"I Break for Tea!"

There has been a lot of chatting lately on Afternoon Tea Across America (an on-line tea chat group) about an "I Break for Tea!" bumber sticker, and we now have one available!  Due to a very limited initial supply, we haven't posted these on the Wild Orchid Teas web site yet, and they are only available here.  To order just call Elaine at 866-TEA-LADY (832-5239) during our posted hours: Tues/Weds/Thur 10am-5pm, Fri/Sat 10am-4pm EST.  Cost is $7.95 + $2.95 S/H. 

AND...for a limited time, and only for the first 20 orders, we will include a *FREE* coordinated magnet with Eleanor Roosevelt's famous (and our favorite) quote: "A woman is like a teabag...you never know how strong she is until she gets into hot water." 



The Tea Cup Story

One day a middle aged couple came into the shop and when they saw the tables at the front of the shop, asked quietly if they could sit and have a cup of tea.  I said, "Of course--have a seat and I'll bring you a menu.", in my normally cheery voice.  They sat, ordered tea and scones, and said how much they appreciated this opportunity for respite from their weary travels.  I didn't probe, but garnered that they were here in town because of a family illness or possibly even for a funeral.

 

They chatted softly with each other over their tea and within their time there, seemed a bit more relaxed by the time they had finished.  As they got up to leave, they said how appreciative they were for the opportunity to relax and refresh in our serene environment, and said that this Tea Cup Story, which is in one of the pages of our menu, had deeply touched them and was so comforting to them at this juncture in their lives.

 

I love what I can bring to my community through the sharing of tea.  I make very little money doing what I do, but this, fellow tea-lovers, is what it is all about. On this particular day, I was richly rewarded.

The Tea Cup

There was a couple who used to go to England to shop in a beautiful antique store. This trip was to celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary. They both liked antiques and pottery, and especially teacups. Spotting an exceptional cup, they asked, "May we see that? We've never seen a cup quite so beautiful." 

As the lady handed it to them, the teacup suddenly spoke. It said: "I have not always been a teacup. There was a time when I was just a lump of clay. A potter took me and rolled me pounded and patted me over and over and I yelled out, ‘Don't do that! I don't like it! Let me alone!’ but he only smiled and gently said, "Not yet!!" 

"Then, WHAM! I was placed on a spinning wheel and suddenly I was spun around and around and around. He spun me and poked and prodded and bent me into a shape he liked. 'Stop it! I'm getting so dizzy! I'm going to be sick!' I screamed. But the potter only nodded and said quietly, “Not yet.” 

”Then he put me in the oven. I never felt such heat. I yelled and knocked and pounded at the door. ‘Help! Get me out of here!’ I could see him through the opening and I could read his lips as he shook his head from side to side, “Not yet.” 

"When I thought I couldn't bear it another minute, the door opened. He carefully took me out and put me on the shelf, and I began to cool. Oh, that felt so good! ‘Ah, this is much better,’ I thought. But, after I cooled he picked me up and he brushed and painted me all over. The fumes were horrible. I thought I would gag. ‘Oh, please, Stop it, Stop it!!’ I cried. He only shook his head and said, “Not yet!” 

“Then suddenly he put me back in to the oven. Only it was not like the first one. This was twice as hot and I just knew I would suffocate. I begged. I pleaded. I screamed. I cried. I was convinced I would never make it. I was ready to give up. Just then the door opened and he took me out and again placed me on the shelf, where I cooled and waited… and waited, wondering ‘What's he going to do to me next?’

“A few hours later he handed me a mirror and said “Look at yourself.” And I did. 
“I thought, ‘That's not me; that couldn't be me! It's beautiful. I…I…I'm beautiful!’ I said.”

Quietly he spoke: "I want you to remember…” Then he said, “I know it hurt to be rolled and pounded and patted, but had I just left you alone, you'd have dried up. You'd still be nothing more than a lump of clay. 

“I know it made you dizzy to spin around on the wheel, but that is what has given you your magnificent symmetry. 

“I know it hurt and it was hot and disagreeable in the oven, but if I hadn't put you there, you would have cracked and crumbled. 

”I know the fumes were bad when I brushed and painted you all over, but if I hadn't done that, you would not have had any color in your life. And if I hadn't put you back in the second oven, your colors wouldn't have become so bright and beautiful.  ”Now you are a finished product. Now you are what I had in mind when I first began with you." 

So when life seems hard, and you are being pounded and patted and pushed almost beyond endurance; when your world seems to be spinning out of control; when you feel like you are in a fiery furnace of trials; when life seems to "stink", try this.... Brew a cup of your favorite tea in your prettiest tea cup, sit down and think on this story and then, have a little talk with the Potter.
(author unknown)

Love a Local Business!

Help us win a $25,000 or $50,000 Hiring Grant!

Vote (you can only vote once) for us and tell your friends who are also fans of tea and our shop.  Search for Elaine's Tea Shoppe with Toledo, OH as the location.  We need as many votes as possible in this voting period: October 1-December 3, 2010. 

This economy has been brutal on all businesses, but especially on the very small businesses.  I can no longer afford to hire any employees, and if I get sick, I have to close the shop!  That's no way to live!  So, help us earn a Hiring Grant through Intuit, which would enable us to get through this recession with a little bit of help.

Elaine is grateful to all those who will take the time and vote for Elaine's Tea Shoppe!  I know how busy everyone is, but we must remember to take time to help our friends once in awhile!  Please help us if you can--it only takes a couple of minutes.

A huge heartfelt THANKS!

Elaine

Our New Location

We've Done It!!!

Finally, the move to our new location on Monroe Street is completed!  We are so happy with the outcome!  Our register area has a new addition--a blown up photo of the colorful tea pluckers in a tea field from our journey to Sri Lanka.  So, everyone who comes into the shop gets a preview of that beautiful tea-land. 

The entire shop seems to be a mirror image of the old one, so I'm having to move left where I used to move right, but everything is fresh and clean, bright and beautiful, so it's all good!  Here's a peek of our expanded tea wall which now has almost 150 different teas and room for expansion, the new tea bar, and our "Tea Cottage" which houses tea tins ready for refills in the service area. So, if you find yourself in the area, please check out our new space, munch on our home-made, made-from-scratch scones and, of course, pick a nice cup of tea from the largest selection of premium teas in the Midwest.

Sri Lanka - A Tea Paradise

Whew!  It's been a long time since I've blogged!  We've been to Sri Lanka and back and what a tour that was!  We visited 4 different tea estates and saw many of the island's wonders, like all the animals on safari--water buffalo, elephants, leopards, beautiful birds, peacocks, wild boar and monkeys.  We visited a spice garden and batik factory, and stayed at many wonderful hotels along the Indian Ocean. 

The people are so lovely there.  Warm, gentle, friendly, and as un-stressed a population as I've ever seen.  It was in the balmy 80's every day.  We had a light afternoon rain on only one day, when we saw a rainbow end-to-end while driving up into the mountains to visit one of the high-grown estates. 

The food was interesting---hot spicy curry in everything!  Because of the British influence of the island's history, there were some bland, more western selections too.  And of course, tea!  Lots and lots of fresh Ceylon tea.  Every meal, every meeting, every gathering whatever the reason was punctuated with tea.  That suited us just fine, of course. 

I promise to write more later, and post more photos as time permits.  We are moving our shop soon to a new location.  Like many small businesses, downsizing and belt tightening is essential for our long term survival, and so, we'll be very busy over the next few months preparing our new digs for a grand opening.  We'll keep you posted.

Photos Copyright January 2010 by Phil and Elaine Terman

Tea & Chocolate

Last Saturday we held another favorite shop event: Tea and Chocolate Pairing.  What could be better than that?!
We tasted 6 different teas along side 6 scrumptious chocolates.  I had paired tea and chocolates which I thought would coordinate best, and from previous experience expected to find how each chocolate enhanced each tea.  We were delightfully surprised to find the tea enhanced the chocolate as much as the reverse! 
One of the pairings, an intense orange infused dark was mated with our orange blossom oolong.  The oolong is not exactly a flavored tea, but has subtle hints of orange from orange peel.  When we sipped and nipped these side by side--WOW!  The orange in the tea was so beautifully enhanced that we were all amazed.  And then, upon tasting the chocolate again, the orange flavors positively resonated with each other.  What an eye opener!
I'd experienced a similar reaction at the previous tasting where an intense dark was paired with a Keemun. I tasted the Keemun--yes, the familiar hint of ripe red grape with backrgound hints of cocao.  But after the chocolate, with my next sip of Keemun, it was as if a whole bunch of grapes burst in my mouth!  Simply put: scrumptious. 
If you have never realized what wonderful mates tea and chocolate can be, you simply must try this enlightening experience for yourself.  General rule of thumb: pair lighter chocolates with lighter teas, such as white chocolate with white tea, light milk chocolates with light greens, and darker chocolates with heavier black teas.  You are sure to be pleasantly surprised.
I have to admit, we were all sporting a bit of caffeine buzz after all that chocolate and tea, supporting the idea that it was an eye opening experience in more ways than one!

Kimono Event with Japanese Sencha, and Fruit Sushi

Kimono Event with Kimono Expert Kerry Porter

October 3rd was a special day at the shop with our much anticipated kimono event guided by Kimono expert Kerry Porter.  She has studied Kimono and Japanese culture for many years, and shared with us lots of interesting details on both.  She showed off the many beautiful kimonos in her collection, most of which are made of high quality silks.  As gorgeous as the kimonos themselves, were the exquisite obis or the thick sash that ties elaborately at the waist of every kimono.  Guests also enjoyed 3 different Japanese teas: traditional Japanese Sencha, Genmaicha, aka Popcorn Tea because of the toasted rice blended in with sencha, which when it pops open looks like baby popcorns, and Kyoto Cherry Rose Sencha, and Fruit Sushi, aka Fruishi.

Photos below:  Some of our guests enjoying the fruishi and other dessert goodies served with their tea.  Next, Elaine with stunning Japanese fan.  Third photo, this was an opportunity for other ladies to show off their Kimonos.  Fourth photo, Karen modelling a lovely patterned green silk kimono with coordinating orange obi.

The Cheers of Tea

I walked into the shop today and almost every table was filled with old familiar faces.  I was struck by the moment, and couldn't help saying, "Well!  I see the gang's all here!", which brought a chuckle from the crowd.  Carolyn was there, as she is every day or quite nearly so. And as a testament to her addiction to having lunch with us, she'd broken her finger the night before, and had yet to go to the emergency room to have it looked at!  When we said she should get there right away, she looked at us like we were crazy and said, "Well, I have to have lunch first, don't I?!"  And there was Suzanne who comes about twice a week to escape the dull assisted living lunch menu and swap stories about what's happened lately.  Then there's Barb, who lost her husband recently.  She comes in for relaxation, the camaraderie, and of course, good tea and food.   And last but not least were our favorite mother/daughter duo enjoying one of their frequent summer lunches together since mom's a snow bird and heads south for the winter. 

It really does feel like Cheers sometimes.  We know many customers by name and they each have their own distinct personalities.  They come in and share what's going on in their lives.  On occasion, one of our young college student regulars won't have much money on her, and we let her run a tab.  Another will bring in the new dress to show us that she's just bought for the class reunion.  Where else can you go and be regularly surrounded by supportive friends?  We really are like the Cheers of Tea!  And we love it!

A New Tea Snob is Born

We held the first class of our Fall Tea Tasting Series today. I always look forward to teaching the series which we hold in the spring and fall, as it's an opportunity for me to get folks really turned on to tea.

This class was all about black teas. We tasted 8 teas in all. Gingia Estate Assam, Mim Estate Darjeeling, Estate Courtlodge Ceylon, Keemun Panda Gr. 1, Organic Royal Golden Yunnan, Temi Estate Sikkim, Woodlands Estate Nilgiri, and Smoky Lapsang Souchong. Even though participants may have tasted other examples of some of these teas in the past, it is always an eye opening experience to taste these straight basic black teas side-by-side. The subtle character of each stands out and by the end of class, palates are hightened and more educated.

24 teas in all compose the course, and when completed, the participant becomes a certified 'Tea Snob'--our tongue-in-cheek way of saying that they now know lots about tea. One of the participants had already completed the other two classes in the series last spring, Green Teas and Whites & Oolongs. So, today, she became our latest Tea Snob with certificate to prove it! It was a fun and relaxing way to spend a Saturday afternoon.

Kindness Abounds

Yet another act of kindness was bestowed upon us today!
Our chef was making a batch of yummy chocolaty something for one of our favorite customers, Betty, who we knew would be celebrating her birthday with us today.

All of a sudden, she realized that she was out of condensed milk which the recipe called for. Being quite the self-talker when she's in her kitchen she exclaimed out loud something to the effect, "Oh no, I don't have any evaporated milk! What am I going to do?"

Well, a nice, pierced and tattooed young man happened to be in the shop searching for a new tea to drink and he overheard her. He asked what the problem was, and she explained about the birthday surprise she wanted to make for Betty. He promptly offered to go get some for her. She said that that was too much, he insisted explainig that he had plenty of time and absolutely didn't mind.

So, he went to the grocery store a mile down the road, brought back the milk, and wouldn't take a penny for it! I had a doctor's appointment this morning, or I would have been there to run to the store while the cook went to the store. It seems these things always happen when there's only one of us in the shop--Murphy's Law of small business, I guess. But thanks to the generosity of that kind-hearted young man, everything has turned out OK.

Random Acts Part 2

Today we witnessed another of those Random Acts of Kindness. It was just an ordinary day otherwise. Moderately busy, where everyone came in for lunch at the same time. Murphy's Law of tea rooms, I guess. Challenging, but we just love it when the tea room is full of lovely lunchtime chatter. And today it was.

Of course, among the lunchers was our most loyal customer, Carolyn the Elder. And across the room was another woman eating by herself. We often get women who are by themselves. They are comfortable at our place. It's quiet, and no one stares or cares that they are by themselves. While we do get some male clientele, it's mostly women, and that makes for a comfortable lunch spot for the single diner. I often see customers at different tables chatting with each other--something you rarely, if ever, see at other restaurants.

At any rate, the other single lady pulled me aside as I served her apricot scones. She explained that she wanted to buy lunch for Carolyn the Elder, even though she could tell that Carolyn didn't need anyone to buy lunch for her. It was just something she was moved to do. And we were not to tell Carolyn until after she had paid and left the shop.

So, this got me to thinking. What random act of kindness can I do for someone else. Who might really need a bit of cheering up? And I thought of this guy in my Monday morning yoga class at the Victory Center. Not only has he survived cancer, but he was recently in a serious bicycle accident that left him with many months of recovery. I can't even imagine experiencing two such intense traumas back-to-back. At first we sent cards from the class, and the instructor who knew him the best went to see him several times. But now, in those long and lingering months of physical therapy, pain, and frustration (how long would it be before he might be able to return to our yoga class he loved so much?), he probably really needed a boost.

I decided a cheery basket of goodies would be just the ticket. So, next Monday I will take a big basket, started off with a few tea goodies, into the yoga class. I will invite others to add some goodies of their own until it is filled to the brink. Then, our instructor can take it to him just to let him know we are still thinking of him and are encouraging him through this most difficult journey.

That's what life is really all about. One of my favorite quotes, which we set at each place in the tea room as 'food for thought', is from Jewel, the singer/songwriter. "Only kindness matters." I must remember to do these things more often. We get so busy with the day-to-day in these crazy times where everyone is experiencing some sort of overload, and forget these random acts of kindness or think that we do not have time for them. I believe they enrich our own souls as much as they bring joy to the receiver of our acts. So, take a moment and think: who can I bring some joy to today?

Pamper Thyself

I'm a firm believer that every now and then, we must pamper ourselves. When I first started working--way back when--and I started to get my first regular paychecks ever, I would go out on every pay day and find some little treat for myself. Something that I perhaps didn't exactly need but something that I could now afford to buy. Something that just made me feel good.

One of our regular customers, Carolyn the younger (as opposed to Carolyn the elder, our most regular patron who comes in for lunch every day), has been going through one of those rough patches that life often hands us, and decided that she needed just exactly one of those frivolous pampers. She'd been eyeing this beautiful bone china tea set for some time. Teapot, sugar and creamer, 2 cups and saucers, 2 gold demi spoons with rose design, and a silver tray upon which to display the lovely set. I admit it was my all time favorite set and had a notion that if it didn't sell, I'd be able to take it home for myself some day, but I was glad when she decided that it would go home with her.

She couldn't afford to pay for it all at once, so for the last few months she'd been making installments that I have kept for her in an envelope at my desk. And I put a SOLD sign on it so that no one else could walk off with her treasure. I would not be able to get this tea set again. The sad thing about bone china is, that it may soon be a thing of the past. Many of the factories in England are closing because of the economy and the reduced popularity of such pretties. Fine china used to be a must for every bride to begin to collect for the china cabinet. Now, there are many who know of nothing but clunky, practical stoneware dishes. But, I digress.

Today Carolyn made the last installment. I carefully packed her treasured pieces to make sure they made it home safely. She lingered over lunch, and I could sense a joy that would perhaps overcome the troubles of her recent past. She described to me the decor of her home and the room where her new china would be lovingly displayed on an old sawn oak buffet and how the contrast would make her treasured tea set stand out all the more.

She was happy. Happier than we've seen her in quite a while. And that made us happy. Food for thought: Every once in awhile, Pamper Thyself!

This isn't your Grandmother's Tea Room!

Well, here it is--July already! It has been a beautiful summer with moderate temperatures and lots of sunshine--a much needed commodity in this neck of the woods. And the graces above have smiled on us in several ways.

First, with all the economic upheaval, our business is doing better than ever! Our customers just love our Chef's culinary creations. Besides a healthy, mostly organic, some gluten free, and low-fat menu, each plate created is also a delight for the eyes. Our customers have lots of fun and frivolity, and so we've come up with our new advertising slogan: This isn't your Grandmother's Tea Room! My take on the tea biz has always been tea first, good food, great customer relations, and lots of fun stuff to shop for. I've never wanted anything stuffy or formal, so we thought that the new slogan and graphic fit us quite well.

We also think that with the economic downturn, more people are staying close to home, travelling less, looking for local pleasures and treasures to explore. We seem to fit right into that category and we are so thankful for the increased business. We're so grateful to be able to share our healthy teas and food and our new relaxing picket-fenced garden spot right outside our front door. Photos to follow as soon as I get them downloaded from the camera.

Hope you're having as good a summer as we are, and don't forget to ice down all your favorite teas for some thirst-quenching summertime treats.

Happy New Year!

It's always so difficult to believe that another year has flown by. We just got through the Christmas rush, and here, only a week later, it's already the new year (well, soon!). But today was a great way to end 2008. We had a delightful day in the shop. Kind-of quiet for the first few hours, then, several groups of ladies came in for tea, and the place was suddenly alive with chatter and laughter. One of the ladies was a former restaurateur of one of Toledo's most well known restaurants. She and her whole group had a wonderful time and were most complimentary about their experience at the shop. When someone knows the food business so well, compliments always mean a little bit more. I know they totally understand how challenging it can be at times.

The other group had never been in before, and were fairly newbies to tea. They loved our tea so much, they each took some home, and I know they'll be back. I just love it when I can turn someone new on to tea. I was able to share some of the finer nuances of tea and preparation with them. They asked many questions, and with our huge selection of teas, they each found several to start off their new years with. And I got to talk about my favorite subject for about a half hour--always a treat for me!

One lady, somewhere along the long line of the day's conversations, mentioned that she'd heard a report from one of Toledo's noted astrologers who predicts an economic upswing and a very positive 2009 for area businesses. Well, I have a few things to say about that:
Whew!
Hooray!
Wow!
Yippie!
Thank the Lord!
Happy New Year!
I lift my cup!

Change of Seasons

Autumn is fully in the air! I love this time of year when things begin to slow down from summer's load of activities. Oh, there are plenty of things to do, such as attending the Apple Butter Festival, visiting local orchards, and just going for car rides to be once again awestruck by the beautiful colors of nature we see in this part of the country. The other night, my hubby and I had the last ice cream cone of the year. He gets out his lawn tractor and attaches the leaf collector contraption on the back, and becomes leaf farmer until first snow. We're losing interest in things cold and refreshing, and gaining interest in things warm, comforting and cozy. I'm anziously awaiting snuggling up to the first fire in the fireplace.
I'm in the mood for the spicy and heavier teas at this time of year. Chai and Warm Winter Blend with it's fruity, spicy goodness. And, this change of season also brings changes for the shop. While we suspended most of our food service for the dreadfully slow summer, things always pick up for us in the fall. And this year, we are able to bring back our luncheon food service. We hope to have everything up and running by November 1st, so watch for more details in future blogs.

Gratuity with Heart

I'd been in full throes of the summer doldrums on the day that Julia came in to the shop for tea with her daughter. It gets downright lonely in July and August, when customer flow slows to a crawl while everyone is getting in that last summer vacation and going through all the preparations for "back to school". This summer's been the worst I've seen in seven years, and I was fretting about even being able to pay the rent . So, I was delighted when they came in, and especially so when Julia invited me to have a cup of tea with them since I wasn't particularly busy.
We had a lovely chat about this and that, how slow business is all over and how many business in the area have closed. She shared how this economic downturn has impacted her family, and we got to know each other just a little bit better on that otherwise dull afternoon. I always feel so privileged when someone shares a part of their life with me.
They left the shop, and when I went over to clear off the table, I found one dollar of her gratuity folded into a heart! That just made my day! It was like she was saying, "Take heart, it'll get better." What a lovely gesture--one which I will not forget for a very long time.

Tea Cure for the Summer Doldrums...
It's been dreadfully slow now that we're into the heat of summer and everything seems at a lazy, hazy pace... including business. So, I take this time to play around with new tea blends and flavor combinations.
The newest one was actually suggested by one of my regulars, Diane, who's become a friend. She's particularly fond of Rooibos, or South African Red Bush tea. This new blend is called Orange Cream Rooibos and is highly reminiscent of those orange and cream ice cream bars or the creamy orange frozen drink at Olga's Kitchens.
It's delicious hot, but especially refreshing iced. I think all the fruity flavored teas make great iced teas. And I find them much more refreshing than any sugary sweet drink which only seems to make me thirstier.
So, if you're stuck in the summer doldrums if for no other reason than gas prices are too high to go anywhere, have some fun by playing around with tea flavors to create your own favorite summer soother.

Tagged

Like this teabag, I've been tagged--by Marilyn, aka Marmalady, to answer a few questions on my blog. I'm to tag 4 others, but honestly, don't know 4 other bloggers other than the ones who have already been tagged. Too new to the blog-o-sphere, I guess. So, I'll just answer here.

10 years ago: I was working for Read For Literacy as the Employment Skills Coordinator. It was an interim job, after having gone through a nasty corporate downsizing (I'd been in laboratory science for the previous 20 years). I'd decided I never wanted to work for a large corporation again, and hadn't yet stumbled upon the idea to open my own business.

5 things on my listo for today: As it is very late, I'll answer for tomorrow. I am taking one of those rare, and I mean rare, days off from the shop. I first shall sleep in until my body tells me that it just can't take it anymore, then relax in a lavender bath. I will then breakfast on tea with toast and jam (Marmalady's, of course!) on our newly remodeled enclosed breezeway or the deck if it's not too humid. I'll read from a new mystery novel for awhile and then meet with a friend for lunch. More reading and at mid-afternoon, I'll meet another friend to do some serious antiquing. My kind-a day!

Snacks I enjoy: Anything chocolate, wholegrain crackers with white cheese and hot pepper jelly, honey roasted peanuts, and apples peeled and sliced.

Things I would do if I were a millionaire: Set up a charity for the homeless in our city, give a large sum as a surprise to each of my siblings, visit the small town in Hungary where my grandmother was born, pay off all my debts and run my tea shop just for fun, and visit the major tea lands.

Places I have lived: Toledo, Ohio and numerous places in the surrounding area. I love it here except that the mid-west is kinda slow about picking up on current trends that the coasts always get first. I love being near the great lakes and Michigan is a vacation land! There are lots of places to vacation near here, and with gas prices as they are, we're sticking close to home.

Mediocre Minds

I have a poster over my desk that has a huge photo of Einstein. The caption reads: "Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds...." I keep this in front of me to help me deal with some of the small minded folk who happen into the shop from time to time.
Today has been one of those all-too-slow days where I wonder if I will be able to pay the rent this month, not to mention all the other expenses of a brick and mortar business. This afternoon, a woman came in inquiring about matcha, the green tea used in the Japanese Tea Ceremony. "We have it!", I declared, "A very nice quality matcha, too." I showed her the small gold tin.
Now, I pride myself in the well rounded-ness and high quality of our tea collection. Not all teas are created equal. Not all vendors carry good tea. I taste hundreds of teas from various vendors. I'm one of those picky people I'm sure would be classified as OCD (obcessive compulsive disorder) by any competent psychologist. "OCD and proud of it!", I'll jokingly say to my friends.
The woman looked at the tin and said, "Don't you have any in the black tin?" I explained that this is our own brand of tea, and about my concern for quality. She said that she really wanted the one in the black tin and she was going to see if she could find that first, and if she couldn't find it, she'd be back to get this one.
I thought, If she waits too long, I might not be here. Which is only my own fear rearing its ugly head, but I'm sure I'm the only shop within hundreds of miles that carries this quality (if any) matcha. And if people don't support their local businesses, they will disappear. And this world will be a much more boring place, in this tealady's oppinion.
Stepping off my soap box now.

Random Acts of Kindness

Yesterday I had a customer who came in for a quiet afternoon break. She sat down and had a relaxing glass of lavender lemonade and scones. While she was here, another regular customer, a young college student named Angela came in for one of her own quiet afternoon tea brakes. The two sat at tables across the tea room from each other, each quietly enjoying their goodies and respite from the hectic outside world.

The first customer had finished and came to the register to pay with a sort of pleading look on her face. After she'd paid her bill, she handed me a piece of paper upon which she had written, "Random Acts of Kindness--I have $20. Please use that to pay for your other customer's bill." I smiled and rang up the 2nd bill, and she indicated for me to keep the change. She smiled and thanked me for providing such a wonderfully relaxing place and said she'd be back again another day.

After she'd left, I took the paper over to Angela and handed it to her. She read it and smiled broadly. She looked up at me and asked who the other lady was. I said I didn't know her name, I think this was the first time she'd been to the tea room. Angela expressed disappointment that she didn't have a chance to thank the woman for her kindness. I explained that the whole idea behind random acts of kindness was that one just did them for the pure sake of being kind to another--that thanks were neither expected nor needed.

Many times the world seems hectic, harried, and even cruel. But sometimes it is kind and gentle as on this particular summer afternoon. When I have long forgotten the regular stresses of daily life, I will still remember this gentle day and the sweet surprises it revealed.

The Honorable Aaron Fisher

I recently stumbled upon a new tea magazine--The Leaf--which is the first on-line magazine on tea (and perhaps anything else). It is free, environmentally friendly, and reader interactive. Wow! It doesn't get any better than that!

The Honorable Aaron Fisher is the editor-in-chief of this beautiful magazine. He lives in Taiwan now, after travelling the globe for 10 years, and has made it his life's work to "live" tea. That is abundantly apparent in his writing, and it was unmistakably clear to me when I met him.

He and his father wandered into the shop one sunny day last summer when he was visiting his parents. He happens to have grown up in Sylvania where we are located. He was thrilled to find real tea as a focus served in a real tea shop in his home town, not just the afterthought it usually is in most restaurants and coffee shops. I was pleased to have him join me for tea that afternoon.

Actually, it was I who joined him and his father, at least in the beginning. As any true tea man, he travels with his paraphernalia, and readily went to his car to bring in his well used Gong Fu tea so that he could share some of the fine pu-ehr and oolong teas he had in his stash. The reverence with which he prepared his tea (the essence of the true Gong Fu tea method) was a joy to behold. We sipped and talked, talked and sipped. So many wonderful cups of tea! I have no idea how much time passed. It was like a meditation, where one is fully present in the moment, and oblivious to all else. It reminded me of the flow one reaches when doing Tai Chi, where you are somehow not bound by, nor concerned with time and all of the stress and "stuff" of daily life just falls away.

We'd had quite a lot of tea, but I proceeded to pull out some of my better teas to share with them. I was so grateful for this moment of perfection, and I wanted to give something back, although I could tell he was one of those souls who gives in the true spirit of passion for this amazing leaf, neither expecting nor needing anything in return. But, I needed to give back. So we drank and talked some more. It was a truly memorable afternoon. I was honored to meet and take tea with this truly honorable man.

If you would like to learn more about the reverence of tea, the history of tea, the wonder of this ancient elixir, please visit his new magazine, The Leaf. You can find it at the following link.
http://www.the-leaf.org/index.htm

A TEArful Farewell

Today we held a memorial for my dear teacher, mentor, friend, Joe Ann Cousino (Jody). By we, I mean the 6 of us who took sculpture class from her for many, many years. I think it's been about 17 years for me, and one of her students has been with her for almost 30 years. A few other students came and went over the years, but the 6 of us have shared a comfortable camaraderie for the longest.

Jody had been grevely ill and in much pain for some months, and we all took any time we could spare to visit, bring her flowers, massage her, read to her, and comfort her in any way we could. Oddly enough, it was she who comforted us in our greiving her impending parting, and our impending loss. She would tell one of her many travel stories invariably filled with some tidbit that would have everyone laughing. The thing that was so wonderful about that horrible time of waiting was the love that just poured out from every quantum dot of space and being.

After she passed, just before this past Christmas, her son had decided to put off her memorial until this coming June. This would afford him time to put together a slide show of all her work, and more appropriately gather the many people who would no doubt want to share in the celebration of this great lady's life. I look forward to that celebration, but that left me and the other 5 students in an odd sort of limbo. We just had to somehow mark her passing sooner than June.

So, we decided to meet on New Year's Day under one of her most loved sculptures, the "Woman with the Birds". She stands comfortably, comfortingly on a high platform surrounded by the greenery of Toledo Botanical Gardens (aka, Crosby Gardens). She's stout and wears a big brimmed hat and it's the serenity that she emits that attracts the birds (sculpted or real) and anyone who passes by. We couldn't think of a more fitting place to hold our ceremony.

I had prepared a poem by Kahlil Gibran, which so beautifully talks of death and dancing. I thought it so appropriate as Jody loved to dance, and I can remember on many occasions during class where the music which was always playing in the background would move her to dance around the studio while we sculpted. Since it was a very cold and snowy day, I had also taken an insulated pot of my Wild Blackberry Hot Chocolattea, a comforting blend of Wild Blackberry Tea and hot chocolate. We read and cried, told stories and cried: funny stories of things that happened in the studio; stories of how she touched our lives; stories of her body of work; and we each told the story of how it was that we came to be in the sculpture class and how grateful we were to have been chosen.

We lit a candle and toasted our cups of tea to this wonderful lady under her comforting sculpture with snowflakes gently falling all around us. It was so cold we all shivered and sipped, trying to keep warm, losing feeling in our fingers and feet by the time we were ready to leave, but I would not have missed this celebration of life for all the tea in China.