Hi Loves,

Oh man, I’ve got it bad. And there’s only one thing that can cure my aching crush. My favorite tea ritual.

So, you remember how Mr. Great Tea Date didn’t call for so long? And then he did? And now we’re going out this weekend, on Saturday? Well, now you’re caught up. All this week we’ve been emailing and texting and talking on the phone (and some how getting work done, too) and as a result, I’ve totally got a major crush on him.

When this happens, my brain goes haywire. All I can do is ask a million questions. What’s going to happen? Does he like me back? Are we soul mates? What should I wear?

But I have to play it cool. And the best way I know how to relax, is to brew a pot of tea. Here’s what I do.

First, I take out my favorite kettle, tea pot, and cup. The tea pot was a gift from a past paramour, and the cup was a gift from my grandmother. The handle’s a little chipped, but it’s perfect to me. It brings back such good memories. Then I take out my trusty tea ball infuser and my favorite loose leaf tea. This month it’s Lavender Earl. Last month it was Oolong tea. Maybe next month it’ll be an Herbal tea. Variety is the spice of life!

While the water is boiling, I set out my special tray, dish, and tiny spoon that I like to use when I relax with a cup of hot tea. My family knows me well, and there are often many tea gifts under the tree for me. To add a little sweetness, I like just a bit of honey in my tea. But just a bit.

I then put the loose tea leaves into the tea ball infuser, and when the water’s nice and hot, I pour it into my favorite tea pot, drop in the infuser, and let it steep for exactly seven minutes. A black tea can steep for anywhere from five to ten minutes, and seven is just right for me.

I take my tea tray and fancy accessories, sit in my favorite chair, and try to turn off the world while I breathe in the soothing aromas my tea. When I can stop the runaway train that is my brain, and put things into perspective, I learn so much about myself and the world. Yes, I have a HUGE crush on Mr. Great Tea Date. But when I relax and think about it, I realize that this is the best part of being young and having fun–the anticipation of what may be, instead of the worry and stress.

I hope you all find a little peace of mind over a nice cup of tea this weekend.

OX and Tea,

Tia

Tags: black tea, How-to, tea accessories, tea ball infuser, tea pot

This entry was posted on Friday, October 3rd, 2008 at 11:11 am and is filed under Brewing Tea, Health, How-to, Mental Health Benefits, Opinion. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.