When I first moved to my present city my love of tea also began. As I explored with my children the delight of the drink, we also found a place that served good tea, and had fun with it too. Professor Java‘s has always had tea lattes brewed with loose-leaf from DiviniTea, a local high-quality tea company. I’m pretty sure I’ve written about the place before, but they are worth mentioning again. Now tea is becoming more mainstream here in America, and tea drinks are popping up in many eateries. But I like the creative names here. London Fog is Earl Grey in steamed milk with cinnamon and honey. Fantastic.
(Valentine’s Day recap: hubby and I had an unplanned evening together; both kids decided to attend the Dance Flurry and could get a ride home. He baked banana bread, I gave him truffles I had made earlier in the week, we made tea, and played Scrabble. And then…hmm…start a puzzle?)
To have tea brewed for you or not? At Java’s they place the loose-leaf in a bag in your cup. Only the dedicated tea shops: Whistling Kettle, Short and Stout, Tailored Tea, steep it before serving. I like having the tea all set for me, but since I also know what I’m doing, I don’t mind brewing myself. Except when I’m distracted. I over-brewed the London Fog a bit, forgetting that it wasn’t just regular black tea; the bergamot in it makes it sensitive. Why was I distracted? By the conversation at the next table, of course.
There was an intense therapy session happening. The one lady really needed to get past something, but wasn’t able to deal with it properly to move on. I so totally relate! Patience. It’s important not to brush something aside, but exactly how to deal with negative emotions is such a process, and one not to be rushed. Unfortunately, life just keeps coming at you. The other lady was listening and sipping tea wisely as her friend vented.
(We decided no puzzle for our verrrry exciting Valentine’s Day evening. Hubby had been listening to our teens in the car go on and on about different online videos they had been watching lately, and he mused that TV was going to die soon, and maybe we should find some funny videos to watch? Well. As the one home with my son, I am subject to viewing quite a few YouTube moments during the week. However, I also know most of them would be more irritating than amusing for hubby. I had to think about it…)
So the therapy session continued as I drank my tea. It was a work place thing, and the lady couldn’t leave the situation. The other lady was asking some thoughtful questions. Was she really just a friend, or a life coach? Was this a paid session? “I need to know my own boundaries so others aren’t forced upon me.” I thought that was a pretty good insight she made for herself. The “therapist” nodded sagely and ate her chips. Could I get that job? Drink tea, listen, and encourage someone to figure out their own problems? What other jobs involve sitting around drinking tea?
This week I’m excited to be sharing tea with others. I have my TeaPunk Soirèe on Thursday. I made marbled tea eggs and they came out perty and yummy, so I’ll demonstrate that. I bought some good Oolong to brew for people. We’ll play some games, maybe make an origami tea cup. The possibilities!
(Back to Valentine’s Day. I decided John Oliver would be amusing to hubby, and I was right. Unfortunately, because the subject was depressing social and economic issues, we ended up venting to each other about the sorry state of the world afterwards. Not exactly romantic. “Enough! We need Flight of the Conchords!” That helped immensely. Our conversation veered somewhere else, and then somehow we got into children’s cartoons, and ended up watching a He-Man episode. So bad! So awesome!
HUBBY:I don’t think that was one of the good ones.
ME: *laughing* There were no good ones.
HUBBY: Skelator wasn’t in it!
ME: True. And I didn’t see the ubiquitous rock throwing clip. We need another nostalgic cartoon date night.)
I finished my London Fog just in time. The therapy session started going into putting together an arrest of someone, a minor involved- don’t need to know anymore! Why are you having this conversation so publicly?! I can’t not listen when you are right next to me!
Recommendation: Professor Java’s makes great tea drinks, but don’t sit too close to others…
Rise untethered.
Move with intention.
Be grand.
