According to my grandmother, anything worthwhile starts with a cup of tea.
I recently took on one of those tasks that requires high resolve. Cleaning out a closet. Not all of my closets, mind you, that would be too overwhelming. Just one.
The Pause That Refreshes
Taking on so formidable a task requires nourishment, which brings me to the topic of today’s musings: the refreshing, invigorating power of a simple cup of tea. So every now and then I paused in my closet purge for a tea break
My affinity for hot teas comes from my grandmother. She was what you might call a TEA-totaler—tea was her total drink. Tea started the day, ended it, and helped ease whatever burdens occurred in between.
It wasn’t fancy tea, just hot water poured over a Lipton bag (the bag always used more than once). Apparently, her year-round tea drinking had some beneficial effects. She lived to be 93.
Once upon a time, after reading a few books on tea and imbibing various brews, I got into the topic enough to give “tea talks” at local women’s clubs.
When it comes to iced tea, my friend Cyndy can out drink me anytime. She downs the drink year-round from a grande size cup. My daughter, Robin, is into green teas and herbals for their therapeutic value
Tea Time Anytime
The 60-bag jar of White Pear Tea from Revolution.
Currently, I’m liking White Pear Tea. It’s grown in China and made from young delicate buds of the tea plant. It’s the least processed of the teas and loaded with antioxidants. “Delicate and fragrant as a fresh picked pear,” so the website claims.
But I switch off to Tea Forte sometime. You know, the tea that comes in the cute pyramid cover with a tiny paper leaf attached to the string. The dried leaves are nicely sized, with enough strength that I can use the bag more than once.
Tea Forte sample box offers a selection of black, green, white and herbal teas. Great gift item!
A Sip of History
A cup of tea gives you a break from the day, a chance to close your eyes, to relax and let harmony caress your body and spirit. So when I travel, I often take a tea break. In London, I enjoy browsing sniffy tea shops, such as Fortnum & Mason or Twining. If you want a taste of history, you can buy the teas once blended for the royal family or other ardent tea drinkers of the past. Or concoct your own blend.
Over the years, I’ve “teed” at Harrods, The London Ritz, and Brown’s Hotel, but far preferred the staidness of the tea room at Brown’s, the city’s oldest hotel. I seize the moment for reverie. Ahh! Could that be Dame Judi Dench sitting at the corner table? Or, perhaps, Hyacinth Bucket (Keeping Up Appearances) swigging from her “Royal Doulton teacup with the hand-painted periwinkles.” Tea activates the imagination.
Yes, but does it inspire closet cleaning?
Back to That Closet
Okay, okay, I’ve taken enough time for tea and reverie. I must get back to the closet I’ve undone. I’ve learned that the secret of success here is not how much tea you can drink during your closet cleansing. The secret is to lay everything from the closet onto your bed. Heap it high and wide. This requires you to deal with your closet exploits before bedtime. That is, unless you have a guest bedroom or comfortable sofa bed elsewhere in the house. 🙂
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