Poetic Procrastination, Pen Pals, Tea Party

May 1, 2017 — pen pals, poet, tea, tea party

cactus blooms

I feel proud of my accomplishment to have finished #NaPoWriMo again this year by writing 30 poems in 30 days. I thought I would be very productive as a poet and in all other parts of life, but I was wrong all wrong. I did wrote the poems, but slacked on all kinds of other goals for no particular reason. I had planned to hand write poems to all my pen pals and send them on very artful paper, and I did that zero times.  In fact I have not even written to the pen pals, which has caused quite a bit of guilt, since many have continued to write letters to me.  My neighbor suggested I send them all a card saying “Roses are red. Violets are blue.  I am so sorry I haven’t written to you.” I might do it. I have a stack of mail to answer. I look forward to getting into the swing of that again and seeking the forgiveness of the pen pals.

After my prose break I have considered new features I want to include.  I plan to do a blog post each week about tea.  I drink iced tea daily in great quantity.  I had a limited knowledge and palate for tea, partly caused my my own ignorance of proper brewing.  I had created bitter and undrinkable black and green teas by brewing them too long at a high temperature.  I began to try new kinds of tea and learned more about making it taste good. I have come a long way in my own personal appreciation for the world of tea.

Almost all the tea I brew now is done in a jar buy the sun.  In Arizona we have plenty of solar energy to brew tea on the sidewalk almost every day.  This method never results in overly bitter or over brewed taste.  It is the natural way to make sure I brew it properly. I do strain and refrigerate it as soon as I bring it in (usually after about 10 hours).  We go through it quickly, so there is no need to cover the pitcher in the fridge.  I collect big pitchers so we can break a few every year. Tea keeps us refreshed and healthy.  It is a bargain in comparison to any bottled commercial beverage.

I plan to promote tea drinking for tea lovers, but I specifically want to interest those who normally drink beverages in cans and bottles which they purchase.  These drinks are very expensive compared to the most exotic and pricey teas, and offer no benefits for health.  Even bottled water has destructive effects on the environment.  When one knows about the varieties and flavor combinations available in tea, a world of gourmet delights opens to reveal a plethora of new experiences.  Tea pairs well with both foods and alcohol, offering new ways to serve old favorites. I hope to bring out some flavorful ideas the gentle readers will want to try.

Since Tuesday is the day of the week that alliterates with tea, I believe tomorrow will be the first installment of Tuesday Tea Party.  I am brewing some mango honeybush right now which will probably be featured. I hope you will join me for a cup.  Cheers!