In this world, as I see it, both visible and invisible history exists for every physical object.  I’ve been thinking about what holds tea, and how that shapes its taste as well as how we drink it.  There is a history behind each ceramic cup we hold, whether singularly handmade or molded in large quantities.  [...]

Every five or six years, I have a student who drives me crazy.  The journey is short, mind you, so I work very hard at a good defense.  “Never smile during the first three weeks of school” is my motto, and my creed is “You can always lighten up; but you can’t tighten up.”  Therefore, [...]

Although Rooibos is not a tea, it is brewed like tea and is chock full of antioxidants, like tea.  However, Rooibos contains no caffeine, which makes it a perfect bedtime beverage.  I love Rooibos because it is so incredibly versatile.
Rooibos can be brewed unblended, in its natural, earthy form.  The scent is reminiscent of tobacco [...]

As crucial as the herbs and spices that create a flavorful tea are the circumstances that surround its consumption.  Tea steeps the stories that are created while we drink it, and allows us to recollect those stories the next time we taste it.
Once, my friend Alex put googly eyes on various objects in her kitchen, [...]

As you learned in my last post, my last class of the day has only ten students.  We’re an elite* team designed to produce projects to enter a competition called National History Day, or NHD.  We traditionally work hard all class period, dissecting paragraphs for deeper observation and scanning articles in hopes of a primary [...]

Buying gifts for the holidays can sometimes be a challenge.  What does that certain special someone want?  If they’re hard to shop for, tea just might be your answer.  Most people are thankful if you give them tea.
Thanksgiving has come and gone, and it’s time to get serious about what you are going to give [...]

Surely as a tea drinker you’ve experienced the following: You’re finishing a fabulous meal and feel nearly sated.  Food: beautifully prepared and presented, creative, and delicious.  Service: knowledgeable, friendly, and attentive.  Atmosphere: well-designed, tasteful, and comfortable.  A perfect finish to a perfect meal would be a perfectly prepared pot of fresh, soothing tea to complement [...]

The stinging disappointment of poor tea service used to wash over me time and time again in the 90’s.  I particularly remember a time many years ago when a friend and I were dining at a swanky steak house in Edmonton.
I had suggested we cap off the exceptional meal with a nice pot of tea [...]

I recently returned from three weeks abroad during which I traveled through the tea estates of Southern India.
One thing I discovered during my travels was that we take for granted the leaves that we love.  More specifically, we take for granted the people who pick the leaves that we love, and these people are mostly [...]

A couple of weeks ago, I got one of those calls that no one wants to get - my mother had fallen and broken her hip.  Thanks to an understanding boss and a nice airline, I was able to get from Texas to New Jersey the next day to be with her.  She was glad [...]