit. The experience, in the middle of a hectic workday, was like a breath of fresh air (or a cup of hot tea...).

Then back to work. We worked fast. We worked hard. We flew around like little bees. Then it was time to go home. And I went home. And I cleaned. And I did laundry. And I emptied cat litter (well, I lied about that - but I'm going to do it soon.) I organized. And I paid social time to my daily visiting drunk neighbor (she's very sweet, actually), and I gave my cats love so they would stop meowing at me.

And now I'm sitting here, wondering. Where did I lose sight of the pause in tea?

Sometimes I think I want control of every aspect of my life. In fact, most of the time I think I want control, because I am comfortable when I am in control. That is why I constantly clean and work and help people and be involved in ministries and relationships, because I want to control them, or at least how they affect me.

But I sometimes realize that I just cannot handle all that responsibility. It's usually after a major failure on my part. To deliver it into God's hands is to experience the worst humiliation, the shame of your humanity - and then the utmost relief as you realize you do not need control. And then you feel his love and know that you are his child, and he is actually happy to be taking this burden from you.

Here's what it's like. After a day at work, I am tense, and I have a headache. I come home to a sweltering apartment that smells like cat feces, because one has relieved himself on the floor, because the other one was beating him up. I can't find anything to clean it up with because the floors are completely covered with dirty clothes, dishes, and used Kleenex. I am hungry and grumpy but cannot calm myself down enough to pick something to eat. I have phone calls to make, emails to respond to, and projects to work on. I have zits all over my face and my hair is sticking straight up. I have two coworkers who told my boss that I am incompetent. I have dropped the ball on multiple responsibilities. My rent is five days past due. Moreover, the guy I like told someone he thinks I'm ugly as heck.

And then my best friend comes to my door. I tell her not to come in, because it's really messy. She grabs my hand and pulls me outside and gives me a hug. "Listen," she tells me. "I know you're having a hard day today, and you just want to fix everything. But you can't. Just trust me. Come with me. Let me help you."

We drive to her house, where she has set up a hammock in the yard. "Get in," she tells me. I start to protest, mentioning all the things I have to do. But I get in, and sag down into the hammock. It swings me gently. As I begin to relax, I am aware of the patches of sun on my face coming through the leaves. I am aware of the quiet, majestic swish as the wind rustles the branches. Air seems to be more revitalizing here. I am comforted. I didn't know how distracted I was until my friend brought me back to the way life should be.\

I don't have an ending for this word picture, because I didn't want it to seem "religious" (why is that considered such a bad word?). But the truth is, this continual surrendering to God is both the most difficult and the most wonderful thing we can do for ourselves. It keeps us fit to do the things we should do. And the best part is this: We can trust him! This is not a surrendering into thin air. This is not throwing away problems or responsibilities or control - this is giving them away. But how do you know you can trust him?

If you have experiences in your own life that you can remember when God has proved himself faithful, you can look back on those. If you have friends who might encourage you in this regard, you can ask them to share their testimonies in order to boost your faith. But no matter what your doubts are - no matter what you need to surrender to God, be it your family, pet, house, health, work, or even life - you are going to have to take a lot of risk. Until you reach a point where you can do that, you won't be able to experience the peace that comes from having your life in someone else's hands. Yes, it's scary. No, it's not "safe". But you'll never find peace until you do it.

My only caution is this: Don't do it unless you're sure you're really ready to. You can't do this halfway if you're going to do it.

From then on, it's continual surrendering. I think I know why we humans cannot seem to learn the lesson once and then have it always - because if we didn't keep falling, we wouldn't rely on Jesus.

Tea is surrendering. Tea is admitting that you can't handle life by yourself. Tea is saying, "Okay."

More Matcha Genmaicha

Image of Yixing teapot courtesy of T Ching.

I used my birthday money and splurged this week. I bought an entire pound of Matcha Genmaicha tea from T Ching, in addition to a Yixing teapot and 50 grams of "Moonlight Oolong", which I have not yet tasted because I have been too busy enjoying my teapot.

You can find more detailed information on Yixing teapots (like the correct pronunciation of "Yixing") by doing a simple Google search, so I'll just tell you that my pot is small, has a strainer at the spout so I don't have to use a separate infuser, and the inside is not glazed, which means it absorbs the flavor of the tea steeped in it. Therefore, it is very important to only steep one kind of tea in each teapot. So, my Yixing teapot is used for Matcha Genmaicha tea henceforth. Amen, and be it so.

I was a little disappointed with my first few cups of tea in my cool new teapot, and I wondered if I'd done something wrong. It didn't taste quite as good as when I brewed it in my plastic infuser, and I wondered if the clay was giving it a flavor I wasn't used to. Of course, the clay teapot made the tea more authentic, so I thought maybe "real" tea didn't taste as good!

But yesterday I went to Safeway with my gallon jug and refilled it with filtered water for 41 cents (which, by the way, is a convenient way of using up spare change, as 41 cents can be made up of one quarter, one dime, one nickel, and one penny.) I made the last few cups of tea for the day with filtered water, and oh, what a difference! I think the filtered water and the clay teapot together made the experience so much more enjoyable. The cup I'm drinking now (first infusion of the day) tastes mild, with none of the "green tea bite" or whatever is the technical term for that sour/bitter taste that comes when improperly making green tea or by making cheap green tea at all (*coughStashcough*). The cups I had last night with the last few infusions were actually sweet.

I'm still searching for my first willing "don't like tea" convert. I'm finding that most people who "don't like tea" really "don't want to try any more tea".

Oh! Another word about the Yixing teapot: I love the way it feels! Maybe it's just mine and not every Yixing pot, but after I pour out the tea, I like holding the hot clay in my hands. There is something so natural and therapeutic about it; it feels absolutely delightful.

Matcha Genmaicha

(Image of Matcha Genmaicha tea courtesy of T Ching)

I wasn't sure which tea to start with when ordering from my new favorite website, T Ching, so I went with the tea currently displayed on the store's home page. Its name? Matcha Genmaicha. Its description?

This is a traditional specialty tea created from the combination of sencha leaves and stems and roasted rice. The teas are made from quality sencha from the second harvest. The tea leaves are mixed with organic toasted rice (GENMAI) and fresh organic Matcha powder. In the cup - a heavenly green color with a delicious toasted, nutty flavor. A great transition tea for coffee drinkers and other newbies to premium whole leaf teas. You will love it.

Well. That describes me - I may not be a newbie to tea in general, but I am a newbie to premium whole leaf teas. So I ordered the smallest amount possible (of course - what if I don't like it?!) and it came today. Actually, it probably came a few days ago, but I have been very lazy about checking my mail lately.

I was a little nervous, I admit. After learning all these things about the proper way to brew tea, and probably lacking the best quality equipment and the purest water, what if I made it wrong and it tasted awful? Green tea has never been a favorite with me, but I was taking a chance here.

The packaging was a cardboard tube, and inside the tube was a small paper bag containing my tea. I smelled it. It smelled really bad. My fear grew. Would I have to admit that I disliked a certain premium whole leaf tea? I, who chides anyone who says "I don't like that tea" and tells them they're just not preparing it correctly?

There were basic instructions/recommendations on the back of the bag including how much tea to use for 8 ounces, the temperature of the water, and the steeping time.

I have never held a meat thermometer in my electric kettle as the water heats up, but I did today. As soon as it hit 165, I poured it into my mug to measure how much tea would fill up the mug and then I poured it from my mug into my "steeper". I don't really know what the proper name for it is - it's one of those nifty loose-tea-individual-cup things where the tea steeps, and then you put this contraption on top of your mug and the tea, minus leaves, comes out!

The instructions said to steep it for thirty seconds. So I counted by "one-one thousand, two-one thousand" till "thirty-one thousand" and hurriedly released the tea into my mug.

The tea was cloudy. It looked weird. I was prepared for the worst. I carried it over to my computer and opened Internet Explorer, then took a sip.

And I actually smiled, because it tasted really good. It was just the right temperature to take a sip big enough to warm all the way down, but not enough to scald. It tasted homey, comforting. I think it's the roasted rice that gives it that element. As I've written this, I've made two more infusions from the leaves. And this tea just plain makes me happy. (Note: I made 5 infusions. The last one was as clear as water, but still had the comforting, toasty taste.)

I'm guessing these 50 grams will last me a month, since you can make multiple infusions. After it's gone I'll buy something else random from T Ching. Check out the T Ching Blog or, if you're feeling greedy or covetous and want to feed your desire for things that are not yet yours, visit the T Ching Store.

Yes, this is blatant advertising. No, they are not paying me for this. No, I do not feel one bit of remorse. Go and have some tea!

Cleaning

(This is Pokey, my little cat that went missing last September. She loved to sleep in a clean sink.)

Here is how I clean: I invite somebody over. Then I take a nap, watch a movie, and goof around on the computer. Ten minutes before they are supposed to arrive, adrenaline starts pumping as I realize my company is going to see what a slob I really am. I make the apartment halfway presentable. When company comes, I apologize for "the mess" (even though it looks much better than it did before) and proceed to clean while talking to them.

That sums it up. Other than that, I get into crazy "cleaning moods" sometimes where I decide I absolutely must scrub the inside of the refridgerator or organize the TV stand or detail clean something more obscure. I vigorously clean and scrub that item, feeling as if I've accomplished something, while ignoring the dirty dishes stacked on the stove, cat litter on the bathroom floor, and twenty loads of laundry to do.

That is why you are not going to get a post today. I cannot justify writing about something as elegant and proper as tea when I am surrounded by unspeakable filth. Instead, I am going to continue cleaning. (Though, a cup of tea does make for an excellent reward for finishing goals! It is difficult, however, to make a cup of tea when there are no clean dishes.)

Raw Material

Image courtesy of John A. Adam.

"When a man who has been perverted from his youth and taught that cruelty is the right thing, does some tiny little kindness, or refrains from some cruelty that he might have committed,...he may, in God's eyes, be doing more than you and I would do if we gave up life itself for a friend.

"It is as well to put this the other way round. Some of us who seem quite nice people may, in fact, have made so little use of a good heredity and a good upbringing that we are really worse than those whom we regard as fiends...That is why Christians are told not to judge. We see only the results which a man's choices make out of his raw material. But God does not judge him on the raw material at all, but on what he has done with it."

C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity (in the chapter titled Morality and Psychoanalysis)

Upon reading these words, my first instinct is to think of some of the people I don't like very much and think of all the things that could have gone wrong in their upbringing to make them the way they are. I then congratulate myself for thus "excusing" them of their behavior. At the same time, if I can't seem to find a "reason" for their behavior, the temptation is to say, "Well, why couldn't they have turned out nicer/kinder/smarter/more patient/more loving?" (And of course, there's the inaudible "like me" at the end of that rhetorical question.)

The bottom line of course, is that not only does God judge what each individual has done with his raw material, but God is the only one who knows exactly what that raw material is. Example: A pastor's daughter who attends church, is involved in various ministries, has only Christian friends, is pursuing a Biblical education, and aspires to be a missionary may be viewed as someone who should be kinder than the average human being. Men enjoy her company, but as soon as she senses a relationship getting serious, she breaks it off abruptly. God is the only one who sees that it takes great courage for her to spend time in the company of men at all because she was molested.

Heck - I don't even know what my raw material is! I think I do, sometimes, but I learn new things about myself constantly, and I have no reason to suppose I am finished.

Now that I think about it, often times I don't even know what I'm doing with my raw material, whatever it is. I am not aware of my own output. I do not hear the things I say. I do not think how I could better use my time.

In any case, I want to return to a point I brought up earlier - that I try to find problems in peoples' past that will "excuse" them of their current behavior. First of all, just because someone is predisposed to a certain sin does not forgive them from it. Of ten sins, one man may struggle with one in particular and may find it easy to avoid the others. Another man may not struggle with that particular sin but has a difficult time with the others.

Second, it is not me who "excuses" behavior. God is the only one who can forgive sins. I can only forgive wrongs done against me. I can only love people. I do not need to find reasons to put them in my good graces - I only need to do it. The gossip and curiosity in me wants to know all the dirty problems people have gone through or are going through. There is no reason for me to know unless the person has another reason for sharing. My responsibility is only to love.

I'll leave you with this thought: "raw material" changes, for better or for worse. You can only do the best with what you have to work with, but "what you have to work with" will grow or diminish in time depending on the small choices you make every single day. So don't feel sorry for yourself for your lack of "raw material" - just keep building it up!

T Ching and Water Preparation

I recently stumbled across the first "teaworthy" site to deserve a place under my "links". T Ching is a tea blog/tea store/tea company maintained by multiple people who know what they're talking about, or at least look like they do. Browsing their posts is a pleasure, and motivates me to put at least some thought and effort into my work here.

Browsing their store, on the other hand, brings out the worst of my greediness. Would someone like to give me money for teas and tea accessories? I am in love!

I can't remember how I found their site, but the post that originally came up in my search was about Water Preparation for the perfect cup of tea.

I have told you before that I am not very deserving of the title "tea snob", and here I must confess that I thought the snobbiest tea snob would insist on filtered water, and nothing snobbier. How wrong I was! It's always somewhat freeing to learn something new - while humbling and sometimes embarrassing, it reminds me that I'm human and brings me down from any pedestals I had climbed onto.

The author of the post, Aaron, starts out by mentioning the two most obvious mistakes in tea water preparation, and they are both mistakes I make. I have admitted to you before that I do them for the sake of time, but now I feel ashamed:

"I have myself ruined countless teas, and been to so many tea shops and tea houses here in Asia where nice tea was ruined by either poor quality water or cheap, electric kettles."

Me and my tap hard water! And my Target electric kettle I was so proud of, that heats the water so quickly! I feel very un-tea!

"It is important to remember that even good quality mountain spring water will be influenced by the vessel used to heat it. Also, there is tremendous variation in the quality of heat sources available, from electric induction plates to oil or even charcoal. I have elsewhere gone through the different kinds of kettles in detail..."

Can you believe I've never seriously thought about these things? Sure, I can see starting with purified, distilled, or filtered water - but metal or plastic - I have never thought of this! Heat sources? I never thought it made a difference - true, I would only microwave tea water if there were no other options available, but oil? Charcoal? And different kinds of kettles - wow. (I looked for the "different kinds of kettles" post for a bit and couldn't find it - I'll let you know when I do!)

Aaron goes on to talk about various heat methods, including different types of charcoal, but stresses that the water needs to be heated quickly, however it is heated.

Here was one of the most fascinating pieces of the post, though:

"Some tea masters and I experimented in several ways when I first got the [silver] kettle. First we drank water from several kettles including glass, clay, etc. and found the silver induced water to be sweeter, softer and taste cleaner. We then had a session with a tea that is well known to all of us and found that the same tea was twice as good when brewed with this purified water. Also, we found that teas brewed with water from the silver teapot were more “patient” as the Chinese say, yielding almost twice as many steepings. I have even repeated these experiments using only water and people who don’t drink tea, with the same results. Even my elderly tai chi teacher could choose which cup had the water from the silver pot every single time, closing his eyes as we mixed them up. "

I want to say "I am now going to buy a silver pot", but I feel very low on the tea snob totem pole right now and I think I should make more of an effort to educate myself before I splurge on a big tea purchase. I am going to order a sampler of tea from this company and experiment with it. The items in their shop are relatively inexpensive, and you know that these people know tea. I emailed them for some details on a sampler and they responded right away.

I am planning on buying a faucet Brita filter. That's a step in the right direction, right? I don't like drinking my hard water very much anyway, and it leaves scum inside my tea kettle that can only be removed with multiple soakings in bleach. I know hard water is supposedly not unhealthy and mine doesn't taste unpleasant. I just want filtered water!

Before I buy a Brita faucet filter, please let me know if you have any recommendations for faucet water filters, or if you are a true tea snob who has experimented with different waters for teas, tell me what works for you!

If you see any more teaworthy sites, let me know! I think my IQ goes up a point for every hour I spent on a teaworthy site! Or at least my snobbiness.

Gordo: Member of the Family

Above: My two cats, Gordo and Jasmine (also known as Estupida, Stinky, Little Cat, Little, Dumb Head, Stupid Cat, Jazz, Jazzy, and Kitty)

Let me introduce you to the love of my life, Gordo. I prepare his food, pick his fleas, and sleep in his bed. Or he sleeps in mine; I'm not sure. And if he happens to be taking a nap on my stomach, well, I won't get up - not even if the phone rings or if my legs fall asleep.

Gordo is an old ugly cat I rescued from the animal shelter. He is fat, hence the name. He has no hair on the back of his legs or on his belly because he has licked it all off, and he has sores on the insides of his legs from biting them. His bare pink belly hangs almost to the ground sometimes. Even his butt is fat, and he likes to go around with his tail up high. The sight is not pretty, and you know that if he knew he looked like that, he would be very embarrassed.

Still, he'll eat anything - leftover green bean juice from my green beans, noodles and carrots left in my bowl after a bowl of soup, even chewed bits of tough asparagus I was unable to swallow. He's really sweet - very cuddly, easy to please, lethargic. Watching a sleeping cat will make the hardiest insomniac sleepy. He gets along well with my other cat. Generally, though, he doesn't get excited, and all he does is eat, sleep, and occasionally run away from the bully neighbor cats.

Today I splurged on a small catnip pillow I spotted at the grocery store. The package claimed the pillow contained "the world's most potent catnip". When I came into my door and Gordo greeted me, I said "Gordo, I have something for you" and he went crazy before I had even dug through my bags for it. He probably thought I had brought him was something to eat, because I haven't gotten him catnip in a while.

If you have never seen a cat on catnip, you are missing out.

He tore at the pillow with his teeth and his claws, drooling and growling. He rolled over and over as he tore at it, but occasionally paused to lick it vigorously. Sometimes he held the pillow between his paws and rubbed it all over his face; other times, he put the pillow on the floor and scooted it forward with his nose.

My other little cat came over to see what he was doing, and he paused to swipe at her (very out of character for him - just look at the photo!) and returned to his toy. She sat and stared at him, puzzled.

I stared too, though I felt slightly embarrassed. Here was my gentlemanly, serene cat on a drug I gave him, and it was making him behave in a very undignified manner! I wondered how it would end - would he ever find satisfaction? He was trying to get the stuff on his skin, trying to eat it, trying to smell it. He wasn't succeeding in ripping open the pillow.

Then, suddenly, his catnip-orgasm subsided. He laid down on the carpet, exhausted. Relieved to see him acting normally, my little cat thought he might want to play and sprightly leaped over him, but he ignored her.

I have so many questions. What was he trying to do to the poor catnip? It was like he couldn't figure out if it was a baby (licking), a food (drooling), a rival (biting), or something nice smelling, like body spray (rubbing it on himself, burying his nose in it). If he had succeeded in ripping open the pillow, would his satisfaction have come sooner?

Is it too shocking to compare catnip with sex?

I'll say no more, but think about it. You know it's true. Next time he goes crazy with the catnip, I just might step out of the room and give him some privacy.

And how does this post relate to tea?

Tea can be a great thing to drink before sex.

Actually, I wouldn't know that.

Let me try another avenue:

Catnip is a member of the mint family.

Some herbal infusions are made with mint.

Some mint herbal infusions are actually quite tasty, especially before bed - calming effect, and all.

I think I'll have a cup now.

Skipping

(Photo courtesy of http://www.dreamstime.com)

"It is a very silly idea that in reading a book you must never 'skip'. All sensible people skip freely when they come to a chapter which they find is going to be no use to them. In this chapter I am going to talk about something which may be helpful to some readers, but which may seem to others merely an unnecessary complication. If you are one of the second sort of readers, then I advise you not to bother about this chapter at all but to turn on to the next."

-C. S. Lewis, Mere Christianity

I'm not sure I agree with this. I like the principle, but I can't think of a situation where I would think it best to 'skip' - that is, where "I come to a chapter which I find is going to be of no use to me." How can you honestly know what the content of a chapter is unless you read it?

Of course, the title of the chapter may "give away" the content, or the author may say in the opening sentence, "In this chapter I am going to talk about..." But how do you know that the information contained in the chapter won't be helpful unless you read it?

Whenever I read anything, I mentally decide which material I am going to consider helpful and which I will read and dismiss or ignore (keepable and dismissable). And, of course, these will vary on the person - not everyone will place the same value on every piece of material they read! But I cannot dismiss or ignore material unless I read it first!

Even if I think I know what a chapter or a section is going to be "about", why would I skip it? Am I so certain it can contain no helpful information?

Others may be able to discern when it is best to skip and do it well, but I cannot. This is mainly because of my own lack of self-discipline. Sometimes I choose read books strictly for the learning, when it would be more "fun" to read a book that is written strictly for entertainment. Though I do enjoy the "learning" book, it takes more time and discipline to get through than the other sort of book. I don't skip because a) I don't want to miss a nugget of "keepable" material in the midst of a load of "dismissable" material, and b) if I do skip, it will be very hard to keep myself from skipping more and more, justifying as I go, but with the intent of getting to the "fun" book sooner.

I do skip sometimes, but I never say I have "read" a book that I have "skimmed".

Do you skip? Why? And how do you decide when to skip? I am not a very good reader and would like to know the secret!

Bubbles!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Image courtesy of John A. Adam. (Thank you!)

You may have guessed that I have a "Type-A" personality. I like things to be predictable, in order, and in a bulleted list. When something throws off my perceived "way things should be", it does not rest well with me.

I don't regard this as "just my personality", because though it can be a valuable thing to have in the sense of self-discipline and getting things done, it can get in the way of other things that, by nature, are not predictable and cannot be orderly. There are some aspects of this that I make conscious efforts to change.

Sometimes (this is my little secret) I do spontaneous things that are (gasp!) not on my list!

The other day I was rinsing off dishes before I put them in the dishwasher. One pan required a lot of scrubbing, and I poured in some dish soap to help with the job. Well! I put in way too much dish soap, and the bubbles instantly rose to the rim of the pan and began spilling out into the sink. I dumped the pan's water and refilled it - more bubbles! I dumped the water again, and this time I set the pan aside, for now I had a whole sink full of thousands of bubbles. They made a Rice Krispies sound as they popped slowly, but showed no signs of going down the drain.

I had my list of cleaning tasks. I had my estimated time it would take to complete them. My schedule was planned out, and though it included "fun" things, the "fun" was preplanned and would not come until I had completed other items on my list, and rightly so!

I spent the next half hour running a little stream of water from the faucet, coaxing the bubbles down the drain. I moved the faucet around in order to "help" the bubbles in the right direction. I filled my palm with water and drizzled it over some of the heavier bubbled areas.

No doubt I could have simply left the sink full of bubbles and they would have popped on their own. During that time I could have accomplished three other items on my list. But here is where I can happily say my priorities changed. I decided I needed to have some spontanaeity, some "fun" that seemed fun to me and probably wouldn't to anyone else.

I felt like I had accomplished something significant when the last bubble slipped down the drain. I had a silly grin on my face. This was my secret little source of joy for the day. This was me being a little kid.

If you're normally a "bulleted list" person, do something spontaneous today! Be a kid! Stop and smell the roses because you can! Dance! Sing! Go on a bike ride! If you're feeling especially adventurous, go on a walk and skip! It's sunny here today, and that probably accounts for my good mood. And I am going to sit on the step outside and eat ice cream!

Placeholder

(Photo courtesy of http://openphoto.net)

I have had a very interesting week, and I apologize for this blog's deadness.

Part of the reason I started this blog was because I was bored out of my mind not working due to illness.

The illness is leaving, and I return to work tomorrow, and now it's just a matter of entering life where I left it and trying not to get too overwhelmed.

"Write a blog post" has been on my "to-do" list every day, and I have had no shortage of inspiration. In fact, this last Sunday, my pastor's sermon was about "the tea-bag Christian", and he handed out Lipton tea bags to the entire congregation!

I am sorry, I am sorry, I am sorry. Here I meant not to make excuses for this week, but now I am.

Things you may hear about in the next week:

Quotes from and thoughts on that lovable genius, C. S. Lewis. I just finished reading Mere Christianity for the second time, and...wow.

More about the "tea-bag" Christian. That was a fantastic sermon. I should have taken notes, but it seems like I always miss some hilarious joke or fantastic point while I'm writing, so I never do.

Alright, I guess I need to throw something non-Christian in here. Wouldn't want to scare the heathens away...

I'm kidding!

Oh! I just finished Oscar Wilde's The Decay of Lying. It seemed absurd at first, but gradually it started to make sense. I don't believe it, but it is certainly an interesting view. Here's a hint: Does Art reflect Nature/Life, or do Nature/Life reflect Art? I will post on that very soon, perhaps tomorrow, while the material is still fresh in my mind. I was rather proud of myself for understanding it - but maybe I am only fooling myself, and Wilde intended a second, higher meaning to become visible to readers better than me. (Yes, it is "me" there, not "I".)

I've also been thinking about people lately, and I intend to notice them more. Their mannerisms, behaviors, personalities. Who they are. I have never made a conscious effort to do this. We'll see how it goes. I can't guarantee anything dynamic.

I apologize for this scattered, rambling post. It is midnight and I have not been able to sleep. I have had at least ten cups of tea today and it may be time for one more. Caffeine-free, of course. Perhaps peppermint.

I will at least leave you with a quote worth reading, since my words aren't:

"The Christian way is different: harder, and easier. Christ says, 'Give me All. I don't want so much of your time and so much of your money and so much of your work: I want You. I have not come to torment your natural self, but to kill it. No half-measures are any good. I don't want to cut off a branch here and a branch there, I want to have the whole tree down...Hand over the whole natural self, all the desires which you think innocent as well as the ones you think wicked - the whole outfit. I will give you a new self instead. In fact, I will give you Myself: my own will
shall become yours.'"

-C. S. Lewis, of course.

Small and Early

Image courtesy of http://www.planningtime.com/.
























I have only recently been able to enjoy poetry reading. It took the right sort of English class to learn how to study and enjoy some poems, and it took a determination on my part to seek out poetry that I enjoyed. Today I was searching for a poem about tea-drinking someone had sent me. I couldn't find it, but I found another delightful "tea" poem that makes me giggle. Here it is:

When Dorothy and I took tea, we sat upon the floor;
No matter how much tea I drank, she always gave me more;
Our table was the scarlet box in which her tea-set came;
Our guests, an armless one-eyed doll, a wooden horse gone lame.
She poured out nothing, very fast,—the tea-pot tipped on high,—
And in the bowl found sugar lumps unseen by my dull eye.
She added rich (pretended) cream—it seemed a wilful waste,
For though she overflowed the cup, it did not change the taste.
She asked, “Take milk?” or “Sugar?” and though I answered, “No,”
She put them in, and told me that I “must take it so!”
She ’d say “Another cup, Papa?” and I, “No, thank you, Ma’am,”
But then I had to take it—her courtesy was sham.
Still, being neither green, nor black, nor English-breakfast tea,
It did not give her guests the “nerves”—whatever those may be.
Though often I upset my cup, she only minded when
I would mistake the empty cups for those she ’d filled again.
She tasted my cup gingerly, for fear I ’d burn my tongue;
Indeed, she really hurt my pride—she made me feel so young.
I must have drunk some twoscore cups, and Dorothy sixteen,
Allowing only needful time to pour them, in between.
We stirred with massive pewter spoons, and sipped in courtly ease,
With all the ceremony of the stately Japanese.
At length she put the cups away. “Goodnight, Papa,” she said;
And I went to a real tea, and Dorothy to bed.

-Tudor Jenks

This will keep a smile on my face today. I have not been in a good mood today and am considering returning to bed. For those unaware, part of the reason I started this blog was to occupy my mind while I am on medical leave from work. I am sleeping most of the time, and the times I am awake I have little energy - but enough energy to be bored! Each blog entry takes 1-2 hours depending on length and research. Inevitably, I feel a bit better afterward. I would like to just complain, but I think that would make me feel worse. And the purpose of this blog is to lift spirits (including my own!). For me, it is serving its purpose.

Do you have a poem for me? Please email it to me, or provide a link: theteasnob at comcast dot net.

The Masculine Aspect of Tea

(This image courtesy of http://www.dreamstime.com/).

To some extent the idea of "tea" is widely considered feminine, and with good reason. Most men would probably not willingly accept an invitation to anything named a "tea party". "Tea" can conjure images of flowery "cute" tea pots, cups, and saucers; small tea spoons; light tea in delicately small china cups; ladies in dresses and floral hats; sunny outdoor luncheons with tiny cakes. (I apologize for the excessive semicolons. I have been very careful with my use of them lately, and I miss them!) It is understandable that there is, in fact, a "feminine" aspect to tea.

I don't think I need to expand on that aspect, because most of us are already aware of it.

This short post will be purely my own opinion. I have nothing to back my claims except my view on the subject. I may even, God forbid, ramble.

I misled you somewhat with the title of this post, because I do not think tea has a decidedly "masculine" aspect to it. I do believe it has a side that is not solely feminine. It can be a lacy decorative shawl (feminine) or a warm winter scarf (masculine/feminine).

It is this aspect of which I would like to convince the "too manly for tea". And I don't have many tools to "convince", because I know that if a man (or anyone, really) is determined not to like tea, for whatever reason, I can't change his mind.

Tea is not little cups, weak, or flowery. Tea is a hot strong mug of reviving strength. No, it's not coffee or beer. It's not strong in that way. In fact, tea can be humble in the sense that the flavors of some teas are delicate. The "strong" man guzzles beer or black coffee, not tea - right? He's the man who could rip down a brick wall with his bare hands. He's got black hair on his chest. He has a low, deep voice and a hearty guffaw. He swears loudly, and some people are afraid of him.

But the other type of "strong" man controls himself. He is slow to become angry. He will listen to you, and look at you while he listens, and when he speaks, he will be compassionate and thoughtful. He is respected by those around him. This is the "humble" kind of strong. This is the male tea drinker. I am not making this up - I am taking these traits from male tea drinkers in my acquaintance.

If you take pride in being the first man, the "black chest hair" man, notice the word "pride". Not that I'm not proud, or that I'm one to pass judgment on anyone else for being proud. I know because of being a proud woman that people enjoy my company better if I am humble, and I fail in that. But about men! I can't say too much about what type of man you ought to be, because I am not a man and I have stereotyped men terribly in this post.

So all I can say is this: I want to marry a tea-drinking man.

Invitation to Contribute / Tea and Circumstances

(Photo courtesy of http://www.dreamstime.com/).




Though I have no shortage of ideas for material to post, this blog will be a lot more interesting if you, "gentle reader", will participate!



I welcome submissions of the following:

• Tea photos, or "tea-inspired" photos


• Guest entries "in the spirit of tea"


• Comments, ideas, thoughts, challenges, questions, contradictions, disagreements, or love

If I use any material submitted to me on this blog, I will reference you and post a link to a website of your choice. If you do not want to be mentioned, or if you do not want me to use material that you send me, please let me know!

I am also looking for other websites that promote this "spirit of tea" idea - not necessarily tea-themed, but that promote the idea of gentleness and intelligence and well-being. If you have recommendations, I'd love to link to those websites.

Kindly send all words or photos to theteasnob {at} comcast {dot} net.

The first of every month I'd like to use to encourage reader participation. I won't be able to run forever on my own steam! If you enjoy this blog, please support it by sending me ideas/material/feedback/anything.

And now, our feature presentation:

Tea and Circumstances

This is one of those topics I keep meaning to write "just a paragraph" about in other posts, but the paragraph somehow grows and I have to end up deleting it before I get too far off the original topic!

The truth is, you will find that some teas just seem to taste better when you drink them in the morning, rather than at night. Some teas will soothe an upset stomach. Some will make you happy; others will put you to sleep. Part of learning to love tea is learning to know yourself.

Again, tea is not a set of rules. I would like to claim that black tea should only be consumed in the morning, but that's only because I like black tea in the morning, and at no other time of day. I also avoid black tea when I have an upset stomach. Certain teas are reviving purely because of the caffeine they contain, though for some reason green tea puts me to sleep!

Experiment. Get recommendations. Try different teas and different methods of preparation. Develop a library of your favorites. When you want a cup of tea, you will know from past experience which tea suits best your present circumstances - mood, time of day, life situations. It's like having a medicine cupboard of flowers. Drink up and savor.

English Breakfast

English Breakfast tea is my all-time favorite. It is always a black tea blend, and it is meant to be prepared with milk and sugar. Black tea rests best with me in the mornings (probably because of the caffeine!). And, really, there's just something about the name "English Breakfast" that says "If you're drinking this in the morning, you are doing the right thing."

The heart of any meal named an "English breakfast" is bacon and eggs. Yet, you'll find that no matter how you prepare a cup of English breakfast tea, it won't taste like bacon and eggs! Apparently, it was so named because it was/is specifically blended to go well with an English breakfast, and to be prepared in the style of the English. An entertaining, informative article on the subject can be read at Ask Mr. Breakfast.

Mr. Breakfast claims that "When blended with milk, [English Breakfast tea] produces a comforting aroma eerily similar to warm toast and honey." I can't say I've had that experience, but I am aware that different English Breakfast teas have slightly different tastes, and thus scents. Tea in general is a comforting thing, but moreso the English Breakfast tea. And it's all about the preparation:

Warm milk is a source of comfort and security for babies. I believe that the addition of milk to a warm cup of tea does something to soothe a person's deep unconscious by bringing him back to that day when milk could solve all problems.

Sugar is cheering. It makes you happy. It gives you energy. The tea doesn't have to actually be sweet - in fact, too much sugar will confuse your taste buds, and you won't get the full flavor of the tea itself!

So we have, in one cup, the following:

• Caffeine, to keep you awake for your responsibilities of the day.


• Warm milk, to calm your nerves and prepare you for your day.


• Sugar, to provide a bit of instant energy, a "spark" as you go in to work or as you begin your daily responsibilities.


• Tea, to hydrate and refresh you, to give you that five minutes of breathing time before you rush off to work (or to clean the house, or make breakfast for the kids)

I think you'll agree that this is a pretty amazing combination to have in one cup. This is really what you need to start your day, every day! Here are some very basic instructions for the new English Breakfast tea-drinker.

• Water temperature: Boiling! Not boiled, not almost-boiling. Really, really hot.


• Use a regular size mug or tea cup - nothing too big for this first cup, so the proportions of milk and sugar won't be off.


• Put an English Breakfast tea bag into the mug and pour the boiling water over it, leaving about an inch of space at the top of the mug.


• Let it steep at least 4 minutes. It shouldn't get too bitter, and the sugar and milk will help any over-steeping that happens, so don't be afraid to make it dark!


• Remove the tea bag. Stir in 1-2 teaspoons of sugar. I like less sugar; others like more. If you are using a smaller tea cup, I would definitely go with less sugar. You can always add more later if you think it needs it!


• Milk: This is a toughie for me. I don't actually know how much milk I pour in! Generally I pour in milk until the tea is the "right" color, but that is subjective. I did about two minutes of internet research and couldn't find a lot of opinions. So experiment. Pour in enough milk for the level of liquid to rise about 1 centimeter. Swirl it with a spoon and take a sip.

At this point, consider the strength of the tea, the sweetness, and the taste of the milk. If you aren't enjoying the taste, there are a few things to keep in mind:

• I prefer some brands of English Breakfast tea over others. Stash is the kind I drink most often. It might be worth it to experiment with different brands, though I haven't done a lot of experimenting myself. I found one I liked and stuck with it!


• If you are new to tea, feel free to overdo the sugar and the milk. In fact, English Breakfast might be one of the most friendly teas for new drinkers.


• I use real sugar. Here I'm going to be a snob and say you should too! If you are diabetic or cannot consume sugar for health reasons, I have no recommendations for you - would you experiment and let me know if there is still a way to enjoy this tea? Of course, some people forego the sweetner altogether, and I think if the milk were done right it would still be a satisfying cup.


• I use whole milk. Not cream. Not skim. 2% I have used before with only mildly disappointing results. Here my snobbishness comes through again - please, please use whole milk! You have to be able to taste it in the tea!

Order Stash English Breakfast Tea online!

Please tell me about your experience with English Breakfast tea, and if you have any additional comments (especially if you are a bigger snob than me!) - theteasnob at comcast.net.

Day of Rest

(Photo courtesy of http://www.openphoto.net/)












Here's a Sunday morning prayer that comes to mind:

Give ear to my words, O LORD, consider my meditation.

Hearken unto the voice of my cry, my King, and my God: for unto thee will I
pray.

My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O LORD; in the morning will I
direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up.

Psalm 5:1-3, KJV

I'm not much one for commenting on self-explanatory biblical passages. And I'm taking a day off today. Just enjoy this poetry with some tea and smile.

"Cheap Tea" and Freedom

(This image courtesy of http://www.dreamstime.com/.)









In my claim to be a "tea snob", I realize some would scoff at assigning me that title. I regularly commit atrocities true tea aficionados would be horrified to see. For example:

• I use tea bags most of the time, as opposed to loose-leaf tea. Why? Tea bags do tend to contain a lower quality tea. In the processing of tea, the larger pieces of leaf are reserved for "higher grade" loose leaf tea, and the smaller pieces that are sifted out are stuffed into "tea bags". I usually can't afford loose-leaf, and when I want a cup of tea I don't have time to prepare loose leaf. I argue that there are many good teas in tea bags - not all, but there are many. The key to enjoying "cheap" tea is knowing how to prepare it. More on this later.


• I am not a purist. I firmly believe that some types of tea are best with milk, or sugar, or both. Not all, but some. If you want a cup of tea, you shouldn't feel guilty for drinking it with milk because that suits your taste better! You'll still receive all the benefits.


• I drink herbal. I still can't bring myself to call it "herbal tea", because there are no true teas in herbal infusions. And I am extremely picky about which herbals I will consume, but I do drink them.


• I make tea with tap water - unfiltered, unpurified, undistilled.


• I use an electric plug-in kettle instead of a stovetop kettle. Here is one area I rather regret, because it is so pleasant to pour water from a metal kettle and to hear it whistle when it is hot, but it takes much more time and electricity to heat water on a stovetop.

That said, I believe the key to enjoying "cheap" brand-name tea lies in experimentation. In my experience, many people that "don't like" tea have tried some random dollar-store bag, plunked it into warm water, and declared it "disgusting". But they have failed to take into account quite a few things:

• How long should the tea have been steeped for to bring out the right amount of flavor for the proportionate amount of water, and for that particular type of tea?


• Should this tea have been tried with milk? Sugar? Both? (Personally, I never take lemon in my tea, but I would try it if I thought it would bring out the taste!)


• What should the temperature of the water have been for the kind of tea it was?


• How much tea was contained in the bag? If there was a lot of tea, it should not have been steeped for very long. If there was not very much tea, it may have required a very long steeping time.

Of course, it is possible to make a great cup of tea without doing anything special, and it is possible to experiment various ways and find that there is nothing that can make a particular type of tea worth consuming.

Bottom line: Do whatever works for you. Tea is not a set of rules. Buy the cheap stuff. Experiment. Find out which teas you like, stock up, share them with friends. Develop a "library" of your favorite teas in your cupboard for every mood or time of day. Tea isn't about what the snobs say is "good" or not - it's about what you like, what you enjoy.

So enjoy!

The Solitary Tea

(Photo courtesy of http://www.openphoto.net/).

Tea should be taken in solitude.

-C.S. Lewis

In my last post, I emphasized the power of tea in a social setting, and I have a great deal more to say on that subject later, as "social tea" relates to old English and Japanese culture, and also to the modern social benefits of tea. C. S. Lewis is one of my all-time favorite authors, and this quote of his surprised me at first. After all, he was English - didn't he realize the social importance of tea?

After doing a bit of research (I confess, I originally found the quote with a Google search) I found the context for the quote. And, of course, as an Englishman, Lewis was not referring to tea as a beverage but as a meal, as is common in England (and other countries!). Not only that, but he was telling about a specific instance, and not even claiming that meals should be eaten solitarily. So I tricked you a bit and gave you this quote that had nothing to do with the beverage at all! But I would like to talk about solitude today, because it's something I have been thinking about.

First, a few definitions (and forgive me, I hate quoting dictionaries verbatim because it sounds so official, but these came from http://www.dictionary.com/):

alone: isolated from others.

solitary: without companions.

"Alone" reminds me of the single man (or woman) who is unhappy with his current single state. "Alone" makes me think "abandoned". "Alone" is negative and sad, a state you want to avoid, and when others describe themselves as "alone" with sad eyes, you feel genuinely sorry for them.

"Solitary", however, reminds me of the man (or woman) who walks confidently, head held high. He enjoys social interaction, but he does not require the good opinion of others in order to remain confident. He makes his own decisions. He is happy with himself.

Now, I may be stretching things, but "alone" makes me think of using time by yourself to wish you were with people, and "solitary" to use time by yourself to the best advantage.

Of course, "the best advantage" will be different per person, per day, per priority. For one person, a period of 1 hour "solitary" time will best be spent on a work project (bettering a career). For another, cleaning the house might be the best option (bettering a living situation). For another, reading a classic novel (bettering the mind) or cooking a healthy meal (bettering the body) or praying (bettering the spirit) are the best options. And obviously, at some time, each of these should be a priority, and many others I haven't mentioned.

Think about it, now - if you pray with a friend, don't you end up talking and bonding with your friend? Don't you better your relationship? If you work on a project with a coworker, don't you share a meal or a drink? If you clean a house with a friend, don't you watch a movie with your friend and enjoy yourselves together?

Here's my point: You have to enjoy your own company if you are going to be able to use solitary time to its full advantage. It's okay to want to be really productive and get stuff done, but you have to have time in there for you to be with you. If you do this, you will be more productive in your "solitary work" times.

And, of course, that's the whole spirit of tea - it's something you do that's just for you. Imagine this:

You gently slip a tea bag into the steaming water and watch the color flow from the bag to the surrounding liquid. The aroma wafts up, and you close your eyes and breathe it in. You carry the mug to your favorite chair, and your hands are happy with the warmth of the mug. You sit there for a moment, with the beautiful tea in your hands, and contemplative thoughts come to you. Finally, you sip - and the flavor rolls over your tongue, and you feel the heat drop down your throat and warm your insides. And you say "ah..."

But this moment isn't about the tea. When you make a cup of tea, you won't be thinking these things. When you drink the cup of tea, you won't be mentally singing tea's praises as you sip and sip again. That's the beauty of tea. It creates the moment, but it doesn't steal the moment. It gives beauty to whatever topic is on your mind.

When you simply sit in a chair and think, your thoughts will wander to whatever topics have, lately, been on the forefront of your mind. Unless something spectacular has happened lately, you will most likely be thinking about a problem to solve and you will be worried, or angry (oh, excuse me - frustrated.) And I'm claiming that a cup of tea will at least bring a spirit of calm to these thoughts. At worst, you will feel more ready to tackle the day. At best, you will have an epiphany and come up with a solution.

This is the benefit of a solitary cup of tea. It is best to have one every day. In fact, right now I am Doctor Tea Snob with a prescription for you: Sometime today, make time to have a cup of tea alone. Lock yourself in the bathroom if you have to. It's okay if you want to read while you drink your tea or play a computer game, but you will enjoy the moment most if you just sit and think.

Do this, and if you have any interesting thoughts after completing this exercise, please send me an email and let me know about your experience! theteasnob at comcast.net.

What is a "tea snob"?

(Photo courtesy of http://www.openphoto.net/).

Welcome to the blog of Amber, the self-proclaimed "snob" of all things "tea". Others have described me as twenty, egotistical, well-read, attractive, Christian, intelligent, curly-haired, a grammatical stickler, "full-of-it", an English buff, female, attractive, a good writer, proud, generous, too skinny, somewhat witty, a jerk, tall, a bibliophile, narcissistic - and, as if to sum up all these qualities, a "tea drinker", whatever that means. And they may be right.

You have seen this, haven't you? True tea aficionados tend to have certain personality types. I do not know whether it is the personalities that give them the passion for tea or the tea gives them those distinct personalities, but somehow, the idea of "tea" brings across certain ideas.

If I may attempt a more poetic ramble, here are a few offhand ideas I get from "tea":

• A flower garden


• Deep contemplation


• A good book


• Bonding with a friend


• Calming dessert

And, perhaps my favorite:

• A hot bath for your insides.

The idea of "tea" is synonymous with beauty, tranquility, relaxation, mind enrichment, social enrichment, gentleness, doing good to self, and all-around well-being. Tea is a spiritual experience.

There is so much I want to say, but this post was intended as an introduction. What will this blog be about? It will have topics of tea, of course, but it will also discuss "tea" arts, people, and life. I know this is vague. I have an idea in my mind, and I can't explain it in words. I can only explain it by bringing the idea to fruition.

The purpose of this blog is to be an enriching, enlightening cup-of-tea for the mind. It should make you feel better, smarter, more confident. It should give you that gentle nudge to go read a classic novel, be nice to yourself, brush up on your spelling, make a new friend - and, of course, to go make a cup of tea!

I would welcome posting contributions to this blog, thoughts, or photos of tea images or tea-inspired images. Please leave information in the comments section or email me: theteasnob at comcast.net.