Online Tea Set Shopping

As there are no local shops at which to purchase tea sets, especially tea sets I want to own.  So it looks like I will be splitting my shopping time between Etsy and Amazon.  So, like I posted late last night, I will probably be starting a collection of tea-for-one sets.  I had hoped there would be local shops to frequent and patron but there aren't.

I did not have enough strength or energy to get up and grab a pot of tea today, so I was tea-less for the day but I did enjoy doing some online shopping.  No purchases yet, but I will keep you in the loop when I do.

Wishlist of Tea-For-One Sets

I'm going to start a collection of Tea-For-One sets.  Here are some examples of my wishlist selections but I really want unique sets or ones with cool stories.  I think this could be fun.

Cute Pictures - Because I Can

Stay At Home Day Due To Having XX Chromosomes, AKA I Am One of the 4-10% of Women

So today was a day of my my body got a memo saying, "You have been given your monthly visit of insanity causing pain that will completely make movement, breathing, existing hurt so badly that your usual bodily pain will pale.  As you know...that is saying something."  So I called into work and cried almost every other hour.  My stomach hates everything, even tea sadly, but I am still making myself cups so I can at least stay hydrated.  No dears, I have not found a tea that actually lessens my dysmenorrhea (look it up if you really are interested).

For your information, I am one of the roughly 4-10% of women that suffer from a hormonal and immune system disease known as Endometriosis.  Yes, on top of the standard daily pain scale living of 5-7 due to Fibromyalgia, with the occasional 9-10, I have another added bonus that visits each month.  For any of you that want a brief explanation, see below:

"Endometriosis is a disease in which cells similar to that which line the uterus (endometrium) grow outside the uterine cavity, most commonly on the membrane which lines the abdominal cavity, the peritoneum. The uterine cavity is lined with endometrial cells, which are under the influence of female hormones. Endometrial cells in areas outside the uterus are also influenced by hormonal changes and respond in a way that is similar to the cells found inside the uterus. Common symptoms of endometriosis are pain and infertility.
Endometriosis has a significant social and psychological impact. There is no cure for endometriosis, but it can be treated in a variety of ways, including pain medication, hormonal treatments, and surgery."

I thankfully do not have the usual impact of being unable to work for one whole week a month, but I have the unfortunate usual happening of missing at least one day of work.  I manage my pain for this period with medication, my GP has been writing me varying amounts of Tylenol 3 and above since I have been 18 years old.  Hormonal treatments do not work for me, actually they make me more sick.

So, since my body hates food and even water today, I usually try to have tea that will at least settle my stomach or help me sleep.  I tend to go for ginger tea and chamomile.  Today I had both.  The Ginger tea blend was a tea from our local Asian Supermarket.  It really isn't tea, it is a tisane as it is made from ginger and honey in hot water.  In traditional Chinese medicine, ginger was used to warm the stomach, spleen and lungs, and to help promote healthy digestion and circulation.  Ginger drink is believed for nausea and for colds.  So usually it is perfect to at least keep me hydrated and keep liquids down for a while.

The chamomile I had was from the tea that my Dad and stepmom, Nancy, sent me.  It's Chamomile and Vanilla from Taylors of Harrogate.  It is an interesting mix and unique to Taylors, see below for an explanation from their website:

"Chamomile tea is sold as the perfect pre-bedtime drink for its natural calming qualities. But while researching for our own range of herb and fruit teas, Taylors tea buyer Kate found that its slightly acidic taste put some people off the wonder drink.
Her solution was to start with a really high quality chamomile from Germany...and soften the flavour with vanilla and a blend of orange leaf, aniseed, liquorice root and fennel." - per the Taylors of Harrogate website.

I also tried one of the Adagio Special Blends, Aurora.  This blend is black tea, chamomile, rose hips, hibiscus flowers, apple pieces, natural creme flavor, natural strawberry flavor, strawberries, raspberry leaves.  I really like the flavor, it was a bit too sweet, but ultimately I liked the blend and if I was feeling the need for a sweet but soothing tea, this is one I would turn to.

All of the above, even the black tea of the Aurora blend helped keep my stomach calm enough to be able to keep fluids down today, though my movement has been very slow and I've rested all day.  So, I did get to some tea reviews for the day, but I also wanted to actually share something in my life that impacts my days and also brings about the need for something to help me calm my body.  YAY tea.  I just wish there was a tea that completely did away with the associated dysmenorrhea of having endometriosis.  But for now I will be unapologetic and frank about my experiences and health issues because hiding it behind the guise of being polite or ashamed of my physical issues doesn't bring awareness and it doesn't help anyone.

A Must Share - The Tea Song by Yorkshire Tea

Researching and Keeping Rooted in Reality

Felt like having some more Virtuous Teas blends today while I researched the means to start the tea shop idea.  So I started with the Rooibos Creme Brule.  It was very tasty and definitely sweet, without any need for sweetening.  I did not add milk, thinking I will try it with milk tomorrow.  I really liked how smooth it was, though the Rooibos did have more particles in my brew than normal due to the size of the matter.

Rooibos (roy-bos) meaning "red bush"; scientific name Aspalathus linearis) is a broom-like member of the legume family of plants growing in South Africa's fynbos.
The generic name comes from the plant Calicotome villosa, aspalathos in Greek. This plant has very similar growth and flowers to the Rooibos plant. The specific name linearis comes from the plant's linear growing structure and needle-like leaves.
The leaves are used to make a herbal tea called Rooibos or bush tea (esp. Southern Africa). The product has been popular in Southern Africa for generations and is now consumed in many countries.

So during my tea drinking I did a lot of research about how to establish charitable retail establishments, the zoning laws, tax regulations, and the expected capital required to be able to run for at least the first six months on an established safety net.  After all of that, I am still dedicated to my dream but am working on being realistic with expectations and have decided to get a business plan and model in place, a full fledged idea and timeline for roll out of various plans and ideas, and contacts for the establishment of support systems.  With all of this in hand, I do not think 2015 is the year for this shop but I am not giving in.  I will make this, or some version of this, happen.

OH!  And I also put out a request for shop names, here are some of my favorites:

1. NamasTEA
2. HumaniTEA & Coffee
3. Compassion Bistro
4. Steep it Forward
5. Cup of Kindness
6. TEAmwork Cafe

So...I tried getting attention for this idea on Twitter

@TheEllenShow @Oprah @johnmsweeney Advice on how to start a charitable tea/coffee shop? Please check out my hope/idea http://t.co/Ax672D56MA
— Em, Tea Leaf Fairy (@SerafWings) February 5, 2015

Dreams and Possibilities - A Cup of Kindness

Sitting down last night, on my new bed, I was enjoying a cup of tea and thinking about an idea for a tea shop.  So when I went to bed last night, I was not surprised to dream about a business I wanted to start.  I always have these grand philanthropic ideas and only wish that I had the capital to make it happen.  I have always tried to keep and promote happiness and positivity among my friends, relatives, and acquaintances.  One of the things that always strikes me as  necessary is the idea of helping others to spread happiness and chances for peace.  I always have ideas of a yoga, coffee, tea, new age store but this idea really stuck with me even through dreams and into the morning.  So...here is my "if I had money" idea/dreams:

I would open a tea shop/cafe, possibly called TEAmwork Cafe** or A Cup of Kindness and participate in Suspended Coffees.  For those of you that don't know, Suspended Coffees is an amazing movement of kindness and good will, see below for their mission statement:

"At Suspended Coffees, we restore faith, by highlighting the simple acts of kindness happening all around us, and encouraging others to do the same.

Kindness can come in many forms, including the purchase of a suspended coffee, which is the very idea that inspired this movement. A suspended coffee is the advance purchase of a cup of coffee for someone who needs it, no matter why.

But it really is about so much more than the coffee. It can provide physical comfort, conversation, a smile or even a laugh, and a sense of belonging. A suspended coffee can change lives, sometimes even save them.

The spirit and ambition of the Suspended Coffee movement is supported by thousands of cafés around the world, places that are at the hub of local communities, serving suspended coffees (and more) and sharing goodwill and compassion every day.

We invite you join our journey as we change the world, one cup of kindness at a time." - - Per the Suspended Coffees website

So in addition with the cafe, I would also run a soup/sandwich kitchen for the needy. The soup and and sandwiches would be available for anyone who needed a warm meal.  Maybe even run that like Rosa's Fresh Pizza, where you can buy food for someone under the Little Rosa Purchase idea.  See below for an explanation of the Little Rosa Purchase:

"Now YOU can pre-purchase a hot slice of pizza for one of the many homeless Philadelphians we serve. Every Little Rosa you buy represents a slice of pizza that will go towards feeding residents of Philadelphia in desperate need when they enter our store without enough money.

Help Rosa's fight hunger! We appreciate your kindness!" - Per the Rosa's Fresh Pizza website.

Anyway - so another part of my idea is to help the homeless be warm and maybe do their laundry and such while they enjoy a meal, a cuppa, or getting warm.  In the main restaurant, there would be window boxes lined, maybe lined in cedar, because I know I always got a warm fuzzy feeling from the smell of a cedar chest.  In the window boxes I would store warm blankets for anyone to use, maybe have a donation box available for donated blankets in case people need them to keep warm outside.  It would be nice to have a "donate your coat" rack that someone could hang their spare coat and donate it to a homeless person in need too!  

I would have to check with zoning and insurance issues, but I would also want to have a full functioning bathroom to take a shower.  Because a lot of these ideas would involve doing laundry, for the donated coats, towels, and maybe even clothes of the people in need, I would need to have a washer and dryer available too.  Especially during the changes in temperature people need a place to go to get their clothing tended.

Another idea would be to host career training days, CV or resume building workshops, and maybe even coordinated visits from the Trades to set up awareness for apprenticeships and job skills.  An idea was to hire homeless or needy people to give them a way to help themselves and get experience and good references on their work record.  I really love the idea of helping people help themselves and giving people in need a chance at happiness.

We could even develop a "give a backpack" campaign where our patrons purchase backpacks at $20 full of toiletries and necessary supplies to be used by our patrons-in-need.  I love the idea that Wounded Warrior has, so why not develop that to fit this situation? I think it could work.

OK - so this is also a normal business that also has clientele besides those we are trying to help with charity and kindness.  We would also be working to bring positivity and joy to anyone and everyone's lives.  So I would employ the use of 100% recyclable, compostable utensils and eatery products; like tea cups and coffee cups, plates, napkins, etc.  There are those cool recyclable and compostable go-green sites that I would be thrilled to support with my business. 

So, to spread positivity and kindness, my staff and I would leave notes for our customers on the coffee cups and tea cups, writing positive remarks/sentiments to brighten their day.

Since this would also be an exercise in community awareness and development, I would want to cultivate community and support for the people who frequent the shop, so I could run artist spotlight weeks where an artist could show and sell their work. Host Poetry Tuesdays, Chess Wednesdays, D&D Fridays.  In addition to all of this, I would want to make sure that I encourage the healthy living and health awareness, so I'd get groups together to participate in every fun and charitable 5k or run/walk ever!

See what one cup of tea can do?  It can turn you into a dreamer, and maybe even a doer.  I am actually trying to figure out if this all is possible, even in stages.  I know this all sounds like I am a tree-hugging hippy...and I am...but I really want all of this to be possible. Due to my fibromyalgia and it's associated depression/anxiety, I struggle to get up or move every day but I am blessed with what I have and want other people to feel blessed or have a chance to feel good.

(**much love and all due citation to Kelly for the name - still a W.I.P. and not the final choice yet)

New Bed and Spiced Apple Chai

So our new bed arrived today at 2:00pm, well technically a little about 1:45pm, but they were scheduled to arrive at 2pm and thankfully Rich and I had taken off of work at 1:30.  David stayed at work, he didn't really have a ton of leave time available.  This has very little to do with tea except all I wanted to do once it was here and set up was to curl up with a good book and drink some chai.  I ended up going back to work for the last two hours of the day, because I honestly could not justify taking the leave time just to ogle my new bed.

When I got into work I made myself a nice single pot of Spiced Apple Chai from Adagio Teas, a wonderful gift from Kate.  I ended up finishing two single pots before the end of the day and I was very excited to get home.  David and I went to Target to get new sheets and then it was home and the sheets were in the wash.  I waited patiently and seem to have forgotten that anything else in the world existed but clean sheets and my new gloriously soft queen bed.  I made myself a cup of "Tension Tamer" tea, a favorite of mine from Celestial Seasonings.  By the end of the evening, I was exhausted and the bed was finally made and ready for sleep.

Well my dears, dreams and sleep await me.  It is only 9:30pm and I am entirely too sleepy for my own good.  Good night.

Virtuous Teas

So I grabbed the smaller bags of tea from Virtuous Teas from Mitzie and E, deciding to try those out today.  It’s a Monday, so it’s a bit of a trial to wake up and go into work.  I am disappointed in the weather, since we were supposed to get some snow last night, and we didn’t get more than a dusting.  So off to work, YAY!
Got into work and had some reports to finish up, so I started a cup of the T’ai (sic) Chi Herbal.  It is a sipping Tea, according to Virtuous Teas’ site.  I can only imagine that a “sipping tea” means that it should be enjoyed a small amount at a time.  I am also assuming this is because the different herbs involved in the mix make it so the tea is to mellow the drinker and they aren’t to consume it like one usually drinks black tea?  I don’t know, and none of my reference books seem to explain the term.  The T’ai Chi Herbal is a mix of “Apple, Silver Linden, Melissa Leaves, Lavender, Rose petals, Blackberry Leaf, Orange Blossom, Mallow Blossom”.

The tea is good, not one I would just drink on a whim, I might have to be in a particular mood.  I do not associate the scent of rose petals to something I am imbibing, and this has a distinct rose scent.  It thankfully is not overpowering to the palate, which is very happy for the other flavors of apple and orange blossom, but I am also not a fan of eating/drinking lavender.  This tea falls into a category of “I like it for now…” and I do plan on finishing the bag of it, but I do not plan to purchase more of this mix.

Next up, more reports and another mix of tea.  I tried the Persephone Organic White blend from Virtuous Teas.  So…Virtuous Teas must have taken this mix down, so I cannot find the exact ingredients, but from the scent and description, this is what I am guessing.  White tea comes from the buds and leaves of the Chinese Camellia sinensis plant. The leaves and buds are allowed to wither in natural sunlight before they are lightly processed to prevent oxidation or further tea processing.  And the scent smells of pomegranate, and as the fruit associated to Persephone is a pomegranate, I think my assumption on the addition of this ingredient is not far off.  I am not sure if the red flecks are just dried pomegranate or if there is saffron flower as well.  So, since it includes the name of Persephone, I feel like I should tell a bit about the myth of why a pomegranate is associated to her in her chthonic persona.

Persephone is the daughter of Zeus and Demeter, and is a vegetation goddess.  Demeter hid her daughter away from the other gods and even dismissed the advances/suit of Apollo and (possibly) Ares.  So…Zeus, it is said, permitted Hades, who was in love with the beautiful Persephone, to carry her off as her mother Demeter was not likely to allow her daughter to go down to Hades. Persephone was gathering flowers with the Oceanids along with Artemis and Athena (according to Homer) in a field when Hades came to abduct her, bursting through a cleft in the earth. 

Demeter, when she found her daughter had disappeared, searched for her all over the earth with torches.  According to the more popular myths, Demeter neglects the earth and in the depth of her despair she causes nothing to grow. Helios, the sun, who sees everything, eventually told Demeter what had happened and at length she discovered the place of her abode. Finally, Zeus forced Hades to return Persephone.

Ultimately, Hades gives in to the request, but not before tricking Persephone into eating some pomegranate seeds.  This makes it so Persephone has tasted food in the underworld, thus she is obliged to spend a third of each year (the winter months) there, and the remaining part of the year with her mother, Demeter, above.

I like this myth, not for the abduction, but for the interesting explanation for the season of winter and also for the duality that is seen in the person of Persephone as a chthonic deity as well as one of vegetation.  The actual explanation for the dual personality is that Persephone is more than one deity put together, but that doesn’t stop me from appreciating the myth.  Also, the pomegranate is the fruit of life, death, and rebirth in several mythologies/traditions and can possibly be assumed as the Fruit of the Tree in Genesis.  I like this blend a lot; it is soft like most white teas and has one of my favorite fruit tastes, so much happiness.

My Dad and Stepmom, Nancy, sent us a package.  YAY!  It has a French Press in it, some herbal infusions (teas) from Tazo and a pouch each of Organic Peppermint and Chamomile.  I will have to have these when I am at home, since none of them can be consumed when I might fall asleep without help and then add chamomile…yeah…bad plan.  LOL.  There are chocolate truffles from Lindt and awesome travel mugs!  I think they look cute, one is black and one is white with rhinestones.  Probably a bride and groom thing…not sure…but I like them J.

So the bed is being delivered tomorrow…and I am exhausted.  Night night for now.

Bit of Cleaning and SUPER BOWL!!

So...another short entry today. We got home after a weekend at my in-laws house. I always enjoy spending time with them. We stopped at Siamsa Irish Pub for late brunch with out LARP friends Sarah and Duckie.
Had a delicious plate, a full Irish breakfast. Yum.

Got home and I started cleaning our room to get ready for the new queen sized bed we're getting on Tuesday. Decided I needed a good pot of tea, so I made up a pot of Ginger black tea. It's the Adagio Teas Ginger blend. I love ginger and this black tea is delicious. It helped me get through some intense cleaning before the Super Bowl began.

No tea during the game. I was pacing a lot. Also I am easily excitable during a Pats game normally so with the excitement of the SB there was no way I was having a hot cup of boiling water anywhere near me.

My Pats won!!! Going to have my 1776 blend tomorrow to celebrate!! Maybe even wear my Brady jersey to work :)

Sleep well all!!!