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On Tea

8/8/2013

 
Ahh...tea.  
I drink it.
I bathe in it.
I'm obsessed with it.
If I haven't had a cup of tea then it is a bad day indeed.  

I didn't come from a family of tea drinkers, didn't have teddy 
bear tea parties as a kid.  I didn't get the pleasure of meeting any 
Brits or learn the wonderful custom of taking tea just because until 
much later in life.  So what do I owe this decades long passionate love affair to? 
PictureThank you for the tea mania, Captain
Captain Jean-Luc Picard.  Yes my geeky love of 
Star Trek turned me on to tea.  

Earl Grey.  Hot.

When they wrote that into the show I'm guessing they didn't expect to 
inspire the next generation of tea drinkers but I'm sure I'm not the only 
one who started down the way of tea because of our love of Star Trek: 
The Next Generation.  I was fascinated by the way Picard ordered this tea and what was this Earl Grey?  I had to find out.



I remember going to the library to search for the answer.  Keep in mind this was pre-computer late 80s, so 
going to the library meant searching through the card catalogue.  Needless to say it took a little while for me 
to find a book about tea and for the life of me I don't remember what book it was.  I do remember I used my 
own money when I finally found it in one of the 3 local grocery stores I went to.  I even saved it until the next schedule airing of the show.  Being from the US South...most tea is little more than highly sweetened brown 
water so this was like nothing I'd ever had before so I read the directions so I would know exactly how to brew it.  

As soon as I opened the box I could smell the bergamot.  
Heady.  
Tangy. 
Intoxicating. 

At my first sip, my eyes rolled back and closed with the pleasure of the warm liquid in my mouth. 
I was hooked and I wanted more.

Picture
A few more years would pass before a friend took me to a charming 
English Tea house, my first of many afternoon teas.  

It was there I discovered how golden amber streams of tea swirling in delicate china combined with a mixture of savory and sweet delicacies 
to entice the senses while allowing conversation to flow like a river flows 
to the vast ocean. 

I drank deeply of the connections made that day. I've taken the
lessons of tea with me everywhere making oceans of tea to celebrate,
to comfort, to warm, to heal, and to soothe.  To be alone with my thoughts, or to connect heart to heart with new friends and old, tea and tea parties have become the essence of who I am.

That's the spirit I try to bring into writing on my Leaves of Wisdom blog and in my newsletter.  

Effy link
8/8/2013 05:57:57 am

My hubinator is all about the tea, and in fact, I bought him a cup with "Tea, Earl Gray, Hot" printed on it because GEEKERY! :D I am a coffee person, but I do get tea lovers. <3

Karen Stewart
8/8/2013 06:39:07 am

I love hearing the story of tea in your life. I have enjoyed afternoon teas, and they are all the things you mention. Tealightful!

mel link
8/8/2013 06:52:56 am

oh. my. goddess.

you are speaking my language. and Captain Picard? *swoon*. the fact that he always ordered tea made him even more swoon-worthy, i believe.

ah,the ritual of tea....i could spend hours talking about that...the family connections (i am a Brit so tea runs in my blood), the memories and associations....

thank you for this...

xo

Sheila Heichel link
8/8/2013 06:59:44 am

Ok Dionne no stealing my man! This is so funny because I am like you in that I never drank tea until I fell in love with Jean-Luc. I know always have iced tea in my fridge, usually in a couple flavors. I love drinking hot tea instead of coffee, Blackberry~Sage is my favorite but I love trying new flavors. Back when my granddaughter was eight I gave her her first Tea Party~Birthday Party. I went to thrift stores and bought a vintage old dress, shoes, hand bag, hat and beads for each of the little girls, which I place in a gift bag for each of them. Oh what memories of that day! That was a lot of years ago now and that was my oldest granddaughter (I only have two granddaughters) and in January my youngest granddaughter will be turning eight and I'm going to do a repeat birthday party for her as well. However, this time all the girls will be in homemade tutu's, yeap that's right, it's going to be a fairy princess tea party. I'll make sure to blog about it and post lots of pics. I love that we have this common thread,,,,,

Deborah Weber link
8/8/2013 07:13:05 am

Oh how fun - what a delight to learn how you "found" tea!

Dawn Zichko link
8/8/2013 08:52:06 am

Oh thank you for sharing your love of tea! It is an excellent sorority.

Julia Vazquez link
8/8/2013 10:43:59 am

I love tea also, but I learned about tea with my grandmothers and my mom. It is just wonderful to have that cup of hot tea in your hands and that smell is just the perfect invitation to a peaceful moment.
Hugs,
Julia

Wendy Juhl link
8/8/2013 12:10:18 pm

I love too. My favorite is chai, but I like many varieties, the more exotic the better. What are your favorites? Wendy

cynthia lee link
8/8/2013 09:19:27 pm

oh ... when my kids were younger, we had teatime everyday. Of course, they were usually drinking hot chocolate or just chocolate milk. This week, I went thrift shopping with my 26 yod and she was looking for a cup and saucer for tea time ... yes, actually tea this time.

We have a wonderful local tea company here that sells the loose tea and all the "stuff" to go with it ... in the Mall ... in SOUTH CAROLINA! wow. gives me hope.


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    Blessings!

    I'm Dionne, a Natural Rhythms Creation Coach and Elemental Forces of Creation Oracle Reader.  I teach people how to tune into to the power of the elements and rhythms of nature to design a life they love 

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