Eccentric Tea Woman

  Throwing a stone across a pond, causing ripples - each linked to one another in the grand scheme of things. The stone represents changes and what one looks forward to in life when boredom and ennui are rampant. Lakes, rivers, ponds, all: the source of breathing and a feeling of existing, of simply existing , moving beyond what we know as trivial. Too often, people expect too much and receive too little, their stones creating ripples too messy and fractured to take in with any sense of responsibility. Shall a painted stone bring any relief to the mundane? Shall a feather? Whispered words taken directly from direct meanings? Are the ripples meant to be more than life: the universe tapered in a single act, condensed and wrapped strictly for those with limited depth? Pity felt - ripples more in a movement to ease, no longer suffering. Looking for tea and books outside of the norm? Check out Viridian Tea Company ! Tea Blends for the Strange and Unusual! (Spider Witch Tea Blend - inspired

  We live in a world of "go go go", with no end in sight. We worry about what THEY will think of our clothes, the way we talk, what we have to say, what books we like, and if we take Almond milk in our coffee. We berate others for fucking up and doing the wrong thing, yet cower when someone calls us out on our own problems. We are, in short, lost. But, it doesn't have to be like that. And, it really isn't. Over a year ago, the world changed drastically. A virus came into our lives and our living rooms, threatening to break us down and kill us off. We fell under a bleak spell and hid under thick blankets, scared of the outside world and the horrors that lay in the shadows. Several months later, we timidly crept out to find that the world had changed . . . for the better. Among the numerous deaths, we found a new way to live. Among the fear of the unknown, we found a way to understand and educate ourselves. We finally read that pile of books sitting by the bed. We final

  I know nothing about lilacs, except that their smell is heavenly. Apparently, a large bush grows in my boyfriend's backyard; I had to see the blossoms up close. One sniff and I smiled. . . and then I wanted to know more about it. The Latin name is Syringa vulgaris and they are a part of the olive family. When people want to calm down, lavender seems to be such the usual go-to (I love lavender too!), yet smelling those lilacs brought about a sense of calm within me as well. How many people smelled lilacs for the first time in their lives and suddenly felt inspired to capture that scent or the colour? I will also admit that when I smelled the bush, I thought about Squidward in the SpongeBob Squarepants cartoon who apparently loves lilac soaps LOL! Why am I finally taking notice of the natural beauty around me, after years of enjoying walks through Overton Park and the botanical gardens in Memphis, or City Park in New Orleans? What has changed for me, if anything? Am I now mature e

  I recently visited the Denver Botanic Gardens and found that I truly needed it. Ever since the pandemic happened, our lives were turned inside out - we lost lives, we lost ourselves, we lost everything. And we also gained quite a bit . . . but that's another post. Now that we have vaccines, the proverbial light can finally be seen. As I walked around the gardens, I noticed that there were others who wanted to enjoy a day being surrounded by the myriad faces of botany. Flowers of every colour, an area designated for bonsai, Victorian-styled gardens, Japanese-influenced garden spaces, and above everything else, a chance to relax and breathe. Plus, there's a killer Salvador Dali exhibit that gives attention to his flower and fruit drawings. Meditation doesn't have to take place in some faraway monastery. The ability to slow down and focus on one's breathing can happen anywhere you desire. For me, nothing means meditation more than to walk through a botanical garden and

  As the days/weeks/months roll on, I'm finding that my insecurity regarding Denver is shrinking. I'm venturing out more and learning about what this city has to offer, plus it does help that the majority of people I've met here have been quite friendly. Of course, it also helps that I've received one half of my vaccine shot (getting the second on May 26th!) For the past several weeks, I've been driving by this restaurant called Twin Dragon. This Chinese restaurant is off Broadway and they have a lovely blue mural depicting dragons painted on the side of the building. This past Friday, I and my boyfriend finally had lunch there, and to be fair, I know it will be one of my regular places for good food. The interior decor made me sigh quite a lot and heightened my desire to enjoy their tea while waiting on our lunch. The tea came in a silver pot for one plus cup. The scent of jasmine preceded my pouring the tea. Whenever I visit Asian restaurants, I either get a good

  Celebrating Shabbat can come in a myriad of ways - going to a synagogue, spending time with friends, enjoying a cup of kosher wine on a Friday evening, or pulling up weeds. This past Friday, my boyfriend and I did just that. Now that Spring has (somewhat) arrived in Denver, the time to exercise the green thumb comes at you like a very good itch. For the longest time, I had much respect for all things green and growing, yet never really took the time to do anything about it. That all changed when I moved to Colorado. If you're not into Nature and being a part of it, then Colorado may not be for you. But, I digress. Last Friday held nice temperatures with a bare hint of cool breezes - the perfect time to pull up weeds. After enjoying some local beer consumption time, James started to pull up weeds in the backyard. I soon joined him. At first, I was the official bag holder as he dumped weeds into it, only to change as I sat down on the pebbles to get good and dirty. I would grab a s

  To be fair, I never knew the name of these plants for the longest time. I just knew that they were pretty and that they seemed to appear around the beginning of Spring. However, after taking my regular lunch walk, I noticed a huge patch growing in front of my house. Curiosity got the better of me, and so I began doing research - turns out these plants are called grape hyacinths or Muscari. These plants are planted in the fall so they can grow and bloom in Spring. They DO have a scent that is reminiscent of grape bubblegum, so sniff away! Grape hyacinths are part of the asparagus family and are native to Europe and Asia. Although they are known for that beautiful blue colour, grape hyacinths do come in a wide variety of colours. If you'd like to learn more, please check out the websites TheSpruce.com or Better Homes and Gardens!

When some people hear the word dandelion, they immediately think WEED. And while that may be true, there's so much more to the dandelion! When I was interested in  adding it to several of my tea blends , I knew very little about the dandelion except that there was more to it than meets the eye. Dandelions, or taraxacum officinale, are good in salads (either the leaves or the buds). The leaves are also good for tea blends as well - I find that they add an earthy yet faint sweet taste to my tea blends. According to the website The Spruce Eats , the roots are good as an addition to coffee! I think it's neat to see them suddenly appear in a grassy area. Seeing them in a yard or in a park is a reminder that Spring is coming or already here, as each blossom looks like the face of the sun smiling at you. And of course, there's the wine, although I will admit that I've never had it before. I might need to change that really soon! According to a recipe on allrecipes.com , you ne

  Among the blue and green She flies Caring not where she goes Only to feel her body Slick Glide on Through the blue and green. She sings A mournful song About a love She knew of before. Her salty tears Flow and become one With the blue and green She swims on Her tail, majestic, scales gleaming Through the blue and green.