la Vie Sirene volume 2 issue 5 - THE TEA ISSUE

the magazine of the sirens • by the sirens • for the sirens

Spring THE TEA TRAVELLERS SOCIETEA ISSUE 2015 Tea

The tea life & how to ensure your cup runneth over

Camp!

Tea

ceremonies & arts Volume 2, issue V

Published by Siren School

Photography: Wendy Bateson Models (L-R): Molly Grace Nylander and Mikaela Armstrong Hair & Makeup: Asha Garratt

Of Steeping & Patience Heaping scoops of thanks to all who have waited so patiently for the publication of this issue. Originally due out in January, we were asked to forestall publishing so that we might coincide with the launching of the Tea Travellers Societea and The Tea Traveller’s Constant Companion first edition book release. At last, we’re ready for your consumption.

steep - stēp/ verb

1. soak (food or tea) in water or other liquid so as to extract its flavor or to soften it."the chilies are steeped in olive oil" 2. surround or fill with a quality or influence."a city steeped in history" synonyms: imbue with, fill with, permeate with, pervade with, suffuse with, infuse with, soak in

Tea is an aromatic beverage commonly prepared by pouring hot or boiling water over cured leaves of the Camellia sinensis, an evergreen shrub native to Asia. {so sayeth Wikipedia}

FEATURES

RECIPES

Wendy Bateson, our cover photographer ..... 6

New Zealand Pavlova ..................................... 33 Fool-proof Fairy Cake ...................................... 36 No-Bake Chai Pie ............................................ 59 Tea-Smoked Chicken ...................................... 77 Mongo Mango Couscous ............................... 109

Just Another Everyday Tea Ceremony by Martin J. Manco ............................................... 20 Invitation to Tea by Lyle Dagnen ................... 39 A Teatime Poem by Stephen Thompson ........ 41 Life by the Cup - book review by Sanndi Thompson ........................................................ 44 Alternatives to Traditional Western Medicine Tea by Sarah Kluge ......................................... 46 A Tea Story by Stephen Thompson ................ 50 Tea-Dyed Eggs by Bonnie Ramsburg ............ 54 The Grand Valentine Masquerade by Lyle Dagnen (continued from our last issue) .......... 58 Tea with Rose by Erin Sankey ....................... 63 Tasseography: The Art of Reading Tea Leaves

by Martin J. Manco .......................................... 99 Different Teas, Different Colored Fabrics by Bonnie Ramsburg ......................................... 105

INTERVIEWS Pamela’s Tearoom ........................................... 26 Empress Tea Company ................................... 68 Meridian Mer-Gyver ......................................... 90

MISCELLANY Welcome ........................................................... 2 The Birth of Tea ............................................. 10 Tea Currency .................................................. 11 The Japanese Tea Ceremony ......................... 12 Worldwide Tea Traditions ................................ 31 Planting an Herbal Tea Garden ....................... 48 The Legend of Blue Willow .............................. 60 Tea Storage ..................................................... 76 The Russian Caravan story ............................. 78 Tea Pairings ..................................................... 82 Tea Leaf Iconography .................................... 102 Tea Gardens .................................................. 112 Tea Dances .................................................... 115 Tea Gowns ..................................................... 116 The Tea Lady ................................................. 116 Siren Send-Off ............................................... 128 Ask the Afternoon Tea Expert ..................... 8, 24, 30, 42, 52, 65, 74, 86, 98, 108, 119, 122, 125

“Thank God for tea! What would the world do without tea! How did it exist?

I am glad I was not born before tea.” ― Sydney Smith, A memoir of the Rev. Sydney Smith

When I put out the call for photo submissions for this issue’s cover, I envisioned friends being silly as they raised their cups for the camera. So when I received the cover photo (selected for the primo spot by our readers) from Australian photographer Wendy Bateson, I literally gasped. Everything about it is beautiful, lush and colorful—sireny in every sense. It even includes a cat! I’m so honored to have the opportunity to share Wendy’s work and company, Design Vintage. I asked her to zip over a paragraph about herself to introduce you to the lady behind the lens. Readers, Wendy; Wendy, Readers... ~Joy, editress

Hi Joy. I am a Western Australian-based photographer with a passion for all things Vintage. With over 25 years industry experience, I now also offer digital design, image manipulations and retail concepts in the ‘vintage' niche. I love what I do and love to create unique websites, mixed media graphics and portraiture for clients worldwide. The gorgeous cover girls are both just starting out in modelling, and I shot them both for their portfolios. Can’t wait to see what happens with them next; was a pleasure to work with such gorgeous West Aussie girls.

Join Wendy’s beautiful world via the following sites:

Website Pinterest where she has more than 10K followers!

Facebook Model: Mikaela Armstrong, Hair & Makeup: Asha Garratt

Instagram

Model: Joshua Bateson

We invited our regular contributors to send in questions for our resident afternoon tea expert, and encouraged the querents to try to stump her. The questions are posted throughout this issue, all with the whimsically elegant photography of Rodney Smith.

#1 from Sanndi Thompson

Q: Why do you think it is, that when people hear the word tea party, almost always we conjure up images of Alice in Wonderland and the crazy Mad Hatter and White Rabbit and the splendid visual of that wacky long table for tea with all the mix matched chairs and tea cups?

It seems to be a famous tea party of ages always.

A: Well, wouldntcha know, we’d starting our questions off with a toughy. This topic is so complex, and its source matter so deeply rooted in the British/American psyche, that I dare not even attempt a reasonable answer. But I’ll sure chime in with my own laymen’s thoughts off the top of my head {no pun regarding the image shown here}.

My brief answer is that the Charles Dodson (aka Lewis Carroll) masterpiece embraces the entirety of the human experience, turns it on its head, and plunges it down a rabbit hole.

His own eclectic background as a writer, logician, photographer, mathematician, and even deacon, made for a tempest in a literary teapot that is relatable to all ages and eras.

Through Alice, we experience a hero’s journey, get to revisit childhood, flout the laws of physics, dabble with mind-body-altering substances, and speak our mind to those in authority. What’s not to love, woohooo! Plus, we encounter some of the most vivid icons in literature: the mad hatter, queen of hearts, white rabbit, hookah-smoking caterpillar ... the list goes on. Though my answer may ring shallow, my admiration for the story is not.

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and its auspicious origins Legend holds that Chinese emperor Shennong, an herbalist, ‘discovered’ tea in 2737 BC when a leaf of a tea bush wafted into the water that he was boiling in order to purify it for drinking. He liked what he tasted, finding the brew refreshing and flavorful, and thus cha was born.

Another story adds that upon his return home, when news of the incident made its way back to China, healers misunderstood what to do with the tea ‘stew’ and through out the liquid and instead, simply chewed the soaked leaves. Once the drinking of tea caught on, it didn’t take long for it to gain a reputation as a remedial agent. During the Western Zhou Dynasty tea found its way into religious ceremonies, and by the time of the Han Dynasty (202 BC - 220 AD) it had gained favor for its flavor in addition to its health benefits. A few hundred years later, the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD) established tea as a staple of social occasions, and it was at this time that tea made its way to Japan.

Today, tea is an integral part of cultures and meals across the world. Its consumption is second only to water.

Even in its early days, tea was valued for more than just its taste and health benefits. The pre-Confucian philosopher and ruler Shennong (Shen Nung) is reputed to have had this to say about tea in the Pen Ts'ao Ching: Tea is better than wine, for it leadeth not to intoxication, neither does it cause a man to say foolish things and repent thereof in his sober moments.

(He also said “It is better than water for it doth not carry diseases,” and stuff about "foul and rotten matter," but I like the first quote better.)

In the late 8th century, Chinese writer Lu Yu wrote an entire book on the subject of tea, entitled Ch’a Ching or ‘Tea Classic’—and a classic it remains!

Whatever one may say of it, the fact is that tea is here to stay. So why not grab a cuppa and settle in to enjoy this issue of our magazine, one that is steeped in tradition and devotion?

THE VALUE OF TEA T hroughout tea’s glorified

history, it has been prized as a precious commodity.

So essential is tea in China, Tibet, Mongolia and Central Asia, that prior to the 19th century, tea was used as currency in the form of tea bricks. Tea was actually preferred to coins by nomads, as it was a universal currency as opposed to a merely local one. In Siberia, tea was employed as a standard form of payment until WWII. ✦

In 1662, when the beverage was popularized in England thanks to the wedding of Portuguese royal Catherine Braganza and King Charles II, tea was priced at a hefty $100 per pound. ✦ In Victorian homes, only the lady of the house or perhaps most trusted servant would be entrusted with the keys to the chest. ✦ And we know what happened in Boston when taxes on tea became too steep.

So next time you’re tempted to grumble over the price tag on that Tazo, think about how much it might have cost a few centuries ago.

A bow to the Japanese Tea Ceremony Thousands of pages and entire lifetimes have been devoted to explaining and appreciating the singular ritual of preparing and serving tea in Japan. The following is a brief look at this practice, in the words provided on the Japanese-Tea-Ceremony site.

History of the Japanese Tea Ceremony Drinking of green tea was known in China from the fourth century. Tea plants didn’t grow in Japan until the first seeds were brought from China during the Tang dynasty (China 618-907), when relations and cultural exchanges between the two countries reached a peak.

In the eighth century the first mention of a formal ceremony involving the drinking of tea is found.

However, at this time it probably didn’t look much like the tea ceremony we know these days. Also, during the eighth century a Chinese Buddhist priest wrote a book on the proper method of preparing tea. The book was called “Cha Ching” and taught the correct temperature of hot water and the use of tea vessels. It is said that today’s style of the tea ceremony evolved largely through the influence of this book.

During the Nara period (Japan 710-794) tea plants were grown in Japan and mainly consumed by priests and noblemen as medicine. Toward the end of the Tang dynasty in China, the drinking of tea was going through a transformation from medicine to beverage, but due to deteriorating relations between the two countries this transformation did not reach Japan till much later. The Japanese were forced to mold and cultivate their own traditions and culture around the tea. Tea was a rare and valuable commodity from the Nara period to the Heian period (794-1192) so rules and formalities were based on this concept. Had tea been native to Japan or more readily available, it is almost certain that the tea ceremony would not have been created.

Kamakura period in Japan In 1187 Myoan Eisai, a Japanese priest, traveled to China to study philosophy and religion. When he came back, he became the founder of Zen Buddhism and build the first temple of the Rinzai sect. It is said that he was the first one to cultivate tea for religious purposes, unlike others before him who grew tea for medicinal use only. He was also the first to suggest and teach the grinding of tea leaves before adding hot water. A Sung emperor named Hui Tsung, referred to a bamboo whisk used to whisk the tea after hot water was poured over it in his book Ta Kuan Cha Lun (A General View of Tea). These two methods formed the basis for the tea ceremony as we know it today.

Some hostility was created among monks who didn’t like Eisai’s newly introduced religious ideas which he had imported, but the Kamakura shogunate, who were among his first converts, helped him succeed in enlisting protection. In 1211, Eisai was the first to write a treatise on tea

in Japan. In his treatise, Kissa Yojoki (Tea drinking is good for health) Eisai suggested that the drinking of tea had certain health benefits and cures for; loss of appetite, paralysis, beriberi, boils and sickness from tainted water.

According to him it was a cure for all disorders, so this perhaps was the main reason that the Tea Ceremony gained such popularity.

Tea in the thirteenth century and the Samurai Tea started to spread outside of the Uji district where it had mainly been grown since the beginning. But by now popularity and so demand was growing rapidly and called for plantations all around Japan. The samurai class, who loved everything about the Sung dynasty including the Tea ceremony, embraced it wholly and caused even greater popularity of the ritual preparation of green tea.

In 1333, the Kamakura shogunate fell which led to civil wars in the whole country. A new class of people came into existence, the Gekokujou (parvenus). These nobles whose extravagant lifestyles attracted much attention from the public, often held tea parties for their friends called Toucha. In this game the guests were tested on their abilities to distinguish

between Honcha (genuine tea) and other tea.

Soon betting accompanied these games and great valuable prices were presented to winners which added to the excitement of the game.

Originally the guests were given ten cups of tea, but this number increases to twenty, thirty and eventually one hundred cups per person. If there was a great number of people attending the party, it would have been impossible to provide every guest with one hundred cups.

Although followed procedures are unknown, the guests probably passed cups from one the next. This technique of passing around tea bowl probably explains why only one tea bowl is used during today’s Tea Ceremony.

However strange this habit of sharing might seem to us now, it probably has its roots in the Samurai class. The Samurai had strong family ties, and when the family would gather on important occasions, it was custom for the lord to take the first sip of Sake from a large cup and then pass it among his retainers as a reaffirmation of their close bonds.

Tea ceremony during the Muromachi period During the Muromachi period, Japanese architecture went trough a transformation from the formal palace style adopted in the Heian period, to a simplified style used by the Samurai. The next transformation was from Samurai style to the Shoin style which used elements of temple architecture. For the tea ceremony some of the Shoin design details were adopted, such as the alcove (Tokonoma), the pair of shelves (Chigaidana) in the side of the alcove, and the side-alcove desk (Tsukeshoin). Of course Taami mats were used to cover the floor in the Shoin style.

The Samurai nobles made it their hobby to perfect the way of decorating the alcove, the shelves in the side alcove. The Shoin desk became fixed, with the aim of arranging a small number of utensils and articles in a way that was aesthetically and functionally.

After some time, the Shoin was used to serve tea ceremonially by the Douboushuu. All the utensils used by them came from China and were placed on a large utensil stand (Daisu).

Murata Shukou : The Founder of Chanoyu When people of other classes became interested in the tea ceremony enjoyed by the Samurai class, they started having small tea gatherings in smaller and less lavish rooms which were appropriate to their status. From this the small room called Kakoi came into existence.

One of the best designers of smaller tearooms was a Zen priest called Murata Shukou. He later became known as the father of the tea ceremony because the etiquette and spirit of tea were

originated by him. At the age of eleven he entered into priesthood at Shoumyou Temple until he was twenty. Ten years later he returned to priesthood at Daitoku-ji Temple under the monk and teacher Ikkyuu Soujun to practice Zen meditation. Later he was rewarded for his profound understanding of Zen and received a diploma signed by the Chinese monk Yuanwu.

After this, he spend the rest of his days in his tea room in Nara to perfect the tea ceremony, and give lessons to anyone interested in learning the art. To all his students he tried very hard to instill the true spirit of simple, Zen-inspired tea.

Another important procedure initiated by Shukou, was that he himself would serve the tea to his guests. He preferred the intimate and personal atmosphere of a small room which could fit five to six people. The four-and-a-halfmat room that he had devised to create a more tranquil atmosphere during the tea ceremony had its origins in the Zen philosophy he had studied in Kyoto at Daitokuji Temple.

In a letter to his favorite pupil, Harima no Furuichi, Shukou outlined his own basic concept of the art of Chanoyu and his personal philosophy of aesthetics. He wrote about the idea of refined simplicity, or Kakeru, and about the importance of understanding the aesthetic qualities of sober-colored pottery from Bizen and Shigaraki. From his letters it can also be learned that he took great pains to study the best method of combining Chinese and Japanese tea utensils.

Toward the end of the Muromachi period, the tea culture reached its peak, and tea devotees were given different titles to distinguish their relation to the art. Chanoyusha was the name given to a professional teacher of the tea ceremony like Shukou. A Wabi-suki was a teacher distinguished by three particular qualities: faith in the performance of tea, an ability to act with decorum befitting a proper master, and excellent practical skills. Finally, the Meijin not only met all the qualities of a wabi-suki, but was a collector of fine Chinese tea utensils as well.

Portland’s Japanese Garden

The Japanese Tea Ceremony The Japanese tea ceremony is called Chanoyu, Sado or simply Ocha in Japanese. It is a choreographic ritual of preparing and serving Japanese green tea, called Matcha, together with traditional Japanese sweets to balance with the bitter taste of the tea. Preparing tea in this ceremony means pouring all one's attention into the predefined movements. The whole process is not about drinking tea, but is about aesthetics, preparing a bowl of tea from one's heart. The host of the ceremony always considers the guests with every movement and gesture.

Even the placement of the tea utensils is considered from the guests view point (angle), especially the main guests called the Shokyaku.

Japanese tea ceremony Videos • Click here to a view a video of the ceremony In this six minute movie two people explain in short the history of the Japanese tea ceremony. Then, while showing some of the Japanese tea ceremony utensils, they show

how to prepare a casual cup of Japanese green tea. (The actual preparation of tea would take much longer.) Maybe interesting for those who do not own specific utensils but wish to give a little extra flavor to their powdered green tea.

There are quite a few movies of the Japanese tea ceremony on the web these days, on this page you'll find the most interesting and useful ones. Some videos will explain certain details or parts of the Japanese tea ceremony and some actually show the actual tea ceremony being performed. But don't get the wrong impression that the tea ceremony is an event that is finished in a few minutes time, an actual full tea ceremony called Chaseki would take little over two hours to complete. Secondly, witnessing the real Japanese tea ceremony is a completely different experience which one can not get from watching these videos and movies.

Preparing tea The ritual preparation of tea is very simple, simplicity is one of the basics for preparing a bowl of green tea for the guests. However, each step of the preparation has fixed

movements, and utensils have to be placed at pre-decided locations on the Tatami mat. It is drinking tea and serving tea with a lot of spiritual depth and a deep silence and serenity.

winter, the way to finish the tea ceremony during Furo and Ro also differs.

• Click here for Steps to finish Furo in summer.

Preparation styles can vary according to the season or the level of formality of the meeting. But basically there are two main preparations styles : • Click here for preparation of tea with the Furo during summer season.

• Click here for preparation of tea with the Ro during winter season.

Etiquette for Guests

The main difference between preparing tea in summer and winter is that in summer the Kama or iron kettle is placed on a brazier and in winter the Kama is placed in a sunken hearth or Ro which is a square hole in the Tatami flooring. According to this the utensils used to prepare green tea are placed at slightly different locations. Also the Sumi-demae charcoal procedure is different in winter and summer. Because the placement of utensils is different during tea in summer and tea in

Several guests can be invited to a tea ceremony. For a small meeting the average number of guests would be around four or five. The first guest or guest of honor is called Shokyaku, the second guest is a Jikyaku, and the others are called simply Kyaku. Also the last guest has a special name which is Tsume. These guests have a special ranking and a sitting order in the Chashitsu.

According to their sitting order or ranking they have fixed duties to perform during the tea ceremony. For example, the Shokyaku who is the principal guest is the main person to communicate with the Teishu. The Shokyaku will ask the Teishu where certain tea utensils are from, where they were made, and who made them. When the Shokyaku asks questions, he or she has to use a humble language, a clear voice, consider the correct timing so to

The Huntington Library’ & Gardens

not create trouble for the tea-host, and always thank the Teishu for providing an answer. (See: Dialog between Shokyaku and Teishu ) Receiving and eating Wagashi Usually one of the first things brought into the Chashitsu is a bowl or dish with sweets called Wagashi.

Teishu will sit in front of the Shokyaku and place the dish in between them. Teishu bows and verbally indicates that these are sweets for the guests to eat. Shokyaku bows back and with both hands moves the bowl to the right.

These sweets are not to be eaten immediately but only when Teishu has warmed the Chawan with hot water from the Kama and discarded the waste water into the Kensui.

The Hachi with Wagashi, may they be moist or dry, is moved with two hands in front of the knees. Kaishi paper is usually a bunch of square washi paper sheets folded in half. The outer sheet is removed and placed on top of the Kaishi pile and then placed in front of the knees. When Omogashi (moist, main sweet) is served, it is usually accompanied byKuromoji,which are sweet picks.

Kuromoji look like chopsticks but have an obvious wooden look. The Kuromoji are usually placed on the lit and have to be placed on the Kaishi before removing the lit. The lit of the Hachi is lifted with both hands, and then the right hand grabs the lit above the left hand. (lit is vertical) The left hand moves to hold the lit underneath and it is placed up-side down next to the Hachi. The Kuromoji is picked up by the righ hand with little assistance of the left hand and one piece of Omogashi is transferred to the Kaishi paper. Now the Kuromoji must have some sticky jelly or Anko paste from the Omogashi stuck to it so it needs to be wiped with the kaishi before returning it to the Hachi. Place half of the Kuromoji on the corner of the Kaishi. Fold the corner of the Kaishi over the Kuromoji and pull the Kuromoji so that any sticky material is wiped-off by the paper. The lit is returned on top of the Hachi in the reverse order and Kuromoji is placed on the lit. Use both hands to slightly lift the Hachi and move it to the left as far as possible. The Jikyaku and following guests will take the sweets in the same way.

Drinking Koicha - Pick up the Chawan Koicha is served together with a Dashibukusa.

Shokyaku will stand up, walk to the Chawan, and sit down in front of it. With the right hand the dashibukusa is placed on the palm of the left hand. Then the Chawan is placed on top of the dashibukusa. Shokyaku walks back

to his seat and sit down. The Chawan is placed in front of the knees with the dashibukusa next to it on the left but not on the same Tatami. Kimono or clothes are rearranged before continuing.

Apologies and bows Chawan is picked-up again and placed on the same Tatami but on Shokyaku's left side. Shokyaku will apologize for drinking before others. Then, pick up the Chawan and place it in front of his knees, bow to the Teishu and say: "Otemae chodai itashimasu".

Ready to drink Place the Dashibukusa on the palm of the left hand and the Chawan on top. At chest height with the right hand the Chawan is turned clockwise two times so that the Shomen comes to the left. Make sure to lift the Chawan properly in order not to damage the fragile Dashibukusa.

Raise the Chawan a little higher with simultaneous little knot toward the Teishu to indicate one is about to start drinking. Koicha is shared with three people altogether, so take about three sips to leave enough for the the next two guests. When Shokyaku has tasted enough, the Chawan is placed in front of the knees again.

Wiping the rim Now, the rim needs to be wiped with a Kaishi. Take one Kaishi from the stack and fold one of the corners over the rim where the Macha is. Be careful not to wipe too deep into the bowl because that would be wasting good Macha. This wiping of the rim is more a "gesture" of cleanliness than actual cleaning. Fold the Kaishi one more time and wipe the rim again. Place Kaishi in the left sleeve of the Kimono. When the tea-bowl has passed all the guests during Koicha, theTsume and Shokyaku will move close to the Teishu where the Tsume will return the bowl to the Shokyaku. The Shokyaku will inspect the Chawan one more time to make sure it is not damaged, then return it to the host by placing it at the same location where the Teishu had placed it before.

Usucha During Usucha the Shokyaku will ask the other guests if they had enough or want to drink more green tea. If all guests had enough, the shokyaku will ask the host to clean up and to finish the tea ceremony.

Portland’s Japanese Garden

J ust A not her E v ery day The tea ceremony began, as it always had.

Three men in kimonos were seated on the tatami floor in the tea house situated in a garden in suburban Japan. One, a white-haired young man with boyish features, garbed in orange with images of stylized flames and foxes, was using the silk fukusa cloth to handle to hot tea kettle, pouring for the three participants. The other two, seated next to each other across from the central tatami panel in the floor, were of similar age and garb. One had brown hair hair, cut in a feathery style, with flushed, reddish skin and a distinctly aquiline nose, and wore a sky blue robe decorated in elaborate clouds and birds, with a feather fan tucked into his belt. The third had long flowing blue-black hair, was strikingly handsome, wore black robes draped in coiling dragons, and spoke in a voice like gentle waves on the shore.

eyes closed in bliss, he hummed. “Exquisite!

And may I say that the chabana flower arrangement is quite clever… snapdragon, foxglove, and bird of paradise, each leaning towards us… very fitting.”

“The scroll you selected, Kari, is exquisite… simple and elegant, with the classic themes of harmony, respect, purity, and tranquility, and the illustrations of the five elements in the corners and center… lovely!”

“Why thank you, Tama,” replied the tea ceremony master in his high-pitched voice as he placed the sweets before them. “That is most kind. Since I figured we are a diverse group of yokai, for wont of a better term, it seemed appropriate. Please, enjoy the sweets.”

“My thanks,” came the rumbling tone of the long-nosed one, Sho, as he reached forward, using the kaishi paper to carefully lift one of the wagashi treats without disturbing anything else on the fuchidaka tray. Tasting it carefully with

“Of course,” said Kari with a mischievous smile that highlighted his vulpine features. “You are, after all, my favorite guests, and I so look forward to your visits. Now may I suggest the first tea? It is my own special blend… I call it Foxfire.”

The other two happily sipped the bright green tea, murmuring in delight at its lightness and flavor. It was then, however, that Kari’s ears twitched, Sho glared at the sliding walls, and

Tea C eremony Tama paused in between licking his lips to flick his tongue in the air, then sighed mournfully.

“We never get an uninterrupted tea ceremony, do we?”

by Martin J. Manco

Sho huffed. “Seriously?”

“Quiet, my friend,” replied Kari. “May I help you gentlemen?”

“You have made dangerous enemies, Yokai.

Not all of them are patient enough to wait until your pretensions of civilization are done.

Especially when you humiliated our grand master.”

Kari shrugged. “It wasn’t my fault he thought I looked especially fetching in a dress… though I admit I did help misplace the bride. She was awfully young for him, though, you must admit.

Though I am sorry I deprived her of the pleasure of his kissing skills.”

Kari commiserated, saying, “Ah well, at least this is nothing we haven’t dealt with before.” He then raised his voice. “We all know you’re there… you might as well come out now and save time.”

Smoke puffed around them, and the three tea enthusiasts, each kneeling in the formal seiza position, found the chain-and-sickle kusarigama blades at their throats as they were surrounded by black-clad ninja.

The masked ninja somehow managed to express a sneer of disgust and their arms twitched at their weapons… only for green flames and purple lightning to blaze through the room, fanned from the nine fox tails fanning behind kari, whose eyes glowed yellow as his illusion of humanity flickered. Sho and Tama applauded as he slid open the panels of the tea house, and unceremoniously dumped them in the koi pond, watching them wake up and crawl away as fast as they could. “Next time, tell your grand master to stock up breath mints and marry a woman of his advanced age,” he offered cheerfully to the defeated and humiliated shinobi, before folding his array of tails away and resuming his human form.

Leaving the paneled walls open to enjoy the nice weather, the trio resumed the ceremony with an artfully-arranged selection of seasoned fish and meat, the kaiseki. After tasting appreciatively, Tama groaned, “Oh, I love the way surface people cook! Under the sea, we are woefully behind in such niceties.”

“You are welcome to visit any time, my friend,” replied Kari the kitsune, “but tell me, how does your father view your interest in the world above the waves?”

The dark haired young man winced. “Let us just say that we both have agreed not to speak of it, but the last time we did, the words, ‘I’ll not lose another one of my children to those faithless, smelly barbarians’ were involved. So it could have gone better.”

“Your mischief is at an end, monsters,” yelled the samurai in pink-red feathery armor. “Watch as we summon our Giant Uber Combination Mecha!” The team immediate posed in dramatic (and not very defensive poses, and reached for cell-phone like devices, presumably to summon something big and noisy.

“Ok,” said Sho, standing up. “That is quite

Sho grumbled appreciatively. “Ryujin does have a point, I’ll give him that… but then again, if guarding and ruling the ocean was my duty and my children had a tendency to fall for surface dwellers and get into trouble, I might feel the same way.”

Tama nodded, taking a bracing sip of Spring Thunder tea. “You’re right of course. But his instincts are to keep us close… and ours are to explore. It’s not a problem that is easily solv… do you feel something odd, in the air?”

It was Kari’s turn to sigh in frustration as a blaze of multicolored light shimmered in the garden outside the teahouse, resolving into five figures in elaborate armor, with spiny masked helmets, futuristic armor, and ridiculous looking weapons.

“We are… the Teenaged Super Ultra Samurai Menagerie Sentai! Black Northern Tortoise!

Green Eastern Dragon! Red Southern Phoenix!

White Western Tiger! Gold Central Kirin! Hai yah! Beware, evildoers!”

The tea tasters looked at each other in confusion. Tama spoke up, hesitantly. “Um, I do not think we are evildoers, per se.”

“Mischief doers, maybe” suggested Kari.

“Oh, definitely that,” agreed Sho.

enough. We are minding our own business, and if you can’t respect that, then you are no heroes. You are not even remotely in our league, even with your fancy gadgets, and you should instead be focusing on dealing with the gang and drug problems in town, not interrupting tea ceremonies of people who don’t happen to be human. Good bye!”

A roar of thunder and hurricane force winds blasted across the gardens… and over the next town. Like a certain frequently defeated brother-sister duo and their cat, the Teenaged Super Ultra Samurai Menagerie Sentai were flung far into the sky, vanishing from sight!

“Quite all right,” said Kari to the tengu as he folded the walls of the tea house shut. “Shall we continue?”

Sho, now with a fully avian face resembling a kite, fanned the massive wings he’d used to

Some time later, as lagoon tea was poured, and the three friends were relaxing, they heard a loud boom in the distance… and noticed ripples forming in their teacups. Then came another one… boom! Then another, slightly louder… Boom! Then a third, even louder…

BOOM!

“Please,” Sho and Tama chimed in unison, and turned to a discussion of the weather.

Kari held his head in his hands while Sho rubbed his shoulder. Tama looked disgusted.

“What is the sense of having a monster island if the monsters do not stay there. Oooooooh, I will be having a talk with my father about this!”

He flicked the walls open, and the trio looked up to see an enormous creature, with the frill and horns of a triceratops, the huge, razor sharp teeth of a tyrannosaur, the armor plated back of an ankylosaurus, a scaled but gorillalike torso, a spiked and finned tail, and tiny pteranodon-like wings, too small to support the weight of a creature that towered above most skyscrapers. It opened its jaws and roared down at the tea house, uprooting several of the trees in the garden and forcing the kitsune and tengu to dive for the tea cups, trays, and flower arrangements. Tama, on the other hand, only shrugged and stepped outside, hands on his hips, looking up at the massive kaiju like a toddler about to scold an older sibling.

buffet the teenaged superheroes into the next prefecture, and sat back down, calming himself as he gradually resumed a more human appearance and fixed his kimono. “I apologize for that… I couldn’t contain myself in the face of their attitude. Teenagers… hmph!”

The newspapers the next day would feature a cover of two reptilian monsters clashing with the headline, “Imperial Dragon Trounces Triceramari, Citizens Rejoice!”

Afterwards, when the son of the dragon emperor beneath the sea had resumed human form, his fox friend turned to his two guests and asked, “Same time next week?”

#2 from Genevieve Poston Q: What are key elements a person should look for and consider when choosing a regular tea room?

A: I love this question! Tearooms, more than any other kind of eatery I’ve encountered, represent the specific tastes and whimsies, the childhood hopes and adult dreams, of the owners. When one goes to a traditional family Italian restaurant, there’s a good chance they’ll see red & white checked table cloths and a menu listing pizza, lasagna, spaghetti and so on. As a diner, you don’t get much sense of the personality of the individual who owns the business.

But go to a tearoom and you will see the soul of the owner bared in every aspect of the decor and food presentation. You’ll get to really know the proprietor and what’s in his/her heart when you enter their establishment. It’s a very personal kind of business.

So when choosing a tearoom to visit regularly, you won’t need to make a conscience decision as to where to frequent. You’ll naturally be drawn to those places that feed your soul as well as your palate.

My go-to place is not my favorite fancy place. Instead, it’s the place I feel most comfortable and content. It’s the place I’ve gone for solace every time I’ve faced tragedy.

And for the record, for those in SoCal, it’s Pamela’s Tea Room & British Shop in Garden Grove.

Do you or so meone you k now love to to tea? Find go ing the kind o f tearoom yo desire can be u tricky, which is why the T Travellers So ea cietea is in th e process of publishing a nationwide s eries of tearo guidebooks, om beginning w it h Southern California, w hich is availa ble now.

The Tea Trav ell is the Baede er ’s Constant Companio ker of aftern n oon tea guid and comes in es, paperback, K indle, Nook, pub, PDF an Edo mention an a nline formats, not to dd-as-you-go p version. Eac h edition off assport e rs unique, from s live navigab omething le color photos, li recipes, tea ti nks to full p s, quotes, and even tea trek diary pages.

Whichever fo rmat you cho ose, you’ll have access to regularly updated conte to keep you nt in the know during your travels. Don tea ’t go to tea w ithout it!

Tearooms come and go in America, but ex-pat Pamela Brand from York has weathered the last two decades’ economic storms and trends to establish herself as an icon in the Orange County, California tea community.

We asked her some pointed questions and found her answers delightfully candid.

How long ago did you come to the states and what brought you here in the first place?

I came to the states in 1993.

I was going through a divorce and could not settle, so I came out here to visit friends who I had met when I was a nanny here in 1966.

I decided whilst here that I

wanted to come back and open a tearoom. The feeling was so strong ― gut and all that ― that when I went back to England I put the wheels in motion. A very heart wrenching time to leave my children; Katie was 23 and James 20, but nevertheless my babies. Took me about 10 years to call this place home.

What did you do professionally prior to coming stateside?

I worked in the Probation Service on the Youth team. Quite an eye opener. The youths that came through the system don't stand a chance.

They all came from backgrounds of some crime or another and grew up in that environment.

Lot of them were good kids.

Sad thing is we cannot do anything for the children until they come through the system. I had one mother call me to say here 14-year-old was off to the town centre to meet undesirable persons what could she do about it. I told her to give him a good hiding and stop him going out. I told my boss and got my wrists slapped. He said there is nothing we can do to help until he does something that gets him into the system. This lady needed help before her son got into trouble.

Has living here changed you? And if so, how?

Living here has changed me in as much as I am Pamela Brand not Mrs Malcolm Brand. My first husband is a good guy, but we just grew apart. Still friends today.

I am a lot more

garrulous than I was and have opinions that I am not afraid to speak of, but sometimes not a good idea. My daughter tells me I am opinionated, but I tell her I just air my views.

What misconceptions do yanks harbor when it comes to tea service?

When I first had a tearoom, I used to notice that the cup was often separated from its companion ― the saucer ― and finally decided that Yanks are used to drinking out of mugs which do not have saucers.

I could have saved a lot of washing up had I just served a cup.

They also like to have scones first.

Have you noticed any trends among tea room customers over the years?

We have quite a lot of young people coming through, often in groups of 4 or 5.

They enjoy the experience and like the peace and quiet to visit with friends in a friendly atmosphere, instead of coffee shops where computers rule.

Another thing is the ladies do not dress with hats very much anymore. They come to tea to be comfortable with whomever they are with and dress accordingly for the amount of food they are about to indulge in!

If you were going to tea, where would you like to go? And what would you look forward to eating?

To be honest, I have only been to tea a couple of times. It is not my first choice when going out with a friend. I love to serve tea and the food to go with it and see the people enjoy the experience, but I would rather have Sushi.

A bold claim has been made by your webmaster that you make literally "the best scones in the universe."

What should a perfect scone be like?

I really don't know. I don't eat scones.

How much tea do you personally drink on average each day?

I used to drink a lot of tea, 8- 10 cups a day. Now I drink more coffee. Since coming here, I found that the tea made in restaurants comes from the hot water from the coffee machine and therefore is not anywhere near hot enough to

brew a good pot. Also, being a tea snob, I do not like drinking tea out of a thick, pot mug. Coffee is fine, but tea? No. Also, Lipton’s is not a good tea here.

In England it is far superior.

What do you foresee for tearooms over the next few years?

When I first came here and opened a tea room in Orange, there was a tea boom and tea rooms were popping up all over.

During the following 10 years many closed. You cannot survive on tea alone.

Most tea rooms now are attached to an antiques store or grocery store or something to bring in alternative income.

The tea room will continue, but not on as wider scale. However, we shall survive!!!

Any exciting plans or projects you're looking forward to at your tearoom?

Just staying open at the moment and fighting the economy. However, we plan on doing some special events every 2-3 months and try and keep a variety of themes.

A view from the tearoom into the shop

Afternoon tea in process

The universe-famous scones!

* *

* *

Invitation to Tea

by Lyle Dagnen The clock ticking away kept his mind on the fact that she was not late. He'd asked her to come to tea at four o'clock and it was not yet four. It was four minutes until four and she made it a point never to be early, not even by a minute. She was doing this to drive him crazy. She was good at that. He was her “literal Louie”; it bugged him—his name wasn't Louie but she had a fondness for literary images and the alliteration pleased her and aggravated his sense of the literal. The whistle of the copper kettle snagged his attention and he went to make the tea.

Darjeeling—she liked Darjeeling tea and that is what he would brew today. Setting the quilted cozy over the tea pot he returned to his position by the window. He wanted to watch her approach his front door. It was raining, and he wanted to see what she would do.

With irritating precision he saw her car turn into his driveway. The Gods must have been laughing at him, because the rain storm turned to a tempest of thunder, lightning, and driving rain that coincided with her turning off her car. Without missing a beat, she got out and walked to his door.

She didn't run or put up a hand or even dare to use an umbrella.

Oh, heaven forbid she use an umbrella. No, she strolled and turned her face to the torrent of water falling on her. She reveled in it, like she drew some kind of mystic strength from the booming thunder and lightning.

He would never understand her, but she was a puzzle he longed to solve if it took him the rest of his life. He loved her as he had never loved any other person in his life.

He had prepared for her arrival. He had fluffy towels waiting by the door. He had a fire in the fireplace ... he even had a change of clothes for her. Her presence in his home was a comfortable thing; he wanted her there on a permanent basis, but she resisted. She told him she would drive his ordered existence crazy, so she had her house. He wanted her to drive his ordered existence crazy. She was the reason he finally understood what John Keats meant when he wrote: “I cannot exist without you – I am forgetful of every thing but seeing you again – my life seems to stop there – I see no further . You have absorb'd me. I have a sensation of the present moment as though I were dissolving...I have been astonished that men could be Martyrs for religion – I have shuddered at it – I shudder no more – I could be martyr'd for my Religion – Love is my religion – I could die for you.

My creed is Love and you are its only tenet You have ravish'd me away by a Power I cannot resist.”

With her knock on his door, she was there, like the faeries among the lilies in his garden, she was a ball of light that he believed in. He wrapped her in a towel, cupped her face in his hands and kissed her rain-soaked lips. He could taste the rain and the cold; he could taste her as he held her close, soaking the water into the towel he had wrapped around her.

“Let me help you get out of these wet things so that you can warm up.” She giggled as he blotted the cold dripping water from her waist-length hair. Then, piece at a time he removed her clothes; he relished the time he gave to dry her skin, to enjoy the feel under his fingers, to watch her wiggle as he touched the places that made her giggle and laugh. He helped her don the sweat suit that was hers,

and he took her wet clothes to the dryer. Bringing the tray laden with the tea service back to the living room, he joined her on the couch.

As he began to pour the tea, he began his thought-out discussion of tea, life and his future plans. He covered how pouring tea was a male activity in many cultures— that sharing tea with an individual was like sealing some kind of honor code that both men would live by. He even spoke of how ladies learned to pour and serve tea as a way of setting a social behavior that was accepted among people striving for correct behavior. He elaborated upon the military precision and order of his life and how he had used those things as a guide post for his existence. All the while he was pouring tea, offering her traditional tea foods—sometimes, actually feeding bites of the tasty morsels to her. Then he grew quiet, placing his cup on the table. He took her cup and placed it beside his.

“You have shaken everything I believe and ripped all my ideas of organization to shreds. Each day I wake without you beside me is hollow, and I find that I cannot live this way any longer. I want you in my life, all the time, with your disorder and quirky ways.”

He placed a finger over her lips, “I quite understand that I will never get you to use an umbrella. You may end up teaching me to walk in the rain with you. God knows I would walk into Hell with you if you asked me to. I'm asking, will you marry me?”

A question she never thought she would hear: she was momentarily speechless. Sucking in enough air to have a voice, she shouted, “Yes!” and threw herself into his arms.

He pulled her close to his heart and held her tightly.

“I love you,” she whispered—the sweetest sound he had ever heard.

He took out the rings he had chosen. The jeweler had created a set that locked together when the bands and engagement rings were joined. The diamonds and the platinum appeared to be rain drops on lilies. He slipped the engagement ring on her finger, snapping the ring box closed. As he held her, she absorbed the beat of his wonderful heart, she nestled into his embrace. They listened to the rain and enjoyed the fire.

A teatime poem

by Stephen Thompson The happy tune of china cups Softly chattering on the silver tray And then the glow as they sat in the sunlight Flashing their golden smiles In the kitchen the kettle whistled a summons To chide a tardy hostess The leaves fluttered down like butterflies Into the welcoming pot Bubbling water gushed from the spout To embrace the leaves in the pot There they cuddled in comfortable congress while scones appeared from the oven To exhale on a delicate dish The jam and the cream in their crystal bowls Suffered to be seated on the table With knife and spoon in respectful attendance Awaiting the cheerful guests Then arrived pot and guests in momentary confusion 'Till the tea was poured amid appropriate comments And the serious business of partying began.

#3 from Sanndi Thompson

Q: Who introduced you to the "tradition" of Afternoon Tea?

A: I would love to say that my first tea memories came from my maternal grandmother at whose home I whiled away many a magical afternoon, playing tea party with my dolls and stuffed animals as Mumsy baked Scottish scones and cut the crusts off my Nutella and honey sandwiches. Alas, I was a tomboy who chose playing sports with the boys instead of dolls with the girls, and so my introduction to tea was forestalled until my teen years.

I’d just arrived in England for the first time. We got in very late at night and awakened to an early tour of the Tower of London and Crown Jewels. Pretty neat, eh? Well, my boycrazy friend and I had different ideas. We ditched the tour, conquered the Tube transport system, and whisked off to Wimbledon with visions of meeting hunky tennis players.

When we arrived, we were astonished to find out that we weren’t allowed in ... the matches long having been sold out. I was nearly distraught, as I’d grown up with a bucket list desire to have strawberries and cream at Wimbledon. When I queried the polite tickettaker as to where we may be able to acquire the coveted berries and cream, he suggested The Ritz. When we arrived, they were serving afternoon tea. “But I don’t drink tea,” I protested. Nonetheless, I bit the bullet and we sat down. Little did I know what I was in for—an experience that would change my entire lifestyle. So my first afternoon tea was at The Ritz. My first afternoon tea in America is a story in and of itself...

Do you enjoy afternoon tea, themed tea parties, how-to tea tutorials, tea meetups, info on the newest tea rooms in town, treasure hunts, whodunits, tea-specific magazines, tea room guides, tea treat recipes, or free tea samples? Do you yearn to go to tea camp?

If the answer is yes to any of the above, join the Tea Travellers Societea, where you’ll have access to the latest and greatest tea happenings in your area, with 5 membership levels to satisfy the most insatiable tea-goer.

“When the going gets tough, the tough go to tea.”

TeaTravellersSocietea.com

Sanndi Thompson’s book review of

Life by the Cup

by Zhena Muzyka Life by the Cup is filled with so much inspiration and down-to-earth wisdom that even if you aren't an avid tea drinker or connoisseur, you will still gain something from this book.

It’s the true life story of Zhena Muzyka, a single, young, fierce mother who is faced with her baby boy's serious health issues and the pending operations he will need to survive. When Zhena is desperate to come up with solutions to obtain more money, she prays, meditates, and one day, finally clearly hears the words Gypsy ... and then Tea. She starts making her own custom blend teas. She calls upon her love and knowledge of aromatherapy, tea, her Ukrainian Gypsy ancestry, and the teachings of her Gypsy grandmother, and begins the journey creating her company—Zhena's Gypsy Tea. Each chapter starts out with thought-provoking quotes and mantras, and each chapter ends with a little self-realization exercise.

Through each chapter, Zhena shares very personal spiritual stories of her journey building her company and all of its ups and downs.

Life by the Cup is not only about a tea company, it is more about the strong, driven, determined, and devoted mother who learns to listen and trust her intuition and to follow her soul's calling and purpose. Not only does she eventually create a successful tea company and get the medical help for her son, but she comes up with a way to help better the lives of the tea workers in the fields in the countries that supply her

tea. She wanted them to have better working conditions, restrooms that they did not have, clean water, etc. She started the Robin Hood Laptop project, which supplies refurbished laptops to the kids in the tea fields and beyond.

Zhena also now helps women build companies that heal and change the world through her seminars. This is a feel-good book for sure. I feel like this book can give hope to anyone who has a dream or goal. It inspires us to believe that our dreams or ideas are valuable and can become a reality. It enriches your soul and makes you want to live a more passionate life.

Her tales of her tea parties with a gypsy flair and belly dancers at them will make you want to have such a party. Also, at the end of book there are unique recipes to try out as well. If I were to rate this book? Well instead of 5 stars, I give it 5 cups!

Editor’s note: Additionally, Sanndi sent over some interview questions to Zhena, but the rigors of running so many programs prevented the gypsy spirit from being able to reply. Here are Sanndi’s questions for you to mull over on your own: 1) One of my favorite parts of Life by the Cup is when you had the epiphany for Gypsy Woman Tea. You were young, broke, struggling, and your son needed surgery, can you retell this pivotal moment as to how it started your company?

2) One of the chapters that stands out the most for me is chapter 3, Just Show Up ( I read it and re read it again and again) So out of all the chapters in Life by the Cup, which one is the most nearest and dearest to your heart?

3) You are helping so many people in other countries with Fair Trade and the Laptop Project,as well as here in U.S. with your seminars, not to mention writing books, plus you have a husband and children, so how do you find the time to do it all? When does Zhena get to take tea breaks?

4) I have heard that you are already currently working on another book, can you tell us anything about it yet? Or maybe you can tell us when it is projected to be released?

5) Tea rooms are still around here and there, do you think you would ever have your own tea room? Oh how awesome and bohemian and magical it would be if you did! ( I would certainly visit it!)

6) When you were little Zhena, did you have tea parties even back then? What were your favorite things or dreams as a child?

7) Toward the end of the book, you include tips on how to have your own gypsy tea parties and recipes. You are

obviously a very creative soul, do you think you will ever expand on this and have your own line of products? ( such as teapots, accessories, or even design your own oracle cards of some sort?)

8) You mention your beloved gypsy grandmother in your book and how her essence is very much an integral foundation of you and your company. If you could talk to her now what would the conversation be like? ( I am sure she is very proud of you! ) And in the future at some point when you get to be a grandmother yourself, what pearls of wisdom do you think you would bestow upon your grandchildren?

9) I have read there is a possibility that there may be a reality t.v. show based on your life. Is this just gossip or is there a grain of truth in this? ( I don't normally watch reality shows, but I would make an exception for yours! ) 10) How could I not ask? Which one of your teas is your favorite Gypsy Woman Tea?

Alternatives to Traditional Western Medicine ~ Tea

by Sarah Kluge Very often in society today, when we are faced with health issues, even those as small as an upset stomach, people are quick to reach for over-the-counter-meds. When we need to visit our family physician, how many times do you walk out of their office with a script for prescription medication? We tend to forget that nature provides us with other options worth trying. Tea is one of those options! When you think of tea, it shouldn’t be the sugar and calorie filled liter bottles you buy at the store, but instead, a plant-based mixture that infuses your water with all the good stuff your body needs!

When looking for tea, your two key words are Camellia sinensis, which is the plant that real tea comes from. Keeping that in mind, this plant produces several varieties, including green, black, white, and oolong. When considering which tea you want, stray away from anything claiming “herbal blend,” as it includes other plants in it’s ingredients, technically not making it tea.

Let’s get to the health benefits of real natural tea. The following information is from the article 13 Reasons Tea Is Good for You found at healthland.time.com. Please remember that everybody’s body is different, and the health benefits listed should be taken in stride; know that they can help your body but won’t “cure” any existing conditions you may have.

• Te a c a n b o o s t e x e r c i s e e n d u r a n c e .

Scientists have found that the catechins (antioxidants) in green tea extract increase the body’s ability to burn fat as fuel, which accounts for improved muscle endurance.

• Drinking tea could help reduce the risk of heart attack. Tea might also help protect against cardiovascular and degenerative diseases.

• The antioxidants in tea might help protect against a boatload of cancers, including breast, colon, colorectal, skin, lung, esophagus, stomach, small intestine, pancreas, liver, ovarian, prostate and oral cancers. But don’t rely solely on tea to keep a healthy body — tea is not a miracle cure, after all. While more studies than not suggest that tea has cancer-fighting benefits, the current research is mixed.

•Tea helps fight free radicals.

Tea is high in oxygen radical absorbance capacity (“ORAC” to its friends), which is a fancy way of saying that it helps destroy free radicals (which can damage DNA)

in the body. While our bodies are designed to fight free radicals on their own, they’re not 100 percent effective — and since damage from these radical oxygen ninjas has been linked to cancer, heart disease and neurological degeneration, we’ll take all the help we can get.

• Tea is hydrating to the body (even despite the caffeine!).

• Drinking tea is linked with a lower risk of Parkinson’s disease. When considered with other factors like smoking, physical activity, age and body mass index, regular tea drinking was associated with a lowered risk of Parkinson’s disease in both men and women.

• Tea might provide protection from ultraviolet rays. We know it’s important to limit exposure to UV rays, and we all know what it’s like to feel the burn. The good news is that green tea may act as a back-up sunscreen.

• Tea could keep waist circumference in check. In one study, participants who regularly consumed hot tea had lower waist circumference and lower BMI than non-consuming participants. Scientists speculate that regular tea drinking lowers the risk of metabolic syndrome (which increases the risk of diabetes, artery disease and stroke), although it’s important to remember that correlation does not equal causation.

• Regular tea drinking might also counteract some of the negative effects of smoking and might even lessen the risk of lung cancer (good news, obviously, but not a justification for cigs).

• Tea could be beneficial to people with Type 2 diabetes. Studies suggest that compounds in green tea could help diabetics better process sugars.

• Tea can help the body recover from radiation.

One study found that tea helped protect against cellular degeneration upon exposure to radiation, while another found that tea can help skin bounce back postexposure.

• Green tea has been found to improve bone mineral density and strength.

• Tea might be an effective agent in the prevention and treatment of neurological diseases, especially degenerative diseases (think Alzheimer’s). While many factors influence brain health, polyphenols in green tea may help maintain the parts of the brain that regulate learning and memory.

We should all encourage others and ourselves to take pride in our bodies and be in control of our own health. Incorporating healthy alternatives is always worth a shot, slow yourself down when you can. Next time you think about reaching for your third cup of coffee during the day, consider working in a cup of tea instead!

Planting an Herbal Tea Garden

by Robin Gagnon from Blommi.com

Considerations When Planting an Herbal Tea Garden Planting an herbal tea garden is as hard as choosing the type of tea you want to drink. If you like to enjoy a variety of teas, then a wide variety of herbs needs to be planted. If you are growing for a specific tea, or want to grow herbs that aid with a specific health issue, then the garden won’t need to be as big or include as many plants.

Decide on the Types of Tea Wanted If you generally enjoy tea, then you want to grow an herb garden filled with a wide variety of teas that can all be combined or used in a variety of combinations to create the perfect tea for your mood. Growing herbs that you can brew into teas that will help ease a specific condition that you need help with will call for less space, but smart planning when it comes to including enough of each plant in order to ensure that you are able to enjoy homegrown tea from the garden all summer long. Find out which herbs help with the specific health needs you have, and then choose one or two additional two or three herbs that pair well with those herbs to make a tea that you can enjoy.

Designing the Garden An herbal tea garden is a great way to grow the herbs and plants, to create your own custom tea mixes. Having fresh straight from your garden herbs for brewing tea is not only convenient, but it also ensures that you are using herbs that are free of pesticides and herbicides.

Whatever reason you have for growing herbs to use in teas– health or simply because you enjoy the taste of tea– being able to create the exact combination you want for a cup of tea is such a pleasure.

Decide if you are going to be planting in a garden bed or potted containers. If you are going to be growing specific tea combinations, a couple potted containers that grow all the herbs you need can be sufficient. An herbal tea garden that is going to include the ability to grow as many tea combinations as possible, you are going to need more space and should prepare and entire bed. Remember that most herbs, including those that are used in herbal teas, prefer well drained, nutrient poor soil that is not disturbed with tilling, but gets good aeration.

Choosing and Pairing Herbs Choosing the herbs that you want starts with your personal preferences, but to get you started, here are some of the best herbs for teas. They are also the most widely used herbs for teas, and many of them pair well with one or another, or are packed with flavor that can be combined with whatever herbal tea you want to drink for health. Chamomile and Lemon Balm are the two most common herbs grown for tea, and both can be added to any light or bitter herbal tea combinations to give them a bright flavor. Coriander and Fennel are grown for the interesting flavor that their leaves give otherwise dull tea combinations. Bee Balm and Betony are added for their milder flavor notes. Catnip and Mint can be added individually or in combination to give tea a strong herbal mint flavor.

Another interesting herb to grow for tea include leaves, which are hard to find for tea because they are so often sprayed with a lot of

From DisneySisters.com

pesticides. Roses are considered herb plants and a couple low growing bushes, or climbing vines placed in the back of the garden are enough to provide you with enough rose hips that can be gathered and dried.

Gathering and Use The benefit of growing your own herbal tea ingredients is being able to use fresh herbs for the teas, but you can gather the herbs a couple times throughout the season and dry them to use as needed. Wait till plants have budded and then collect leaves and flowers. If drying, lay them out flat on a clean counter or shelf where they can remain undisturbed for a few days. Every once in a while, turn stems and leaves over to make sure that they are being air dried completely. Store in a sealed bag or container and combine with other herbal tea ingredients as you go. By drying as many of the herbs as you can from your garden, you can create dozens of flavor combinations all summer and winter long.

A tea story

by Stephen Thompson Beth was scratching around in the dusty corner of the Chinese junk shop. She loved these places — you never knew what you might find.

She had once found an incense that made her fern go red in a similar shop. That was a surprise. One day it was standing on the sideboard with its translucent green leaves drooping over the pot, the next day it had turned an iridescent red.

It took her a couple of days sitting on the porch, drinking innumerable cups of tea, to work out that it had to be the incense. Sure enough, two days after she stopped burning the incense, the plant resumed its green colour.

‘Such a pity,’ she thought. She missed the sweet jasmine and orange smell, no matter how odd a combination that sounded. It had certainly cleared up her sinuses, as the old Chinese had promised. So, once a month, she took the fern to the porch and lit some incense in the lounge again.

She was, however, hoping to find something more conventional this time, like a jade ornament, or some painting. You really never knew when you might hit paydirt.

So far, dirt was mostly what she had found, still she remained optimistic.

Then, in an undistinguished greyish box under a dirty gause tablecloth, she found some delicate rose patterned tea cups and matching saucers. Only two were still intact, but they looked so delicately exquisite, that she put them to one side. There were two other bundles in the box, which felt as if they could hold

cloths. She nearly tossed them back into the box, but curiosity got the better of her and she opened one.

The bag contained two nylon or perhaps even silk bags with the picture of a dragon crying over a bush painted on them. The other bag proved to contain the same bags.

Other than the dragon and the bush, there was nothing to suggest what the bags might contain. She took one of the bags to the wizened Chinese who sat at the counter in the front of the shop, reading some Chinese newspaper.

'Pardon me, could you tell me what it says on this bag?'

She asked, holding out the bag to him.

Reluctantly, he put down the paper and took the bag from her. He looked at the bag for a while, even turning it around in his hands. Finally, just before she burst from annoyance, he pronounced: 'Chinese Tea. Writing say tears of the dragon.

Not for weak person. Drink only in day.'

He looked at her, as if judging the impact of his words.

'Is that all?’ she asked.

He looked at the bag again, 'Put two leaves in pot warm not hot water wait for smell. You want buy this?' he asked, almost disinterestedly.

'Wait, let me get something else,' she said, moving to the back of the shop. She carefully picked up the delicate cups and saucers, and then on impulse, took the other bag of tea.

'These are what I want,' she said, putting the c u p s a n d saucers gently onto the counter.

'Its a pity they’re not a set, but I suppose two will be enough. What do you want for them?'

Then followed a haggling session, although she could see that his heart wasn’t in it. It was obvious that he would rather go

back to his newspaper. Minutes later she was on her way out of the shop, with the carefully wrapped cups, the saucers, and the packets of tea, thrown in gratis, as a consolation prize to get rid of her.

When she got home, she decided the cups were exceptional enough to grace her display cabinet, so she arranged them there. The tea she threw in an empty tea tin that was standing around in the pantry, and promptly forgot about it.

A couple of months later, she was waiting for her agent to come around to discuss changes to the manuscript of her new book.

'This will be a drag', she thought. 'She'll insist I cut out that scene down at the beach cottage. I can't cut that out, it’s central to exposing the flaws in Ralph's character.

Tarnation,’ she decided. ‘I need some jasmine tea.'

Ah, but there wasn’t any jasmine tea. Or any rose hips tea either. She had forgotten to check before her last shopping excursion. All that remained was the forgotten tea from the Chinese shop.

'Well, if it kills me, at least I won't have to endure her haggling,’ she said, taking out one packet.

The packet opened to provide another surprise. It contained several smaller packets made of something like cellophane. Each mini packet contained 6 tea leaves. They were recognisable as tea leaves, although they were almost black in colour. She sniffed, but could discern no odour.

She carried the package to the kitchen and put it on the table, whilst putting the electric kettle on to boil. When the

water boiled, she half filled the teapot, remembering in time to add some cold water so that the water would not be boiling, as the packets instructions had specified. She dropped two leaves in, thinking to herself that this would probably be as weak as piss. Then she stood and waited, watching the teapot with impatience.

After some minutes, she became aware of a hint of jasmine on the air. Only it wasn't really jasmine. It was rose, no lime, no bergamot ... 'Oh bugger it.’ She couldn't decide what she was smelling. ‘It had to be the tea,' she decided.

The tea it was, but she was no better at recognising the smell, so she poured a smidgen into a cup and took a delicate sip.

'Well! I never!' she exclaimed. 'It's got no right to taste like this!'

Then she scooped up the teapot and put it and a cup on a tray and marched out to the veranda. The tea still smelled of rose and jasmine and whatever, but it tasted like chocolate and cream and hazelnuts. 'How can this be?' she thought.

'Things ought to taste like they smell. ‘They always have, as far as I can remember,’ she mused, taking another sip. The tea, however, refused to conform. 'Well, it's not as if it's bad,' she decided, 'pleasant but puzzling.'

Her agent was equally puzzled. It had always been a piece of old takkie to push Beth into changing her story to the way Erica knew it should be. Not today though. Her best arguments had been examined and dismissed.

"The beach house scene."

She'd been so convinced that nothing should spoil Ralph's godlike image. He was the central character, after all. Beth (continued further on in this issue)

#4 from Marla Spellenberg

Q: As I sit her with my cup of tea, on this drab, drizzly, raw day, I contemplate questions for Joy about tea. My preferences for tea range from a good black tea, to the floral Chinese teas (one of which, brought back from China by a friend, actually opens as a flower in the bottom of your cup!), to nice green tea. I'm a purist in that I do not adulterate tea with milk, cream, honey or sugar. Brewing these various teas have always posed a question for me. What is the proper temperature for steeping tea? I know it must vary with variety of teas. Our tea pot, the stainless one with the element, has a knob to adjust the temperature of water. Some teas, you can pour boiling water over them, some you should not. I would love an answer to this, because I think I do abuse some of the lovely teas I have. We buy our teas from the Upton Tea Company. I love their printed catalog because they always include a history of some kind of tea, and you can purchase samples before "investing" in some of their teas.

A: Miss Marla, not only do the steeping temps & times vary, so do the answers based on who you ask! I’ve included what I believe to be the best way to get the most out of your tea, along with a chart posted online that differs a bit. As always, go with what works best for you.

Black tea - Black is the most robust of the tea varieties and can be brewed in truly boiling water at 212°F, usually steeped for 4-6 minutes.

Oolong tea - As to be expected, oolong tea falls between green and black. The best temperature is around 185-200°F, steeped for 1-4 minutes.

Green tea - You will need to be a bit gentler with your greens. The water temperature should be 165-180°F, and tea steeped for 2-4 minutes.

White tea - This delicate tea should be treated with care.

Water can be a bit cooler than for green tea, at 160-170°F, steeping only for 1-2 minutes.

Rooibos - This red herbal from South Africa is very hardy stuff and should be prepared with water at 210°F, and steeped for 4-7 minutes. The same goes for Honey Bush tea.

Pu Erh - Generally delivered in compressed discs, this tea must be broken in pieces that are then placed in the tea pot and rinsed. (Merely pour hot water over the pieces in the pot, then discard the liquid.) Steep at 200-210°F for 4-8 minutes.

Herbals / Infusions / Tisanes - The array of ingredient combinations not withstanding, most herbals can be steeped at 208-212°F for 4-7 minutes. These brews are perfect for making iced tea. Simply double the amount of ‘tea’ leaves, steep as usual, and pour over ice.

The chart at right from Wikipedia suggests different steeping times, however, you’ll note that this is done with multiple infusions in mind.

I am of British stock, and as the Scots of yore, I prefer my tea “strong enough to trot a mouse on” ... or at least, fully steeped.

Type

“A woman is like a tea bag you can't tell how strong she is until you put her in hot water.”

—Eleanor Roosevelt

Water temp.

Steep time

Infusions

White tea

65 to 70 °C (149 to 158 °F)

1–2 minutes

3

Yellow tea

70 to 75 °C (158 to 167 °F)

1–2 minutes

3

Green tea

75 to 80 °C (167 to 176 °F)

1–2 minutes

4–6

Oolong tea

80 to 85 °C (176 to 185 °F)

2–3 minutes

4–6

Black tea

99 °C (210 °F)

2–3 minutes

2–3

Flowering tea

100 °C (212 °F)

2–3 minutes

4–5

Pu'er tea

95 to 100 °C (203 to

Limitless

Several

3–6 minutes

Varied

{

212 °F) Tisanes

99 °C (210 °F)

Tea Dyed Eggs

by Bonnie Ramsburg ** * Scrolling, Scrolling, Scrolling… * * * ‘Wait a minute! What was that? WOW, those look cool! Chinese Tea Eggs, hardboiled eggs that are marbled. I really want to try to make those for the tea issue of the magazine,’ I thought to myself as a post on Facebook caught my attention.

The way they make it look in the magazines

Fast-forward a couple of months, it’s now time to look at that link and see how to make those eggs!

‘Uh oh, I don’t think I’ll be trying those!

That isn’t ANYTHING like I thought it was going to be! I better ask the editress about this,’ I think to myself.

Inner dialog is so fun, isn’t it? Needless to say, this isn’t about Chinese Tea Eggs —it wasn’t something I wanted to attempt making, but after my experience, they may have been easier!

First, gather up the supplies: • Eggs, however many different teas you wish to try • Jars to put them in that will allow the eggs to be covered on all sides • and (so I don’t forget to put it in elsewhere) white vinegar • and Alum powder—it’s white and used for pickling

Ready? Set? GO! Onto the big event!

Attempt One: How hard can this be? Boil some eggs, brew a few different flavors of tea, put eggs in tea and let them sit for about 5-15 minutes; right? That’s just what I did, on my first attempt. I took the eggs out after five minutes, just to see if they were actually getting colored. I found to my surprise, that only two eggs had noticeably changed colors.

And interestingly enough, the green tea was one of them. I knew the black tea would do the trick; I had used it for a project several years ago. I checked the eggs again after ten minutes were

up, and decided that maybe, just maybe, I’d better BING search how to do this supposedly easy experiment.

After going through many links trying to find the information that I needed, or thought I needed, (and finding a link that told me to do it exactly as I had…yeah, like THAT had worked) I finally found a link that mentioned (drum roll please!) White Vinegar. Yes, the ever-needed ingredient that makes the dye stick. Back to the coloring jars!

Attempt Two: Okay, so I repeated the boiling and brewing, but this time I added the vinegar to the tea before it cooled down. But guess what? I hadn’t entirely given up my hopes of making marbled eggs yet. If you look closely, you might be able to see the cracks in the eggshells where I had gently tapped them with a spoon to give the tea an open area to seep through and dye the eggs themselves. Unfortunately, the tea didn’t take the hint, so no marble affect. Although we now have a somewhat more pronounced color! But they look so dirty!

Back to BING, hopefully for more information, and yessss… there is what I think I need to know. Add Alum powder to the tea to make the color deeper and darker. And you should be using herbal teas, hmmm, I thought I had been, but I’ll buy some more, just to be on the safe side. Back to the coloring jars!

Attempt Three: All right, this is my final attempt. If it doesn’t work this time, I’m done! Boil, brew; add vinegar and alum powder. Let tea cool down before adding the eggs, stir and put in fridge if you’re going to let them sit for any length of time. I don’t remember exactly how long they sat before I checked them the first time, but boy oh boy what a difference the Alum powder made! I think I left them alone for at least six hours or more, before I took them out for the picture.

Links I used for instructions: • Link #1from eHow - How to Color Easter Eggs With Tea • Link #2 from Third Planet Food How to Dye Easter Eggs Naturally with Tea

The Green tea, Peppermint tea and Chamomile tea all colored yellow. One of the links said any tea with chamomile in it would do that. F.Y.I…most herbal teas have chamomile in them! The reddish brown is actually the Tetley black tea.

The two greenish eggs, yeah, those were shockers. It was either the Blueberry and the Raspberry Zinger that came out with those colors or the Raspberry and the

Rosehip and Hibiscus. I can’t remember which one it was, but one of those three made the dark blue purplish color.

I decided not to try the marbled affect with these eggs, I didn’t know how the alum would make the eggs taste if it seeped into them. Which is a good thing, my grandmother enjoyed the egg salad I made with them after I was done!

I didn’t do this to be scientific, or even pretty. I really just wanted to see what colors would emerge as I was trying the different flavors of tea. It definitely isn’t a project you want to wait till the last minute to do, if you think you might want to try it for a special dinner or something. It is most certainly not for some one who doesn’t have the patience to wait hours for the colors to get just right, unless you do more than one egg the same color, or have multiple pans that you can have many different colors going at the same time.

Would I do it again? Not likely, it was simply a one-time experiment to be able to tell you, the readers about a different way to dye eggs.

Speaking of different, search out tea dyeing eggs, read through a few of the links, you’ll find some interesting uses for spices, onion skins and fruit drinks. Or try the tea yourself, be surprised by what colors you get!

The concluding installments of

The Grand Valentine Masquerade

by Lyle Dagnen continued from our last issue The next day he was in his study where he would receive her. He had just dropped the final log of fragrant apple wood on the fire when he heard the door being answered.

Lady Elaine was punctual. She entered the domain of his study. She was lovely in a deep dark green velvet dress.

“May I take your jacket?” The fire was warming the cozy setting of the two chairs and tea service, close to the fire. “Your hat?” he offered, hoping that she would allow him full view of her wonderful brown hair.

Her eyes fluttered, “Oh,” was her response, then followed by another, “Oh”. Then she smiled, “Shall I pour the tea?”

He nodded, pleased that she assumed the duty. “I could not help but notice that you have been reading Plato. Do you care to discuss what you have been reading?” His willingness to appeal to her status as an educated woman made her blink her eyes as she settled herself with her tea by the fire. The fact that he was turned to her, listening and waiting, appealed to her very deeply.

“Lord Jamison,” she began with a smile as she removed her jacket and her hat. “May I ask the reason for this meeting?”

“I am very fond of ‘The Allegory of the Cave,’ so much so that I have read it several times and probably will again.”

Her voice was musical to him.

When he looked at her he did not think of Julianna; he thought about how much he wanted to hear her laugh and how much he wanted to speak with her. “Which of my charges are you the most interested in?”

She nodded her head to one side.

He appreciated the fact that she seemed to enjoy the butter cakes that his cook prepared just like Grandmother’s cook.

He certainly was not going to begin this with a false statement. “I am not really interested in any of the six you and Grandmother have paraded before me.” There it was, said, out in the open.

“Oh,” she nodded her lovely head the other way. “Then why have you requested this meeting?”

Her blue eyes were so full of, what was it? Dare he think innocence? “Here goes,” he thought before he spoke, “I invited you to tea because I wanted to spend and afternoon over tea with you, Lady Elaine.” Now was when she would either leave, or she would stay and they would become better acquainted. It had been very forward of him to invite her to tea.

Had she been anything other than a chaperone, he would not have asked, and she certainly would not have accepted.

They lapsed into a discussion of leading people into the light of education; the resistance of some to bettering themselves. Their hour at tea passed way too fast; it was time for her to leave, to have stayed longer would have been compromising. Lord Ian Jamison, smiled smugly to himself—he had found the one, now he had to convince her. As she rose to leave, replacing her hat, setting her cape about her shoulders as he handed each item to her, he handed her his calling card.

“May I have the honor of calling upon you?” he asked with a nod of his head.

She was startled, no gentleman had ever asked to call upon her. Usually, one dance was torture enough for any male with whom she had come in contact when she was out. “It would be delightful to continue our conversation.” (continued further on in this issue)

No-Bake Chai Pie shared by Bonnie Ramsburg from Taste of Home Magazine

“That looks like something my friends and I might like,” I thought to myself when I saw the cover of Taste of Home that day. And it did. I mean, how could someone that knew their friends liked Chai Tea and Cheesecake pass up the recipe to make just that; Chai Tea Cheesecake? Together? Oh yeah, we would be over the moon! So on that day, in 2008, I purchased the issue that had the recipe in it, with every intention of making it at some point in the near future.

Fast forward to 2014. I know that there was an issue of la Vie Sirene coming up that involves tea. I had packed away my copy of Taste of Home a few months after I bought it, never making the pie that was the whole reason for the purchase, but the idea has stuck with me all these years. What a perfect reason to look for the recipe and make the pie! And that is just what I…. errrr…. my Mom did! (I kind of begged her to do it, so it had a chance of being edible) Without further ado, here is the recipe that I waited for six years to taste! YUMMY! 8 Servings Prep: 25 min. + chilling Ingredients • 1 individual tea bag • 1/2 cup boiling water • 1 envelope unflavored gelatin • 1 package (8 ounces) reduced-fat cream cheese • 1 package (8 ounces) fat-free cream cheese • 1/3 cup sugar • 1/2 cup refrigerated fat-free French vanilla nondairy creamer • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, divided • 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger • 1/8 teaspoon each ground cardamom, allspice and cloves • 1 reduced-fat graham cracker crust (8 inches) • 1/2 cup reduced-fat whipped topping

Directions 1. Place tea bag in a small bowl; add boiling water. Cover and steep for 5 minutes.

Discard tea bag. Refrigerate tea for 30 minutes or until chilled.

2. Sprinkle gelatin over tea; let stand for 1 minute. Microwave on high for 30 seconds; stir. Let stand for 1 minute or until gelatin is completely dissolved.

3. In a large bowl, beat cream cheeses and sugar until smooth. Gradually beat in the creamer, gelatin mixture, 1/4-teaspoon cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, allspice and cloves until blended.

4. Pour into crust. Refrigerate for 3 hours or until set.

5. Garnish with whipped topping and remaining cinnamon.

6. ENJOY! Note to self and others: We didn’t follow the whole “reduced-fat/fat free” theme. But I might take the suggestion from one of my friends and maybe replace just one package of the cheese with the ‘healthier’ version. I also wouldn’t use decaffeinated tea. It was, um, my fault we didn’t have regular, I didn’t realize I had used it all for another project. The other thing I would do, the recipe says to let the tea steep for only 5 minutes. If you do use the decaffeinated tea, I would steep it for 10 minutes.

Now, where did I see that recipe for Oregon Chai’s version? I might want to try that one too!

#5 from Leann Drury Q: How many countries have a historical ritual of tea and how far back beyond Victorian England does that history extend?

A: Given that I have yet to visit many of the countries that embrace a tea ritual as part of their culture, I am going to defer to the wise folks at World Tea News who posted an article on this very subject about a year ago. Of the places mentioned on their list, I’ve taken tea in China, New Zealand, England, and of course, the United States, and am quite keen to try all the others.

Of all my tea experiences, the journey to a Chinese tea plantation stands out as a highlight. I had the fun of wearing a woven bamboo hat and going out into the fields to pick tea leaves off the bush. I returned to base and got to go through the tea-making process in a hands-on way—putting leaves out to dry, turning the crank to machine-roll and oxidize the leaves, and so on. The most magical part was the Chinese tea ceremony itself. It was just me and this beautiful young Chinese woman, neither of whom spoke the other’s language.

Without words, she guided me through a tea ceremony, preparing a variety of teas in the course of our time together. No ballerina has ever moved more gracefully than that girl did when opening canisters, pouring hot water, and handing me tea cups. I nearly developed a ‘girl crush.’ Suffice it to say, I bought every tea and jar used in the ceremony ... as I’m sure they figured I would. I was happy to be putty in such graceful hands.

10 Tea Traditions Around the World

by Marta Lopez Garcia from World Tea News (unedited) It will warm us if we are cool, it will cool us if we are too heated and it will cheer us if we are depressed (in addition, it contains multiple benefits).Tea is the second most consumed drink in the world after water and apparently it has the solution to all evils. From the time of the ancient Chinese Dynasty to our present, tea has showed us its power and the fact that it has a lot to do with relaxing and sacred rituals.

This article is for those who love travelling and still think a cup of tea is more than a drink…

1. India: The land of Chai tea India produces and consumes more tea than any other country in the world. Chai is the national drink in India and it is served literally on every street corner– Especially in crowded train stations, where you can see people selling it at all times of the day and night. If you ever get invited to an Indian house (remember that here guests can drop by anytime without warning) prepare yourself to taste a sweet and a bit spiced milk-tea.

If you have the chance to visit the amazing India, visit the Tea Museum in Munnar. Here you will get to know the traditional tea production.

2. Japan: The matcha ceremony In Japan tea is an important part of the food culture. Even though, the diversity of tea here is quite big, when someone mention the word “tea” without specifying the type, it´s green to which is referred (green and Chinese tea are also some of the most popular ones). The ceremony of tea is known here as matcha, which consists of serving green tea to a small group of people in one of those popular teahouses.

For those who want to live the real tea experience take a flight to Tokyo and don´t miss the chance to visit one of the popular tearooms.

3. Morocco: Mint tea, the heart of the culture

Moroccan tea glasses mage selected by Sanndi Thompson

It is almost impossible to spend 24 hours in a Moroccan city and to not be served hot tea.

Touareg tea, or Moroccan mint tea is literally the heart of their culture. Strongly linked to the act of hospitality, the mint tea is served to guests three times with each glass meaning a different thing- Life, love and death. Of course, all of them have to be drunk.

Do you fancy a Moroccan tea? You only need a large quantity of hard sugar, 5 tea spoons for every spoon of fresh tea and of course, mint, the essential ingredient.

4. New Zealand: The “tea-break” According to historians, New Zealand imported considerable amounts of tea in the nineteenthcentury, with the arrival of the British missionaries. Today people experiment with other types of tea like the Japanese green tea, blends like earl grey, and Chinese teas such as oolong.

Like in America, the interest for this drink comes from tea’s reputation and its health benefits.

New Zealand’s only commercial tea plantation is called Zealong, which launched its first products in 2009.

5. USA: The tea explosion Whether cold or warm, in the morning or at night, tea is in 2014 one of the most popular non-alcoholic drinks in the States. Here is possible to find green, red and even the oolong tea, the traditional Chinese tea. In this sense, it doesn´t matter the type of tea as they are all included in North American people’s healthy diet. Today we can say that coffee is still preferred for the morning ritual, ice tea is often consumed with lunch and all types of tea are drunk in the evenings.

6. Thailand: A very trendy tea Who hasn’t tried a Thai tea? This is also one of the most popular teas in the world. It is made from strongly-brewed red tea that usually contains anise, red and yellow food colouring and sometimes other spices too. Thai tea is especially consumed in Southeast Asia and in lots of American and European restaurants that serve Vietnamese and Thai food.

Thai tea found its roots in the midst of war, but a civil, rather than a colonial war like in most countries.

7. Britain: Classic afternoon tea We all know that Britain is the place on the Earth where people can drink a cup of tea even before they go to bed. Yes, British people can’t live without this ancient drink which they brought from India from the time when Britain was an empire. Despite the coffee fuelled culture, tea is still the first hot drink chosen by the British population.

Today most Russians enjoy what they call Zavarka, a very strong tea prepared in a separate tea pot that allows hosts to serve the guests in several rounds.

If you ever travel to Russia, don’t hesitate to have your tea with a piece of cake, as it is considered quite rude to serve the tea “naked”.

9. China: The dynasty of tea For Chinese people, tea is synonym of life.

They were the first to discover the tea leaf and have been drinking tea ever since. Because of the geographic climate, many locations across the country cultivate different types of tea. The art of making tea is called “Cha dao”, which was soon accepted as one of the most important cultures that Japan learned from China.

The only national museum in China can be found in Hangzhou, where there is a detailed description of the historic development of tea culture in China.

10. Argentine: The mate experience People often say that if you want to know Argentine well you need to try its meat, its wine and its mate. Yerba mate is the national drink of one of the most amazing countries in South America and the truth is that it’s more than just a drink. It’s also a way of life. Even though it´s not really tea (it grows on a bush) whoever travels to this country will find out that people drink it at any time of the day. The more you drink it, the strongest the after-taste.

If you have the chance to visit London, don’t hesitate to spend an afternoon at the Orangerie, a paradise for classic tea lovers in the heart of chic West London.

8. Russia: Zavarka for guests There are two things that Russians love most: vodka and tea. The history of this country tells us that it was along the Bolsheviks’ victory at the Civil War that soldiers and industrial workers started to get free tea, which until that point was considered an upper class product.

Russian Samovar

Traditional New Zealand Pavlova from Cookstr.com Chef: Victoria Blashford-Snell, Brigitte Hafner Cookbook: The Illustrated Kitchen Bible Publisher: Dorling Kindersley Course: dessert Total time: under 2 hours Skill level: Moderate Cost: Moderate Yield: 6-8 servings Both Australia and New Zealand claim to have invented this meringue and fruit dessert, named after the Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova, who traveled the world in the early twentieth century.

Ingredients • 6 large egg whites, at room temperature • 1 tsp cider vinegar • Pinch of salt • 1 2/3 cups sugar • 2 tsp cornstarch • 1¼ cups heavy cream • 6 oz (170g) strawberries, hulled and sliced • 2 kiwi fruit, peeled and sliced • 4 passion fruit, cut in half Directions 1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line a baking sheet with wax paper. Beat the eggs and salt in a large bowl with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. One tablespoon at a time, beat in the sugar and beat until the whites are stiff and shiny. Towards the end, beat in the cornstarch.

2. Spoon the meringue onto the baking tray and spread into an 8in (20cm) round. Bake for 5 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 275°F (140°C) and bake about 1¼ hours, until crisp. Let cool on the baking sheet.

3. Transfer the meringue to a serving platter.

Whip the cream until it forms stiff peaks.

Spread over the meringue. Top with the strawberries, kiwi fruit, and the passion fruit pulp. Serve immediately.

Variations Cinnamon Pavlova Add 2 tbsp ground cinnamon with the cornstarch. Garnish with whipped cream and strawberries, or blackberries and sautèed apples.

Nutty Pavlova Omit the vinegar and cornstarch. Fold ½ cup (2oz/55g) coarsely ground pistachio nuts or toasted, skinned hazelnuts into the stiffly beaten whites.

Brown Sugar Pavlova Omit the vinegar and cornstarch. Substitute 1 2/3 cups packed light brown sugar for the sugar.

Mocha Coffee Pavlova Beat 3 tbsp cooled brewed espresso into the stiffly beaten whites. Drizzle with ¼ cup chocolate syrup and garnish with chocolate curls.

Side note: this dessert features prominently in the Science Fantasy adventure, Falling, our editress’ debut novel

Blue Willow

soaring for more than 200 years Chances are, at some point in your life you’ve come across some dishware that was blue and white with a patterned border and picturesque Asian scene. It’s unlike any other ceramic pattern and is so distinctive it’s become iconic and collectible, with groups and newsletters devoted solely to its merits.

It is, of course, The Willow Pattern, often known as Blue Willow, as blue is the primary color used against a white background, though variations exist, most notably: pink/ magenta, green and brown.

The pattern, based on Chinese design, was popularized circa 1790 when, as the prevailing story goes, famed porcelain designer Thomas Minton produced it in England.

ThePotteries.org states:

“Engraved by Thomas Minton for Thomas Turner of Caughley, Shropshire, in the year 1780, it was closely followed by Royal Worcester, Spode, Adams, Wedgwood, Davenport, Clews, Leeds and Swansea.

The original did not have the "Apple-tree" or the two Doves these being added later.

Otherwise the differences are slight and mainly in the treatment or the fretted border, either a lattice work or conventional butterfly being used, and details of the fence in the foreground differing.

The original Chinese Willow, Minton copied, had no bridge with people crossing over, and it is not sure whether the stories connected with it originated in China or England. (Probably England, because the main components of the story were not included on the original plate.)”

The WillowCollectors.org site offers the following prose & poems:

“The first known printing of the Willow Pattern Legend goes back to the mid-1800s. Since then and in countless forms, the Willow Pattern Legend, or Story, has been told and retold from generation to generation. Many individuals remember their mother or grandmother telling them the story on the blue willow plate as they ate dinner. Perhaps one of these legends will bring back great memories, or provide you with a story you didn’t know existed.

Willow Plate Story 'Two birds flying high, A Chinese vessel, sailing by.

A bridge with three men, sometimes four, A willow tree, hanging o'er.

A Chinese temple, there it stands, Built upon the river sands.

An apple tree, with apples on, A crooked fence to end my song.

The Legend of the Willow Plate

The Willow Legend

My Willow ware plate has a story, Pictorial, painted in blue From the land of the tea and the tea plant And the little brown man with a queue.

What ever the food you serve, daughter Romance enters into the feast, If you only pay heed to the legend, On the old china ware plate from the East.

Koong Shee was a mandarin's daughter And Chang was her lover, ah me, For surely her father's accountant Might never wed pretty Koong Shee So Chang was expelled from the compound, The lovers' alliance to break, And pretty Koong Shee was imprisoned In a little blue house by the lake.

The doughty old mandarin reasoned it was time that his daughter should wed, And the groom of his choosing should banish That silly romance from her head.

For years had great artists been stitching In symbols the dress she should wear, Her headband of scarlet lay waiting, She should ride in a gold wedding chair.

He was busily plotting and planning, When a message was brought him one day, Young Chang had invaded the palace, And taken his sweetheart away.

They were over the bridge when he saw them, They were passing the big willow tree, And a boat at the edge of the water.

Stood waiting for Chang and Koong Shee.

The furious mandarin followed The groom with revenge in his eyes, But the little boat dance on the water And traveled away with the prize.

But vengeance pursued to their shelter And burned the pagoda, they say From out of the flames rose the lovers A pair of doves winging away.

They flew toward the western heaven The pretty Koong Shee and her Chang Or so says the famous old legend From the land of the Yangtse Kiang, I wouldn't be one to deny it, For the little blue dove and her mate Forever are flying together Across my Willow ware plate.

There was once a Mandarin who had a beautiful daughter, Koong-se. He employed a secretary, Chang who, while he was attending to his master's accounts, fell in love with Koong-se, much to the anger of the Mandarin, who regarded the secretary as unworthy of his daughter.

The secretary was banished and a fence constructed around the gardens of the Mandarin's estate so that Chang could not see his daughter and Koong-se could only walk in the gardens and to the water's edge. One day a shell fitted with sails containing a poem, and a bead which Koong-se had given to Chang, floated to the water's edge. Koong-se knew that her lover was not far away.

She was soon dismayed to learn that she had been betrothed to Ta-jin, a noble warrior Duke. She was full of despair when it was announced that her future husband, the noble Duke, was arriving, bearing a gift of jewels to celebrate his betrothal.

However, after the banquet, borrowing the robes of a servant, Chang passed through the guests unseen and came to Koong-se's room.

They embraced and vowed to run away together. The Mandarin, the Duke, the guests, and all the servants had drunk so much wine that the couple almost got away without detection, but Koong-se's father saw her at the last minute and gave chase across the bridge.

The couple escaped and stayed with the maid that Koong-se's father had dismissed for

conspiring with the lovers. Koong-se had given the casket of jewels to Chang and the Mandarin, who was also a magistrate, swore that he would use the jewels as a pretext to execute Chang when he caught him.

One night the Mandarin's spies reported that a man was hiding in a house by the river and the Mandarin's guards raided the house.

But Chang had jumped into the ragging torrent and Koong-se thought that he had drowned.

Some days later the guards returned to search the house again. While Koong-se's maid talked to them, Chang came by boat to the window and took Koong-se away to safety.

They settled on a distant island, and over the years Chang became famous for his writings.

This was to prove his undoing. The Mandarin heard about him and sent guards to destroy him.

Chang was put to the sword and Koong-se set fire to the house while she was still inside.

Thus they both perished and the gods, touched by their love, immortalised them as two doves, eternally flying together in the sky.

The Willow Pattern

by B. L. Bowers Whilst we sit around the table, Please allow me to relate, The entrancing ancient fable Of "The Willow Pattern Plate."

Every picture tells a story, Like the Willow Pattern Plate, Where two lovers dwelt in glory, And defied paternal hate.

By elopement from the castle You observe upon the ridge, Where the violent old rascal Chases them across the bridge.

Tries to catch the rogue and whip him, 'Ere he steals the daughter fair; But the loving pair outstrip him, Let him languish in despair.

Thrown upon their own resources, In a junk they emigrate, To a splendid little oasis, Near the margin of the plate.

Dwell in peace, whilst unmolested, In most perfect harmony; Till at length they are arrested, by his Nibs' gendarmerie.

Then the tyrant lord appeals to Law and lucre, with their pow'r; Caught, confined, they have their meals too, In that horrid little tow'r.

When the pair are executed, To appease their lord irate, To a pair of doves transmuted, Still they fly upon the plate.

Every picture tells a story, Like the Willow Pattern blue, And true love will reign in glory, To infinity! Adieu” In closing, a bit of trivia about its widespread appeal: Wikipedia posts, “Blue Willow, specifically gold-rimmed pieces coming from Gilman Collamore, New York, was the china of choice at William Randolph Hearst's "La Cuesta Encantada" estate in San Simeon, California, being Hearst's mother's favorite pattern.”

Who doesn’t love a good mystery — especially with a cup of tea and something sweet?

At a time when the number of tea rooms is in steady decrease, Siren School's Tea Travellers Societea has come up with an idea as to how to support and promote tea establishments, and that idea is murder!... or rather, Cup of Mystery.

Our whodunit games are created for play during afternoon tea, most enjoyably, while at your favorite tea parlour.

Tea and mystery have long been congenial bedfellows, and now they can celebrate their union in a public forum that benefits all involved.

There are three game types available for play whether you're alone, in a group, or want an ongoing mystery experience with a friend over the course of multiple tea get-togethers. Peruse our site to learn how you and your chums can stimulate the little grey cells over a cuppa.

Find the games currently afoot on our site And do join us for all things mysterious on our Facebook page

Tea With Rose A story for the whole family, by Erin Sankey “Hey, Mama, may I ask you something?” sixteen-year-old Blake said, sitting down.

“Yes, baby, what is it?” his mom asked as she washed dishes.

“Every Wednesday when I walk home from school, I see this old lady sitting at a table drinking tea and eating cake over at the factory.”

“And?” his mom asked.

“Well, I don't know. She just looks so lonely.”

Blake's mom wiped her hands on her apron and sat at the kitchen table with him. “Does she look lost?”

Blake thought for a moment. “Nope. As a matter of fact, she looks like a tough old bird.”

“Good for her,” Blake's mom said thoughtfully. “You should go and talk to her,” she said, cracking a smile. “What's the worst that can happen? She tells you to go away. Be confident, introduce yourself, tell her your name and what school you go to. You just might be surprised.”

Blake sat back in the chair. He nodded. “Yeah, I guess I could do that.”

The old lady put down the paper and looked at him. “What can I do for you, son?” she asked warmly.

Wednesday:

“I thought I could offer you some company. You look lonely out here all by yourself.”

Blake took a deep breath as he started his walk home. The knots in his stomach tightened as he approached the factory. As he stopped at the fence and looked at the old lady, his palms began to sweat.

The old lady was in the factory yard, drinking hot tea, smoking a cigarillo, eating cake and reading the paper, just like she always did every Wednesday.

Blake followed the fence up to the gate and walked in. His heart was racing. He waited for guard dogs to run up on him or a security guard to chase him off, but none of that came as he approached the old woman.

“Hi, ma'am. My name is Blake, Blake Rutherford,” he said in a shaky voice. “I go to Washington High just down the street here.”

The old lady pointed to another chair. “Pull up that chair over there, sit your keister down, and have some tea,” she said happily, pouring him a steamy cup of tea. “The name’s Rose, Rose Munger. Would ‘ja like some cake?” she asked.

All his fears went away, his sweaty palms dried up and his heart stopped racing as he took his seat. “Um, yes ma'am, that sounds nice,” Blake said picking up the cup and blowing on the tea. She pulled a plate of goodies from out a basket and placed it in front of him. “Here, take as many as you’d like.”

“Thank you, ma'am,” he said, taking a crumpet.

“So, I look lonely to you, huh?” Rose asked, taking a drag of her cigarillo.

“I see you out here all alone every Wednesday I walk home.

I just felt like I could give you some company,” he said taking another sip of tea. “By the way, this tea is delicious.

What kind is it?”

Rose took a sip. “Rum tea. It’s imported from the Cayman Islands. I have some rum cake in the basket. Would you like a piece?” she asked reaching for it.

Blake smiled. “Yes, ma'am, thank you. I would very much like that.” Blake picked up the teacup and sniffed it. “Rum tea, huh. It's got a nice bite to it.” He took another sip.

Rose passed him a piece of cake. He took the piece and put it on the plate in front of him.

“My late husband was a tea connoisseur,” she said. “I never thought I’d be a tea drinker to be honest with you. But when you've lived a life like I have, anything’s possible.”

“Ma'am?” Blake asked.

“Cut this ‘ma'am’ nonsense out. Call me Rose,” she said, taking another drag of her cigarillo.

“Rose,” he said.

“That's better,” she said, shifting in her seat. “I was born on August 5th, 1915, to Grace and Robert Whitman. I was the youngest of seven children. My mother was so ecstatic that she finally had a girl. She named me Rose, Rose Whitman.

Little did she know what a spirited little girl I’d grow up to be.

She was able to dress me up like a little girl until I was about five-years-old. That is when my true spirited self came to light. I’d run around with the boys, playing stick-ball and catch frogs down by the Chicago River,” she began.

She took another sip of her tea. “I've lived in Chicago my whole life. When I was ten, back in 1925, Al Capone ruled the streets. The booze flowed like an underground river in the speakeasies. I got to see flapper girls dancing on stage and hear good bands playing.”

Blake furrowed his brow. “How did you get to see all of that?”

Rose smiled while throwing her head back and taking another drag of her cigarillo. “I guess you could say that the first thirty years of my life were my very own adventure moving picture.”

Blake leaned back in his chair.

Rose looked him in the eyes. “Al Capone himself recruited me as a gun-runner,” she said.

“Gun-runner?” Blake said.

“Oh, honey, how do you think Capone got away with everything he did?”

“I have no idea,” Blake said, slightly shaking his head.

She took a sip of tea to wet her throat. “He used kids. He had a slew of children on his payroll. Each one of them had a different job and no one was ever the wiser. I just happen to be one of the best gun-runners around. In laymen's terms, I'd take Tommy guns and hide them under a tarp in my wagon, then I’d load them on the back of my bike, and ship them from building to building. I'd deliver them to the guys safely in the gangway and alleyways of, Chicago. So, if Capone’s men were ever pulled over by the cops, they didn't ever have anything on them. Capone paid me ten dollars a week to do this. That was a lot of money back then.”

“Weren't you afraid you'd ever get caught?” he asked.

She took a drag of her cigarillo and a sip of her tea. “Even if I did get caught, what were they going to do to a ten-year-old?” she said, narrowing her eyes. A moment of silence went by.

Rose laughed to lighten the mood. “Besides, at ten years old you don't think of the consequences, you just do. And at ten dollars a week, you felt like you were on top of the world.”

“I hear you,” Blake said, taking a bite of his cake.

She took a bite of cake and swallowed it before she began talking again. “I'll never forget,” Rose said, ashing her cigarillo. “Frank Nitty himself once taught me how to shoot a Tommy gun.”

“Whoa! Really!” Blake said, raising his eyebrows.

“Yep,” she said. “We were in an abandoned lot on the other side of town. We stood side-by-side shooting up a brick wall.” (continued further on in this issue)

Fairy Tea-Party

by Laura E. Richards I went to take tea with the three little fairies Who live in the depth of the hazel wood.

And what do you think we had for supper?

Oh! everything dainty and everything good.

There was tea in a buttercup, cream in a blue-bell, Marigold butter and hollyhock cheese, Slices of strawberry served in a nutshell, And honey just brought by the liveried bees.

We sat 'neath the shade of a silvery mushroom, All lined with pale pink, nicely fluted and quilled, And around us the cup-moss held up its red goblets, Each one with a dew drop like diamond filled.

We ate and we drank and we chatted together, Till the fireflies lighted us off to our beds; And we all fell asleep in our cots made of rose leaves, With pillows of thistledown under our heads.

Fool-proof Fairy Cake This ‘easy-peasy’ recipe is so simple you won’t even need fairy dust! tweaked from AllRecipes.uk

Prep:25min › Cook:25min › Extra time:10min cooling › Ready in:1hr Ingredients • • • •

125g self-rising flour 125g sugar 125g butter 2 eggs

Directions 1. Pre-heat oven to 350°F 2. Mix together butter and sugar in a bowl until the mixture becomes a smooth paste.

3. Add flour and combine 4. Add eggs and mix together well until texture is smooth and creamy 5. Plop approx. a tablespoon of the batter into muffin cups and then place in the oven for about 25 minutes.

6. After they’ve cooled to the touch, ice and decorate according to your regional fae traditions and tastes Makes 12 fairy cakes, so you’re guaranteed a dozen satisfied faeries in your realm

A few months ago we invited contributors to submit names for teas, using siren archetypes for inspiration. Here are the titles selected for limited use on Empress Tea Company blends, which you may purchase this spring.

’s Twinkle pesotnnie Tem nniere B

23 Skidoo

from an anonym ous flapper

lo from Sa of the Bonnie’s urg rring to Ramsb lon, refe raken a s s e s Las aby k hool’s b Siren Sc ot, Twinkle! masc

Mermaid

ian m e h o B Blailsonsniere

on fae ries’ wings from

) from S hompson T i d Sann

Tw the kr inkle ak & Mo lly the en bulldo g

Courtesan’s Secrets from Sa lonn Sanndi Th iere ompson

sy n p gy avakle in r Tw ken dog a c from kra ull the the y oll M &

genie

OOD W Y L L BO BLSAaloSnTniere

b

on from omps n h T i d Sire Sann ce to

mist

from T w the kr inkle ak & Mo lly the en bulldo g

a re e t i n e sir l Salonnie

oCa from S S Devivre J

Tears

It was ha rd to enchantin pick just a few fr om the g sugges Salonnie re Sannd tions sent in by i Thomp son of th Bohemia e n Belles salon

‘Low Tide, High Tea’ by wovenlines on deviantArt

muse’s Reverie from our resident poet, Marcus Prudhon

kraken gold

from Salonniere Sanndi Thompson

re n y in refe l’s Fantas e o th o f h o c t S kou r o w s Fitnes me name sa

Tailings

from Week i Wachee m ermaid Marla Spe llenberg

Keep an eye on the kettle as well as the Tea Travellers Societea Facebook page where these teas will be unveiled and showcased one by one.

7 Sacred Steps to Create Your Master VisionMap ~ An 8-day, online adventure course blending feng shui, chakra, numerology and angel information

Is it time for a new cup of tea?

An encore? A new “vision board”?

Lore Raymond ~ “The VisionQueen” ~ presents a dynamic, 8 day, on line adventure course,

June 8-15, 2015 7 Sacred Steps to Create Your Master VisionMap™ You will be INFUSED with ENTHUSIASM leading to ENERGY and MOTIVATION resulting in inspired ACTION! What makes this course worth your time and treasure?

As you savor your favorite tea, you’ll be expertly guided to: * Clarify what you really seek as it’s helped Lore easily manifest: a husband; jobs, trips to India, Peru and Bali; a daughter at age 45 and; MORE! * Travel through my proven 7-Step VisionMap Model developed over 27 years; it will move you beyond just cutting and pasting images into a mastery level of manifesting; * Have fun with me--sometimes called the “Vision Queen”-- because of the many workshops and speaking engagements to over 10,000 about this proven 7-Step Manifesting Model; * Learn how to use and work with the energies of Feng Shui, the chakras, numerology, and the angels to co-create your Master VisionMap and; * Expand your creativity, intuition, writing, and storytelling skills!

Click here to register now!

#6 from Bonnie Ramsburg

Q: (a) Which Tea Room was the most memorable and why? (b)What makes your favorite Tea Room so special?

A: The answer to both questions is the same, and it’s the Garden Court at the Palace Hotel in San Francisco—a space originally reserved for horses and carriages belonging to the hoity-toity guests staying at the hotel. The first time I went to tea there ... on my own, as going to tea is a passion my friends don’t share ... I was in awe.

While waiting for the dainty comestibles, as I gazed at the ornate glass ceiling, a harp began to play and I began to weep—so overcome by the beauty of my surrounds was I. A moment later, a motherly server came by with my tea, and upon seeing my tears, assumed I was in some sort of distress and warmly said, “Oh, honey. It will be all right.”

She dashed off before I had a chance to explain. As to ‘why’ the Palace is my favorite ... take a gander at the image on the next page. I think it explains it better than I could.

This is the Garden Court at The Palace Hotel in San Francisco. The space was originally a carriage house for guests’ horses & buggies, complete with dirt floor. Top shows view upon entry. Image at right shows view from balcony.

Join your local

Siren School Salon

or we can help you start one of your own in your area Bohemian Belles - Fayetteville, GA Bonnie’s Lasses - Akron, OH

The Intrepid Ladies Adventure Club & Tea Society Hollister, CA Sea Jewels - San Diego, CA

Royaltea & the everyday tea lover Running a tea company is no small task.

Running a tearoom can be even more overwhelming. Yet, Claudia Naffziger of Empress Tea Company and Tea and Teacups tearoom does both, ruling her empire with grace, kindness, and scads of good-natured humor. We plucked a few minutes out of her jam-packed schedule to ask about her loose leaf tea enterprise and the state of the tea market today.

What made you first want to get into tea purveying?

I attended a tearoom in Orange, CA named Buttercup Cottage and I was hooked.

I began learning about all things tea and the rituals unique to different cultures, and tea’s interesting history. I first began to do tea catering where I brought the entire tea experience into people’s homes—which is a lot of work, but also enjoyable.

What has surprised you most about the business of tea?

I think I was most surprised by the willingness of people involved in the tea industry to share their knowledge of tea and a willingness to assist in helping you navigate the ever-changing tea trade.

What changes have you seen in the tea market since you took over Empress?

Over the years, the increasing interests in tea itself and how it can benefit you.

People seem to have a genuine desire to learn about tea and products that will improve the brewing techniques.

What are the most popular teas at the moment?

Flavored black teas are very popular still, Irish Morning (a black tea with rum flavors and coconut flavors) and ApricotPeach. Green teas are very popular due to the media talking about the antioxidants and health benefits.

Our Madame Butterfly and Tropical Green are very popular.

Herbals and Rooibos are gaining in popularity due to the varied and limitless array of flavors that are available today.

What trends do you foresee in the coming year?

I see an increased interest in tea as a culinary ingredient. Whether in baking or cooking, there are endless possibilities. I also see increased use of teas in lattes and frothed drinks, as well as increased use of teas in alcoholic drinks.

What’s your own favorite tea?

I love Jasmine Green teas, or Green Dragon, and I really enjoy oolong teas.

There are several flavored Rooibos teas I enjoy—one is caramel and another is a vanilla and cream that is delicious.

I

I feel that Empress Tea offers a more personalized service to our customers, many of which have been ordering our teas for many years.

What can you tell us about your Tea by Design events?

My goal for the event is to have everyone attending develop a tea to suit their particular tastes.

really enjoy most teas, and there have been some that I have tried once and that was enough for me.

What is the most unusual blend you’ve created?

I am not sure if it is the most unusual I have created, but has been the most popular. It is called Sweet Charlotte; it was created as a gift to one of our customers who had given birth to her first child. Her mother always ordered a black tea with apricot and peach flavors, and the mother-to-be always ordered coconut.

When I learned they were both coming in for tea with the new baby, I mixed several teas to create Sweet Charlotte.

She had named her baby Charlotte.

When I presented the tea to them, I think we all ended up crying. It is now an extremely popular selection.

What sets Empress teas apart from other brands?

They will choose a base for their tea creation, either black, green or white tea and add various flavorings and dried fruits and petals to create a unique tea for them to take home and enjoy. I am looking forward to seeing what people will create. It should be fun or all.

What plans do you have for Empress in the next few years?

I want to start attending local farmer’s markets and local festivals, so more people can experience tea and all it has to offer. I enjoy talking to people about tea and farmer’s markets afford an opportunity to accomplish that.

What do you enjoy most about your job?

I enjoy the opportunity to help people learn about new teas and experience flavors they might not have been willing to try. That is why, at Tea and Teacups I encourage people to try new teas and go beyond their comfort zone. I also enjoy coming up with new recipes to try in the tearoom, experimenting with new foods and trying to make foods relating to the many events we have at Tea and Teacups.

Part 2 of Valentine Masque by Lyle Dagnen Her voice was brisk. He could not decide if she was not aware of his interest in her or if she was keeping their meetings on a more formal level. He would find out day after tomorrow when he called on her at her parents home in London.

On the ride back to town she was quite beside herself trying to figure out just what Ian Jamison was about.

Early the next morning, he was up, dressed warmly, ready to go to the cemetery at the small village church where he worshiped on a regular basis. Julianna was buried there.

On the days that he visited, the memories were sharp and clear in his mind.

The shock of seeing one so lively and vibrant placed in a box to be put in the ground haunted him, even now.

Before he was able to bury Julianna, his son had died.

He remembered how he had cried as he placed the tiny, quiet, cold bundle in his mother's arms. He remembered how he had wanted to be in that box with them.

It was Grandmother who had held him. Father and Grandfather had stood side by side with him during the funeral so that he could stand like a man, not the broken shell that he really was.

The carriage ride was short.

He held a holly wreath in his gloved hands.

He could easily see the angel with outstretched arms. He walked toward the beautiful sculpture, taking in the sounds of winter. He stood there looking at the place in the ground, thinking of her.

“Julianna,” he spoke softly, “I am going to ask for the hand of Catherine Elaine Smyth-St.John. I think that you would like her. She is smart, outspoken, she may even be a bluestocking, but she suits me well. I love you and still miss you.”

He placed the wreath on the grave saying the prayer for the dead as he did. The weak winter sun broke from behind the clouds casting a golden light on the cemetery. Ian smiled. A believer in signs would say this was a sign of good luck, that Julianna agreed with his actions.

He stopped briefly at the graves of his parents—together in death as they had been in life. He had grown up in a household filed with love and laughter because his parents had so loved each other. He smiled at the memories of his father putting his mother over his shoulder and carrying her off to their bedroom. He remembered his father lovingly caressing his mother's pregnant shape when he had been a young boy. The same way he had caressed Julianna. He found himself hoping for the first time that maybe, just maybe he at Lady Elaine might create a family, that they might laugh together, that they would be happy. For the first time in ten years, on the ride back from the cemetery he was not forlorn, he felt a sense of anticipation. *** Tea with Lady Elaine was a bit more complicated than he had imagined it would be. At his home, it had been just the two of them.

At her house, it seemed a whole army of people was interested in the man calling on “Ellie,” as he learned they all called her.

She tried to treat the large number of people, both of her parents, her grandmother, her aunt, her two sisters, and every maid in the house, as a usual guest list at tea.

He chose to drink his tea standing by the fireplace. It was easier to stand than it was to get up every time a lady walked in or out of the room. He found that he liked this view of Elaine, Ellie. She would calmly introduce him, bows exchanged, tea served, cakes eaten, but it was her eyes that held him. She looked at him with something that he could not quite put a name to, but he knew that he liked it when she looked at him that way. The hour was almost completely consumed with a constant parade of people in and out of the sitting room.

“May I call you Ellie?” His eyes danced with humor at the antics of all the people who had come to see her visitor for tea.

She was clearly frustrated with all of them. “Perhaps, I should adopt a stage name, the way people keep coming in this room like I'm some kind of circus act.”

“I think Ellie is quite lovely.” He smiled at her distraught look. “They obviously love you.” He held out his hand for her to come and stand beside him.

“It's no secret that I am on the shelf and not considered a candidate for the marriage mart, so having you come for tea is quite the greatest thing that has happened in this house in years.”

Her candor was exciting.

He enjoyed the perspective she put on things.

“Then perhaps you should prepare them for the receipt of my invitation for you to attend the Valentine Masque with me.” He held to her fingers, enjoying the feel of her hand.

Dare he kiss those fingers? He brought her fingers to his lips, kissing them and holding them to his mouth. Her soft warm fingers against his mouth sent a warmth spreading through his body. He could tell by the way her face pinked she, too, was affected.

Her free hand went to cover her heart, her eyes closed and she began to breathe in short gasping breaths. He saw tears form in her eyes. “Ellie, are you all right?”

“I am quite all right,” she whispered.

“I never believed in my life that ...”

She stopped to gain control of her somersaulting emotions.

“I should be delighted to attend the Valentine Masque with you, Ian.” She had not finished her sentence, but he could imagine what her spontaneous words might have been. He wanted to see her spontaneous, to see her lose control of those tightly held feelings.

Though the words were unspoken, Ian knew that she knew that he was searching for a wife. He knew that she knew that this was the same as him staking a proprietary claim on her for that position. They both understood what her acceptance of his invitation meant. He would notify his grandmother in the morning. “Ellie, would you accompany me to the Lessons and Carols day after tomorrow? Bring one of your sisters and you may stay the night at my house before you return to the city the next day.”

“I will be there,” she whispered taking a step closer to Ian. He held her hand to his heart. They spent the last few minutes of their visit sharing the same air, enjoying the nearness of the other. He thought of a time that he might be able to kiss that desirable mouth of hers. *** Once again he stood in the room where Grandmother loved to serve tea. He could hear the click of her cane as she entered the room, “Why, Ian, what a surprise to see you, dear.” She walked over to him and turned her cheek to accept a kiss from him. “What brings you out on this cold December day?”

“Since you are the one who engineered it, I thought that you should be the first to know. I have asked Lady Elaine Smyth-St.John to be my partner at the Valentine Masque.”

He paused, watching his grandmother to see what her reaction might be.

“She has joined me for tea and I have called upon her. I have asked her to join me for the lessons and carols tomorrow night.

Would it be possible for you and Grandfather to join us and spend the night at my home? She has been invited with her sister.”

“My dear boy, you have gone right about the business, haven't you? Of course I will get my Freddie out for lessons and carols. Just be sure we have a warm room in that mausoleum you hole yourself up in.” She was smiling and so happy she actually forgot to use her cane when she closed her hands around his.

“Grandmother, I have not asked her to marry me. I want to do that at the grand masque. This is merely a Christmas gathering.” He raised his eyebrows at her.

“You and Grandfather will lend such an air of stability and proprietary that her reputation will not be questioned, but you must keep the part about me asking her to marry me to yourself.” (continued further on in this issue)

#7 from Sanndi Thompson

Q: Share what you deem to be tea "blunders" such as the wrong way to make tea, or steep tea or add things to tea (things that make you cringe).

A: There’s nothing that makes me cringe, though there is one thing that makes me very very sad, and that is rudeness. By rudeness, I don’t mean things like using the wrong utensil or shlurping tea too loudly. I mean snobbery, condescension and cruelty. They cause me more consternation than I can say.

Etiquette is meant to make people feel comfortable and included, and so actions or attitudes that serve to alienate, demean or embarrass others are not practices I espouse. But to give you a bona fide answer to your question, the Tea Travellers Societea offers an entire workshop on this subject, titled The Wonders & Blunders of Tea, conducted both in person and online. The one held in Orange County CA this spring will have already happened by the time this magazine issue comes out, however, there is an online version available via videochat in June. I do hope you’ll join me there for some juicy ‘how-to’s and ‘how-not-to’s. Warmly, Joy

The Wonders & Blunders of Tea Ever wondered how to eat a scone?

What finger foods are truly okay to eat with the fingers? And speaking of fingers, what the heck to do with that pinky?!

All of these pesky questions, along with many you never knew you had, will be answered at The Wonders & Blunders of Tea tutorial, offered by the new Tea Travellers Societea.

Saturday, June 27

at 9am PDT / 12noon EDT

by Videochat via Google Hangouts

$10 includes facts, fables, faux pas, fun, and of course, tea ‘how-to’s!

Participation is limited at this intimate interactive tutorial. Click here to register.

TEA STORAGE Basic tips to keep your teas fresh from Empress Tea Company, online purveyor of loose leaf teas • Keep your teas in air-tight containers, tea is like a sponge in that it will absorb odors and scents • Store your tea in a dark place away from the light. Kitchen cabinet is ideal for tea storage • Do not store tea in freezer or the refrigerator. It is best to store tea dry and room temperature • Store tea away from your spice rack; the tea will absorb any odors from strong spices • Remember to always use an air-tight container for tea storage Properly stored tea can have shelf-life of about one year.

Editor’s note: tea bags are generally given a shelf-life of about 6 months _______________________________

“Since 1875, the Japanese company Kaikado has made airtight caddies for storing tea leaves. The copper canister develops a deep patina over time (shown, from far left, is a progression from brand new to 10 years old).” source: tortoisegeneralstore.com

Tea-Smoked Chicken from Sally Bernstein It's important to have a good kitchen exhaust fan for this recipe as it does "smoke". We use chicken wings, but 3-4 pounds of thighs work as well.

INGREDIENTS • 16 chicken wings • 3 cloves of garlic, chopped • 1 Tbsp. grated fresh peeled ginger root • 1 Tbsp. honey • 3/4 Cup low-sodium soy sauce • 1/2 Cup cream sherry • 3/4 Cup brown sugar • 1 Cup loose-leaf Lapsang Souchong tea • Sesame seeds as garnish DIRECTIONS 1. Cut wing tip off drumstick end of wing and slice through the wings. Wash and pat dry.

2. In a blender place chopped garlic, grated ginger root, honey, soy sauce and sherry and process only 20 seconds.

3. Pour marinade into a 9"x13" Image from Thirsty for Tea - visit their site for a twist on this recipe baking pan and coat the chicken wings.

4. Cover pan and refrigerate at least two hours, rotating wings at least one time.

5. Line a heavy cast iron or steel roasting pan with heavy-duty aluminum and sprinkle the sugar and tea on the foil.

6. Place a cake or wire rack in the skillet, and arrange the chicken wings on top.

7. Cover with lid or more aluminum & turn the burner onto high, cooking chicken for 30 minutes. Resist the urge to lift off the pan, and keep chicken covered for 20 more minutes.

8. To make their appearance browned or crisper, coat with a little sesame oil and put in a preheated 450-degree oven for about five minutes.

9. Serve with sprinkled sesame seeds atop. Great with peanut or mustard sauce.

A Road Well¢Traveled In 1730, construction began o n T h e Te a R o a d , t h e nickname for the Siberian Route, as originally decreed of Tsar Ivan V back in 1689.

Camels laden with bricks of tea traversed the trail going from China through Russia and ultimating in Europe, until their work was rendered obsolete by the advent of the Trans-Siberian railway in the 19th century.

The 6000 mile highway took a good 6 months to traverse, with conditions as harsh as the word Siberia conjures. Russian Caravan tea captures the romance of its storied origins, bringing forth imagery of travelers huddled around warming campfires, as the tea they toted absorbed the smoke of the fires, giving the blend of Oolong, Keemum and Lapsang Souchong its characteristic smoky flavor. As distinct a taste as that of Earl Grey, tea-drinkers tend to have very strong feelings about the brew, either yay or nay. Traditional Russian Caravan is a fullbodied and aromatic tea that pairs well with Russian Tea Cookies (those powdered sugar snowballs of buttery deliciousness) as well as sharp cheeses, smoked salmon, heavy sweets, and quiches.

Russian Caravan is not to be confused with ‘Russian Tea,’ an American invention from the 1920’s. This hot holiday beverage made with black tea, orange juice, pineapple or lemon juice, orange peel, cloves and cinnamon.

Part 2 - conclusion - of A Tea Story by Stephen Thompson

would not hear of it. Beth, sweet accommodating Beth, had fought tooth and nail to retain that scene. Erica could not even remember why she had wanted to change the scene in the first place.

Beth saw her off and then returned to her tea waiting on the veranda.

The next day, Beth was in the supermarket. She grabbed a packet of commercial Ceylon tea and one of the specialist Jasmine teas. She found the Ceylon tea very refreshing, especially on a hot day. The Jasmine tea was always good for relaxing her.

'After all', she thought, 'That dragon tea might not be good to drink too often.'

The story about Ralph's escapades continued to unfold in fits and starts. When she hit a snag, which was often, lately, she would brew some jasmine tea and then go for a walk in the small woodland adjoining her plot. This usually worked to clear the block.

One day, she was in a real quandary. Ralph had gotten himself into an awkward situation and she could see no way to resolve it. The usual remedies has failed, dismally.

'Mmm, what about some Dragon tea?' she mused.

Without further ado, she leapt up and hurried off to brew a pot. Sure enough, before she had finished a cup, she had figured out a way to twist the plot.

'Hey, I should bottle this stuff and sell it to struggling writers!' she exclaimed. 'I can call it "Erica 's elixir for creative writing impediments." So, of course, she put some away to use the next day.

The next morning, she warmed up the tea in a pot on the stove, and armed with some fresh scones, sat down to continue Ralph's saga.

'Bugger it!' she exclaimed after the first mouthful. 'Bleah! This stuff tastes like dead compost; If you could imagine finding such a thing. So much for my great commercial foray! I'll have to rely on scratching plots on paper.”

At last the book was done. Even Erica had had to agree that the ending was inspired. (Even though she would never be able to guess where the inspiration had come from.)

Beth was down at the local supermarket shopping for a small cake to celebrate with, when she bumped into a school friend, Rita.

Rita had been involved with all the animal rights circulars that did the rounds of the town. Not that she looked like a typical activist, mind you. Instead of mousey hair and thick specs, she had blonde hair, pigtails and the body of a cheerleader. Men just fell over themselves to sign any petition she campaigned for. In spite of this, she was a kind and likable girl, who Beth always had time for. She looked quite upset so Beth went over to speak to her.

'Hi! Rita, what's up?' she asked.

'It's that Dan Hamilton!' Rita replied. 'He's got a kennel on his farm and he's breeding dogs to sell for the dogfights. He says they're for the army and the protection services, but I know that's just hogwash.'

'What about the papers? Can't you get them to run a campaign against him? Beth asked.

'No, he's been friends with the Governor for years. We don't have any concrete evidence to link him with the dog fights and without that, the Governor won't consider any investigation. The papers won't touch the story for the same reasons,' Rita said. 'I've got to run.

Jack Oakley has donated an old barn near the Darnville Road to the animal shelter and the presentation is at 2pm. So nice to see you again. Bye now!'

Beth had had a run-in with Hamilton some time before. He had been using the road that ran past her plot to move his harvesting machinery, blocking the road for hours and damaging the roadway.

Eventually, she'd persuaded the Federal Roads commission to put a stop to that, as the road was a feeder road to the highway. A nasty, bombastic sack of lard, she remembered.

The power was out at the shopping centre and they could not cash up her purchases, so she had to wait two hours until the council could fix the electrical fault, so it was already dark when she got back to the plot.

She had a piece of the pie she had got at the bakery and put on the kettle for some tea. The Jasmine tea was out of the question and even the Ceylon tea didn't appeal to her.

'If I had coffee I would drink that, I swear,' she murmured. 'I'm going to have that dragon tea. I don't care about that daytime only mumbo jumbo,' she said.

Surprisingly, the strong tea seemed to calm her, and she fell into a deep sleep on the veranda, waking sometime in the early morning to stumble off to bed.

Two days later she was in the town collecting mail from her agent at the post office, when she again met Rita.

'You're looking a bit happier, Rita,' Beth said.

'Well, I know it's nasty of me, but I'm glad Dan Hamilton had that fire,' Rita replied.

'What fire?' Beth asked.

'Oh, of course, you don't stay in town. Two nights ago, one of his cornfields burnt down and part of one of his barns burnt too. The one where he kept the dogs; and they all escaped too,' Rita replied. 'He tried to blame it on arson, but there was no evidence, so the sheriff wouldn't consider it.

He deserves it for the way he treats those dogs.’

Beth let Rita babble on about some dance she was arranging in support of the Save the Rhino Federation and how it was going to be the occasion of the year. Sandy Jones and The Beer Bottle Band were going to be playing some of their biggest hits, she said.

'Who?' Beth asked.

'Don't tell me you haven't heard them! They are the most popular country music band in the country,' Rita said, amazed. 'Everyone knows them! You really should get out more often, you know.'

'I'm sure you're right,' Beth said. ‘I'll try to make it to the show. I have to go down to the post office now to collect some mail from my publisher, so I'll catch you later.’

'You work too hard,' Rita said. 'You really should make time for the show.'

'I'll try my best,' Beth promised. 'I'm sure it will be a success with you assisting with the planning.

Bye! See you later.'

'Bye, Rita replied.

Erica had enclosed a personal note, explaining some of the requested changes to the manuscript. 'The publisher is just a little quirky about some things,' she wrote. 'I don't think I've ever seen her make so few changes to a manuscript. She obviously liked your story.'

That night, relaxing with some wine and an omlette on the veranda, she decided that Rita was partly right — she did need to go out some more. 'I'll go own to that little steakhouse near the river. I haven't had a decent steak for some time and they seem to manage to get a decent oneman-band for background music all the time,’ she decided.

The changes to the manuscript took longer than she'd expected, so it was late afternoon before Beth left the house. 'Hmm, I'm starving,’ she said to herself. I was so busy with that manuscript that I forgot to eat. Well, now I can pig out with starters and dessert.' She laughed. 'After all, it's lunch and supper now.'

The restaurant was busy, as it always was, but she managed to find a table on the terrace, where she could watch the setting sun light up the river. The performer was a young Latino man playing a Spanish guitar. He was doing a very credible cover of an old Carlos Santana number, when she arrived.

She took the crumbed black mushrooms with cheese and garlic sauce as a starter. The cheese was real cheese melted over the mushrooms, with the creamy garlic sauce underneath. 'Superb!' she commented to the waiter.

The main course was a chargrilled sirloin steak with a red wine and pepper sauce. A baked potato with garlic butter, some onion rings and a small herb salad completed the repast. (continued further on in this issue)

To top it all, they had a South African wine promotion and she was able to get a cabernet sauvignon/merlot per glass. A rare treat as most of her friends preferred domestic sweet white wines, so she was usually stuck with whatever was available per glass. (A bottle was too much for one over dinner.)

Home made ice cream with a hazelnut chocolate sauce to top off the meal, and she was as pleased as a pussycat.

She had to have some tea to round it off. More to allow the meal to settle than because she was thirsty.

There was a short line at the pay point, and she ended up standing behind two old ladies and a younger man who might have been a grandson of one of them.They acknowledged Beth with a nod and a motherly smile and then went back to their conversation.

'I'm telling you Ethel, the World is falling into the ways of the Devil,' the older lady said to the other. ‘My son Bert works on the farm next to that ugly man and he told me one of the men saw that man ... what's his name ...'

'Hamilton, Grandma,' the young man said.

Beth suddenly decided to take an interest in the conversation.

'Well, anyway,' the grandma said. 'His men found the missing dogs. Cornered them in the walls that's all that's left standing of Mrs. Pierce’s old farmhouse. Tied them by the necks and dragged them back to him. And what does "mister" do? Throws them in the remains of their cages in the barn an then sets it alight. Ain't that right Bobby?' she demanded of the young man.

'Yes Grandma,' the young man dutifully replied.

The rest of the conversation was lost, as the young man finished paying and they left the restaurant. Somehow, Beth managed to fumble some money out for the cashier. With a mechanical smile, she pocketed the change and left the restaurant.

All the way home, the unwanted images continued to torture her mind. 'Those poor dogs,

trapped in the fire. What a cruel thing to do,' she thought.

'Just because they ran away from the house because of the fire'.

Without even thinking about it, she grabbed the Dragon tea, which was the closest, and brewed up a pot. She took this out to the veranda and sat sipping it automatically while the waxy full moon climbed into the sky.

She had almost finished the pot, when she realised that she was starting to feel rather strange. She was feeling light-headed and her skin seemed to be tingling all over her body. Then, all of a sudden, she was rushing up into the air.

Her strong wings lifting her effortlessly into the sky. She looked back and there she was, sitting on the veranda. 'This can't be a dream,' she thought, 'everything feels so real'. A strange compulsion settled over her, and she flew up into the silver sky, heading west.

In minutes she arrived at Hamilton's farm. Somehow she knew it, although she had never been there before. She circled the house twice, roaring out a battle cry, then came to ground in the yard before the front door, just as it was flung open by Henderson.

'So it was you who burned my crops,' he shouted. 'I'll teach you to mind your own business!' With that he raised the shotgun to his shoulder and let fly with both barrels.

Dragon Beth did not even feel the wind of shot passing through the space where she was. She opened her mouth and a jet of flame picked Henderson up and flung him back through the farmhouse door. More and more flame she blew through the door, until all the windows blew out with jets of crimson fire. Then the fire pummeled the stones of the front wall, until they exploded into smoking shards. The house collapsed, abandoning itself to the dirt like some repentant sinner, until all that was left was the heat, chasing wind devils across the ruin.

With a graceful flap of leathery wings, Beth climbed into the sky, heading home.

Tea & Viands — a Perfect Match Tea is the second most consumed drink in the world, surpassed only by water. So it should come as no surprise that tea has enjoyed a long and healthy relationship with cooking and beverage pairing.

Just as a specific wine can bring out subtle flavors in a prepared dish, a complementary tea can enhance both the enjoyment of the food as well as the tea itself. This practice has generated so much interest, it’s resulted in the creation of a new occupation—that of the tea sommelier.

Following are just a few rudimentary ‘tips’ to get you pairing with confidence.

Use them only as a starting point, and enjoy moving beyond these boundaries to find the food/tea combinations that interest you most.

Black tea This robust brew can stand up to the most powerful of food flavors, and it’s what we in the west are most accustomed to serving with ‘tea food,’ though tea food tends to be mild in flavor.

Even so, black teas make great mates to spicy food. Black tea is generally used in iced tea or ‘sweet tea.’

As black teas come in a variety of blend categories, they have versatile applications.

TRADITIONAL blacks such as English Breakfast are rich and hearty and go well with custard dishes and puddings, tiramisu, and dark chocolate desserts. Darjeeling—long recognized as the ‘Champagne’ of teas— combines beautifully with cream-based desserts, custards, omelets.

FRUITY - Apricot/peach blends and black currant have long been staples at tearooms in the USA. These are delicious with sweet desserts.

EARTHY black teas work well with meat pies, gravies, potatoes, and vegetable casseroles.

Image from chinayoutong.com

SMOKY - These strong blends require foods that can stand up to them.

Chocolate can hold its own when paired with the ‘nose’ of a smoky Keemum tea, as can many Mexican, Italian and Indian dishes. And Lapsang Souchong is a good foil for smoked salmon and citrus dishes Oolong tea A complex, often floral, tea that can stand alone as a culinary experience sans edible accompaniments, these teas range in body from those on the ‘black’ end of the spectrum to those on the ‘green’ end. The heartier oolongs work well with grilled meats, duck and salmon, while the lighter oolongs are better with subtle meats such as shellfish. The sweet, aromatic nature of oolongs makes them a good match for French pastries and breakfast dishes served with syrup. Stir-fry dishes pair well with oolongs in the green range.

Green tea This tea, that many of us drink at our favorite sushi bar, goes well with chicken, seafood & fish (naturally), and rice. If a dish has the components found in a California roll, chances are it goes well with green tea. And floral teas (such as jasmine) are lovely with fruit salads and fruity desserts.

Sandwiches and artisan breads bring out the sweetness of fruity greens. Salads are often served with green tea, but as they can be as complex as tea blends, they are best paired based on their ingredients.

Chinese green is the tea most often touted for its health benefits.

White tea This subtle, delicate tea can easily be overpowered by spicy or aromatic foods. As such, it is best paired with light and mild dishes such as vegetables (without sauces or heavy spices) or a refreshing cucumber salad or plain rice. If you like your tea sweetened, honey enhances the white tea experience without compromising the brew.

Rooibos While not from the Camellia sinensis, this caffein-free alternative has been steadily gaining in popularity the last few years. When in doubt, apply the same pairing guidelines to Rooibos as you would to black teas.

‘Herbals’ For a good night’s sleep, an infusion or tisane is your best bet. These caffeine-free beverages made of herbs, dried fruits, flowers and spices are calming and health-giving.

So what to do at times of multi-flavor, multicourse feasting such as Thanksgiving? Why, Pu-erh, of course!. It is a natural digestive that has an earthy character with a clean finish, and it gets along with Indian food, tomato-based Italian dishes, and heavy stir-frys.

All of the above comes from the opinion and palate of just one tea-drinker. To see what others suggest in the way of tea pairing, take a glance at the pairing charts included here.

Image from barkingside.com

Image from tea.flavourboulevard.com

This set of charts from OurHomeTea.com

#8

from Carol Klink

What exactly is high tea?

A: That’s another great question not lending itself to a clear-cut answer. Traditionally, high tea referred to the meal taken by the laboring class at the end of a long and physically taxing work day. It was a hot and filling affair, served on sturdy crockery and usually comprised of a hunk of bread and some cheese, plus meat and vegetables or meat pies if the budget allowed.

While legend claims that the term ‘high tea’ indicates that the meal was taken at a high table such as a dining table, as opposed to a low table such as a coffee table—the latter being common for afternoon tea in hotels and homes—in truth, the term is employed in the same vein as the phrases ‘high noon’ or ‘it’s high time.’

The ‘fancy’ tea served with bone china and enjoyed by the leisure set (as attributed to Anna the 7th Duchess of Bedford) is correctly termed ‘afternoon tea.’ That’s the British meal served with dainty delicacies, crustless sandwiches, petite pastries, scones and the like.

Because of the confusion in terms, many international hotels serving tea have deferred to the masses and often now refer to their afternoon tea service as high tea, in the spirit of ‘if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em.’ When I had my own tearoom, and as a means of marketing to the masses, I opted to serve a high tea that was really afternoon tea with the addition of a warm small warm entree such as a shepherd’s pie, vol au vent, pasty (English meat turnover) or quiche. Many tea rooms do the same with quiche.

Traditionally, afternoon tea was served around 4pm with dinner at 8 or 9pm, and high tea was served around 6pm when workers returned home from factories and mines. Today, tearooms generally offer their tea service during their regular meal hours, and hotels offer afternoon tea from 2-5pm.

Serving tea can be daunting. How hot should the water be? How long should you infuse the leaves? How do you keep sandwiches from drying out? And how on earth do you cut the crusts off without the final product looking a right mess?

All of these questions and oodles more are answered at Tea Camp, where hopeful hostesses along with would-be tearoom owners can learn the finer points of tea service, both at home and as a business.

Workshops are conducted both in person and online via interactive videochat, and are designed to meet the needs of: • Prospective tearoom owners • Existing proprietors • Hostesses who just want to learn how to throw a tea party at home with the greatest ease and most fabulous results For Hostesses:

For Proprietors:

AUGUST 26-28, 2015 (Wed-Fri, 10am-4pm)

Have you dreamed of having a tearoom of your own? A place where you can share your love of tea and do things 'the right way' (*wink*) ... a place where you can enjoy all of your favorite tea treats in an atmosphere that's decorated exactly to your taste and specifications?

EtiCamp: Social Graces, Hostess, & Hospitalitea training ($200 per day or $525 for all 3 days; can be combined with Tea Biz Bootcamp for a total of $950)

Onsite, Orange County CA

This 3-day mega-class tackles a different area of expertise in depth each day.

• Day 1 - Social etiquette for today's world from the basic to the unexpected & awkward, including manners for at home & in public, place settings, how to eat problematic foods and much more • Day 2 - Learn the tricks to being the hostess with the mostess, how to beautifully wrap gifts, cobble thank-you notes, receive guests, plan meals, set & decorate a table ... the list goes on • Day 3 - Everything you need to know about presenting a tea party at home, including skills substantially different from those needed to run a commercial tearoom. Learn hacks and how-to's that will enable you to get everything done in time and without stress. (An abbreviated version of this workshop is offered in the Hospitaliea Crash Course listed below)

OCTOBER 10, 2015 (Sat 10am-1pm)

Hospitalitea Crash Course ($125) Onsite, Long Beach CA

Get ready for a whirlwind 3 hours as we teach you the tricks and secrets of putting on a gorgeous tea party with near effortless efficiency. We'll wind down by noshing on the tea treats you've prepared. (The content of this tutorial is also included in the EtiCamp Day 3 Hospitalitea workshop, which is more involved and covers additional material)

If you've tiptoed around the subject long enough and are ready to get serious about entrepreneurship, our Tea Camp classes will help you get things moving. Classes are taught by seasoned tearoom owners who are keenly aware of the challenges you'll face, and who have practical recommendations on how to run a successful afternoon tea business in the 21st century, as well as solutions for the unexpected issues you may encounter.

AUGUST 23-25, 2015 (Sun 2-5p, Mon 10a-4p, Tues 10a-4p)

Tea Biz Boot Camp ($500;

)

can be combined with EtiCamp for a total of $950

Onsite, Orange County CA

This intensive workshop will cover everything from preparatory business set-up (business plans, permits, insurance, and other less-than-fun stuff) to day-to-day operations, securing your niche, dealing with vendors & staff, marketing, mastering social media, displaying merchandise for maximum effect, and even hands-on food & tea preparation tutorials in a working tearoom kitchen. By the time you leave, you'll know not only how to run your tea business, but how to provide a five star tea experience for your guests. Concludes with certification ceremony and afternoon tea as prepared by participants, and served by your instructors!

SEPTEMBER 19, 26 & OCTOBER 3, 2015 (Saturdays, 9am-1pm PST)

VirtualiTea Camp ($375 for 3 sessions) Via live videochat, Google Hangouts

For those who can't make it to our onsite boot camp in August, we offer an interactive videochat option, taking place over 3 consecutive Saturdays with each week focusing on a different aspect of tea matters as covered in the Tea Biz Bootcamp sessions.

Part 2 of Tea with Rose by Erin Sankey

that looked innocent and young. I guess I got too old to look innocent and young riding my bike around the hoods.”

“What did you do about it?” Blake asked, his curiosity piqued.

“There really wasn't anything I could do. So, I took up poker.

I'd sneak out of my house at night and go meet up with Willy and his friends in the basement of an old apartment building on 35th street. I'd smoke cigars and drink beers with 'em. I got so good at playing, I'd lose on purpose sometimes. It didn't matter though. I had enough money to play around with at the time.”

Rose sat up straight with and with a sparkle in her eye when she said, “That's where I met Marv, the cutest boy at the game. He was the love of my life, blond hair, blue eyes, smart and handy. Marvin Munger, seventeen years old and he had my attention. Of course I didn't have his. I was only twelve,” she said, sipping some tea.

“That is until I turned fifteen. That's when things changed for us.

The next thing I knew, I was pregnant with his child. My parents immediately marched us into the church and made us get married. Marv and I had to get our own apartment, and on September 27th, 1930 my son, Christopher Munger, was born.

“I thought the poker money I made would last us a long time.

But children are expensive, and so I had to get a job. I became a mechanic over at Mike's mechanic shop. I took to fixing cars like a duck takes to water. I was so good at it, I fixed cars better than some of the men that had been doing it for years. They weren't too happy about that,” she said, refreshing her tea and lighting another cigarillo. “I worked on cars for five years. I became more agreeable around the shop as time went on.”

“Sorry, I don't mean to sound slow here, but who's Frank Nitty?” he asked.

“More agreeable?” Blake asked.

Rose laughed. “Why, he was only the second feared man next to Capone. Nitty was Capone's second in command— his right hand man. His full name was, Francesco Raffaele Nitto.”

“Yeah you know, slowed down, not being so obnoxious. It was to keep my job.”

“Whoa!” Blake whispered.

“I was good at things, but I knew when I was crossing a line.”

“Drink your tea before it gets cold,” Rose insisted.

Blake nodded.

Blake picked up his cup, saluted her, and took a sip. “Yes, ma’am,” he said.

“I remember one time, Jimmy, one of the mechanics, learned how to inflate truck tires with fire. It was especially useful when the tire had a hole in it. The fire would weld it right up. Well, one time, Jimmy forgot about a tire and it exploded. I think every single person in that shop was in the parking lot, just standing there scratching their head and jumpy as Mexican jumping beans toward any noise that followed.

Rose sat back. It looked like she was deep in thought.

She took another drag of her cigarillo. “By the time I was twelve, I had more money than I knew what to do with.

Then one day, just as quickly as I was recruited, Capone stopped asking me. He was only interested in the children

Blake laughed. “Ah!”

“They were all trying to figure out what had just happened.”

She took another drag of her cigarillo and laughed. “A cop pulled up. He had heard the noise from a mile away. He thought it was a gun that had gone off. That's how loud it was. Poor Jimmy—he sat there with his hands on his head, apologizing. He thought he had enough time to do a quick oil change while inflating the tire. He really didn't know what came over him.” Rose shook her head smiling. “It was something else, I'll tell ya. Anyways, working in a mechanic shop you learn a lot as it is.”

She looked down at the ground. “I worked there for five years before Mike, the owner, died. Sadly, the shop broke up. The guys all got jobs elsewhere. I thought my husband and I were going to have to move,” Rose said with sadness in her eyes. “That's when my best friend, Minnie, told me about an all-female skydiving team.”

“Wait! What? A female sky diving team?” Blake asked, adjusting himself in his chair. He reached out and picked up his cake and bit into it.

“Yeah, here look, I have a tattoo to prove it,” she said, lifting her sleeve to expose her shoulder.

Blake walked over and looked at it.

“It's a plane propeller with initials A.T. 1935,” she explained.

“What do the initials stand for?” he asked.

“Aviation Temptations,” she said, sipping more tea. “We were the hottest female plane-jumpers around. People would come from miles just to watch us. Marv would take Christopher and wait for us in the open field we landed in. Christopher loved it. He’d always say how he liked seeing mommy flying high in the sky. The girls and I had a whole routine. We’d wear brightly colored uniforms and jump out at a certain spot. All of us would gracefully dance while plummeting toward the earth. Then pop!

We'd pull our chutes. Where you landed is where you landed. We just tried to do it with finesse.” She took a drag of her cigarillo.

“Every Saturday night, Marv and I would go to the pump with the rest of the ladies and their husbands or boyfriends. My mother would watch Christopher. We lived it up while we were there—singing, dancing, playing games, and whatever else you could think of, we did. One night while we were at the pump, Marv cleared it out. He was sitting at the bar enjoying a beer, when this rancid smell appeared. Half the bar emptied, but I noticed that my husband didn't follow. All I could do was give him a nasty look 'cause of what he did, and I knew it was him.”

“What did he do?” Blake asked.

(continued further on in this issue)

How mermaids take their tea

When considering the type of shot to use for the cover of this tea issue, we put out a call on Facebook for ‘tea party’ photos taken by (or taken of) the person submitting images for consideration. Our runner-up in the contest was professional mermaid Meridian Mer-Gyver of Southern California.

We were so enthralled with her whimsical photos that we decided to include them ... and since she’s of British decent and reads tea leaves, we thought we should ask her a few questions as well.

First off, what inspired you to invite a coterie of cephalopods to join you?

What do you enjoy most about the tea room experience?

Well, they are my cu.e-­‐pods. They live in the studio where I create and work. They are my inspira.on and daily companions.

O=o is the largest and oldest of the bunch, and he is a mermaid’s best friend! The rest of the cu.e-­‐pods have been adopted over the years, and O=o watches over them. It just did not seem right to have a party with O=o and not invite the rest of the pod!

When I was younger and we first moved to California, it was a huge culture shock for my mom. She had a hard .me adjus.ng, but I, being a child, barely no.ced. As .me went by and we se=led into life in a new state, Mom found a quiet li=le Bri.sh Market with an a=ached Tea House. Inside was like being back in grandparents’ home.

The smells and sights were all familiar and the taste of the food was something I had all but forgo=en. Spending .me in the Bri.sh Tea House with my mom was like reliving our life back east with my grandparents, and it filled us both with such joy and warmth. To this day, whenever I am in a Bri.sh tea house, those same feelings come rushing back to me. It’s a sense of home and the old world.

What role does tea play in your life?

An everyday role—I cannot 'get on with my life without it' kinda role! No, seriously! I drink tea every morning, English Breakfast Tea, light honey (from my husband’s last beehive) and lots of cream! The real stuff, not powdered or flavored, just good old fashioned half and half!

When the weather finally turns cool and the nights are crisp, it's another favorite .me to fire up the old tea ke=le. I drink tea like the Bri.sh; I have even been known to line-­‐dry my old tea bags for reuse later! My friends say tea runs in my veins. I was given my love of tea from my very British grandparents, who were an integral part of my upbringing.

I prefer Moroccan style tea in summer’s warm months, so I make Sun Tea with honey and fresh mint from the garden, instead of sugar. I have painted with tea, dyed fabric with tea, baked green tea cookies, and have used certain types of tea bags for calming puffy eyes or as a hot compress. I have even studied and taught the finer points of divining or fortune telling with tea leaves and different types of loose herbal teas.

I hear your husband joins you on tea ou;ngs. Was it difficult to convince him to do so?

There is a Japanese style tea house that my husband LOVES. In fact, it was his idea to go there for the first .me! My husband also enjoys a good cup of tea on a cold night, or with his breakfast of fresh eggs and toast.

We always have English Breakfast tea in the house, but his favorite tea in all the world is the Russian Caravan tea we get from our local tea house. It has a very heavy smoky scent and a thick robust black tea taste; ‘it’s a man’s tea’ as my husband would say! (He must be right because I do not care for it).

On special nights or occasions, I will get down our Japanese tea pot and cups, and brew us a small pot of tea. Usually it's an herbal tea that we both enjoy; we

sip and relax in front in the fire while watching a movie. T here is something so intimate about sharing a pot of tea. It soothes the souls of the couple and brings t hem t ogether.

What do you do for a living?

I am a teacher by trade and an ar.st at heart. My daily life is teaching and working with children between the ages of 1 month to 8 years. I have been teaching for almost 15 years. I have seen countless first steps, heard countless first words, mended many a broken heart and scraped knee. Children are second nature to me, but I will not have any of my own. I have raised my fair share, and have made the decision not to have children of my own. At 32 years old, I don’t regret this decision, and it has given me the chance to chase my dreams of being an artist.

I am a crea.ve, expressive person, and my art allows me the opportunity to show this to the world. I run a small Etsy shop—

known as Ten Tickles Art—with my trusted octopus, O=o Bot. O=o is a large stuffed octopus who has been with me and a part of my mermaid persona for all most three years. I love Octopuses, well, cephalopods in general, but mostly the Octopus takes my heart. It only seemed natural to make O=o my business partner!

I am also a performance ar.st. Not only am I a professional mermaid with lots of goals and ambi.ons, but I am also a Flow Ar.st. I dance and play with Hula Hoops, Poi Balls, and Levita.on wands; they all incorporate a form of juggling, dance, hand/eye coordina.on, and imagina.on. Without this type of dance and movement my life would be stagna.ng. I have trained in several forms of dance: Irish Hard Shoe (Riverdance Style), Ballet and Pointe, Salsa, Swing and I have spent plenty nights line dancing with my mom! I have always danced, but being a professional mermaid is s.ll a very new thing to me.

Fishnet and Seaweed Mermaid Shawl Free Form Crochet from TenTickles Art

I have only been in the mermaid community for three years, but in that short .me I have found myself allied with some of the most amazing people. Because of my mermaid career I have met, interviewed and advised several authors, and helped run the internet side of Mermaid/ Merman Minerals. Paf Lynn, t h e o w n e r o f M e r m a i d Minerals, made me her Social Media Correspondent and over the years I have helped build up Merman Minerals, giving the men in our community a place to gather and to share their photos and experiences. I work for, and with, the incredible Thom Shouse, who gave me my start as a mermaid! Thom encouraged me to go further, be in the public eye and make a career out of my dreams. I have worked some amazing events and seen some amazing par.es.

Mermaiding is fulfilling to me because it is something I have always dreamed of, and I want to help others reach their dreams. My best friend calls me the Fairy God Mother of the mermaid world because I want to help everyone get their tail and see their dreams come true! I want to make fabric tails and gift them to new merfolk in the community! I want to bring an entire pod of mermen together for a big meet-­‐up and photo shoot!

I want to open my own mermaid school so I can teach swimming, safety, and the skills of being a professional mermaid! These are just some of my goals. If I can keep on going, then maybe one day I can make these things happen, not only for myself, but for the merfolk community at large.

And what sorts of trinkets and treasures do you offer in your new TenTickles Art Etsy shop?

I've got gadgets and gizmos aplenty, I've got whozits and whatzits galore! You want thingamabobs? I've got at least twenty!

Sorry, I could not resist! I really do have many things in my Etsy shop, lots of merfolk trinkets including home décor such as the Sunken Treasure Candles. Each candle has a sharks' tooth, sea glass, shells and more hidden within the blue soy wax.

As the candle melts, the .ny treasures are revealed! You can salvage the treasure for your own personal art or décor! There's handmade jewelry featuring puka shell necklaces, sea shell bangles with real coral, shells, and sea beans to adorn your wrists, and also, .ny sea shell earrings, real starfish and sand dollar hair clips, and bobby pins for your flowing mermaid hair.

I also incorporate many aspects of my personal life into my art. I am a Pagan, and ojen.mes you can find trinkets, charms, or amulets that reflect my witchy side. I love working with the Evil Eye charm. I have several earrings made from blue, green, or red eyes to protect and watch your back! I also sell my Good Voodoo Dolls, made from Day of the Dead co=on print fabric with a super soj center ̶-­‐great for cuddles or strangles! And let’s not forget that I am a total dork for Batman, LEGOs and Star Wars! If you are too, I’ve got some incredible, one-­‐of-­‐a-­‐kind, handmade pieces t o d e l i g h t y o u r geeky side. The Mario Mushroom Power Up pack is all hand-­‐molded and hand-­‐painted to be a realis.c v e r s i o n o f t h e c a r t o o n mushrooms found i n t h e p o p u l a r v i d e o g a m e s .

LEGO Mini-­‐Figure N e c k l a c e s , B r a c e l e t s , a n d Earrings can be found within Ten Tickles Art, along with Gaming Dice b r a c e l e t s a n d e a r r i n g s , a n d goldfish cracker b o b b y p i n s .

There's even a goldfish cracker,

hand-­‐sculptured and painted to look like someone has prepared a real life Goldfish Cracker Fish for dinner!

Last, I hear you are a prac;;oner of tasseography. What can you tell us about this age-­‐old prac;ce?

Tasseography, also known as Tasseomancy, is in fact an age-­‐old prac.ce of divining one’s future through the interpreta.on of the pa=erns lej in the cup from tea leaves or coffee grounds. That’s the clinical side of it—now comes the magickal side of (magick, in this case, is spelled with a ‘k’ to differen.ate from stage magic). I used to gather my students around my dinner table and brew a pot of tea while giving this lesson.

It's set up to be a h a n d s -­‐ o n e x p e r i e n c e . I encourage you to try this prac.ce at home. You never know what your future will hold!

Begin by choosing a simple black, white, oolong or green tea.

Make sure it is loose leaf and not in a tea bag. Usually, you would use a tea i n f u s e r w h e n making loose leaf teas, but in this case, just put the tea straight into the

water. You will need Bottom Feeders by ceramic artist Mary O’Malley a teapot, ke=le, or electric ke=le to boil the water, a cup with a handle and a saucer to go along with your chosen tea. I would always burn incense and play medita.on m u s i c f o r m y students. Doing this may be something that helps get you into a magickal frame of mind. As you start to boil your water, select your tea, and set out your cup and saucer, begin to think cup to its normal posi.on, you should see about your future and what ques.ons you the leaves coa.ng the inside of the cup. The would like answered. This is the start of leaves closest to the rim represents the your moving medita.on. near future, halfway down the side would The en.re process should put your mind be the mid-­‐future, and the bo=om-­‐most into a working media.on or scrying mood. leaves represents the distant future.

Everything you are doing is in prepara.on Now you must use your crea.ve eyes and for your magickal work. Once the ke=le has mind to make out the images that appear boiled, make yourself a cup of tea. Add within your tea leaves. You might see things sugar or honey to sweeten it, but no cream like a tree, a house, a person, or an animal. or milk. Swirl, sip, and enjoy your tea all Reading tea leaves is a lot like a Rorschach while concentra.ng on your magickal test—it’s all up to your interpreta.on. Each purpose. Con.nue to drink the tea un.l you image has its own meaning. You can look are finished, being mindful of the loose tea online or purchase a book at your local leaves. Once there is only a small amount of bookstore to find the meanings. liquid and concentrated tea leaves in the For example: if you see a person near the bo=om of the cup, the divining can begin. middle of the cup, it could mean a new Place your saucer on top of the cup and .p friendship, lover, or child. A house near the it over, allowing the remaining liquid and top of the cup may indicate a move, a new tea leaves to fall, most of the leaves will home or business venture. It's up to you to slide down the side of the cup and the decide which meaning applies to you and liquid will wash out on to the saucer. (If all your life. If tea leaf reading is something of your tea leaves wash out, you lej too that speaks to you, and you want to much liquid in the cup). As you return your

con.nue learning and studying this art of divina.on, you can get into herbal teas and divina.on tea cups!

While teaching this class one year, a student of mine asked about using herbal teas. I had not heard of such a thing and since I have a treasure trove worth of teas, we began to pull out and inspect the herbal teas for divina.on purposes. This what we discovered: if you are going to use herbal teas, choose teas with larger pieces that won’t disintegrate in the hot water. Also, be mindful of what herbs you are using, and what purpose or meaning they embody.

For instance, if you are doing a reading about your love life or rela.onships, you might want to use a Rose Mint Herbal Tea. Remember, all plants have magickal and medita.onal proper.es. It would be wise to do some research before doing a reading with herbal teas. An herb like Yarrow is not only for love and divina.on, it's also good for things like colds and fevers. However, Yarrow is also used as a sleep aid and to

encourage prophe.c dreams. So if you’re looking to do a reading with Yarrow, you may want to take a nap ajer drinking your tea, and write down your dreams to help you interpret the meanings later. I always recommend that my new students get a book about herbs and their proper.es.

Sco= Cunningham is an author I have recommended .me and .me again.

Divina.on Tea Cups are unlike any other cup and saucer you will ever see. They are surprisingly not that hard to find, once you know what you are looking for! Most people use plain, simple cups and saucers, as I do to for most readings, but now again you want something a little more ̶ witchy! There are three styles of Divination Tea Cup: the Zodiac, Playing Card and the Symbol Cups, so let’s start with the Zodiac Cup. The Zodiac Cups feature pictures and/or symbols of all 12 zodiacal characters inside the cup or saucer. My Zodiac cup has the zodiacal characters on the saucer, planetary symbols and images on the inside of the cup with an inscription on

retailers. These kits come with a Symbol Cup and saucer, and the symbols are ojen marked with numbers that correlate to the booklet. The booklet is usually a short “how to”, has a brief history of Tassemancy, and an interpretation guide to the most commonly seen symbols in divination.

In the end, tea leaf reading is something just about anyone can dabble in and enjoy!

This spring you may want to take a deeper look into your cup of tea and see what the future may hold for you. the outside reading “Perchance this cup will show it thee. Would'st thy fortune like to see?” The idea behind the Zodiac Cup is so the reader can combine astrology with Tasseomancy.

The Playing Card Cups feature sca=ered playing cards ranging from the standard 52-­‐ card poker deck to the 32 card playing deck of early Europe. My Playing Card cup and saucer is solid minty green with the playing cards dancing around the inside of the cup w i t h t h e i n s c r i p . o n “ T h e C u p o f Knowledge” around the inside rim. I don’t use this cup; it confuses things for me. The playing cards are too jumbled and I do not read playing cards (cartomancy), so it is quite hard to do a regular tea leaf reading from this set.

Last of all, we have the Symbol Cups. This is the simplest of all the cups and the easiest to use! Frequently, Symbol Cups are covered with the most commonly seen tasseomancy images and come with a booklet to help interpret them! I would recommend star.ng out with this type of cup and saucer. You could also purchase a beginner’s kit from Amazon or other online

To reach Meridian (or maybe even get her to read your tea leaves)

visit her Facebook Mermade For You Events page, TenTickles Art page or

TenTickles Art Etsy Shop

#9

from Sanndi Thompson

Q: Do you have any experience with tea leaf reading? Have you ever had your tea leaves read by someone? Or do you know how to decipher tea leaves in a tea cup yourself? If so, could you share some interesting stories with us on this?

A: As a matter of fact I actually do have some experience with tea leaf reading. A friend who had a tearoom used to ask me to read leaves for special events now and again. I adopted a ridiculous and somewhat mysterious gypsylike persona and had a ball. I was told on several occasions that I “have a gift” and some of those for whom I ‘read’ asked for subsequent readings. I had to make a point to mention that my tea leaf reading was all done in the spirit of fun and should not be used as a basis for life decisions.

To get started, simply tell the participant to concentrate on their question, swirl their tea cup three times counterclockwise (making sure there’s just enough liquid to let the loose leaves move), set the saucer on top of the cup, turn them both over together, and let your imagination run wild.

Tea Leaf Iconography from Mystic Pagan ACORN - a very strong and fortunate symbol indicating happiness and contentment; at the top = financial success; at the bottom = good health.

AIRCRAFT - journey; travel.

ALLIGATOR or CROCODILE - beware of false friendship lurking in your professional life.

ANCHOR - at top = stability, constancy in love or business; at bottom or broken = instability, inconstancy; can also symbolize an unpleasant situation or burden you should sail away from.

ANGEL - good news; protection.

ANT - hard work or busy phase will end productively.

APPLE - life; creative or artistic achievement; abundance.

ARCH - positive opening or opportunity (look to nearby symbols for added meaning).

ARM - pointing up = new directions; down = you need to motivate yourself; horizontal = help others or receive help from others.

ARROW - up = good direction, yes; down = wrong direction, no; horizontal = no change.

Note where pointing.

AXE - you have the power to overcome difficulties.

BABY - new life; possible pregnancy; small worries.

BOUQUET - romantic interest; validation for your work or talents.

BAG - a trap; if open = escape.

BALL - desire to travel.

BALLOON - busy social life; inability to settle down if near handle.

BARREL - abundance in laughter.

BASKET - harvest, abundance; material gain; possibly a new baby.

BAT (the animal) - a productive busy phase.

BAT or CLUB - situation calling for alert caution.

BEACON or LIGHTHOUSE - situation calling for your leadership and/or inspiration.

BEAR - a grouchy and difficult person; strength, courage and endurance; if teddy bear = children or childhood.

BED - sleep on it before establishing a close love or business relationship BEE - fruitful hard work.

BEETLE - renewal; progress; need for foresight.

BELL - unexpected good news in love or business; call to attention BICYCLE - individuality; choose your own path.

BIRD - good news or message; standing bird = delay; flying bird = good news; good news coming soon; flock of birds = profound or exciting news; goose= successful financial venture; peacock = pride and display; eagle = power and transcendence; crow/raven = ill omen, warning, time to relax; parrot = beware of idle gossip;

chicken/hen = happy home life and childhood comfort; dove = peace and love; owl = wisdom, knowledge and learning; rooster = a boastful person or wake up and seize the moment; swan = romance or someone graceful and beautiful; vulture = lay low and beware of enemies; swallow = love and new beginnings.

BOAT - worthwhile journey; your ship is coming in.

BONES - situation calling for inner strength and spiritual fortitude.

BOWL - invitations, money or generosity .

BOOK - if open = an answer to a question; if closed a question to be investigated.

BOTTLE - explosive atmosphere requiring caution; do not overindulge.

BOW - fortunate symbol meaning gift or celebration of achievement.

BOX - you are about to receive a gift.

BREAD (loaf) - nourishment; care for your health.

BRIDGE - a life-changing event or person.

Look for nearby symbols.

BROOM - new home; new era in your life.

BRUSH - need for improvements and/or beautification.

BUBBLES - floating on surface of tea or coffee means money coming.

BUGS - distractions; fractured concentration; need for relaxed focus BUSH - an obstacle to new opportunities; branches signify choices.

BUTTERFLY - overdue happiness.

CAKE - a wish fulfilled; celebration.

CAMEL - you will overcome burden and pressure to reach oasis.

CANDLE -there will be light upon an uncertain path; help from friends.

CAR - if clear = travel; if broken = mechanical trouble.

CARPETS - true friends and happy social engagements.

CASTLE - expand your horizons; open up a bit.

CAT - deceit; an untrustworthy friend.

CHAIN - if well-formed = fortunate undertaking or serious commitment; if broken = trouble, disruption.

CHAIR - a guest or new addition to the family.

CASTLE - expand your horizons CHILD - new idea; family.

CIGAR - a new friend or business relationship.

CIRCLE - unbroken = success, completion; broken (like letter 'c')= a temporary offer will come, tentative offers without fruition.

CLOCK - warning against procrastination.

CLOUDS - small and fluffy = happy optimism; thick and dark = gloom; sadness.

CLOVER (four leaf)-- good luck that you have worked hard to attain.

COFFEE POT OR TEA POT - a special visitor is coming, probably not romantic.

COIN - a lump sum of money is coming your way.

COMB - improve your self appearance.

COMET - brink of pivotal change or dramatic event in your life.

COW - abundance; prosperity; physical or creative fertility.

CRAB - admonition to be more direct or someone born under the zodiac sign Cancer.

CROSS - if like a 'T' = hard won success and happiness; if like a solid 'X' = warning (look for meaning with nearby symbols); if like a broken 'X' = obstacles and losses are ahead.

CROWN - honor and recognition for your talents.

CUP - be patient, this is not a time to assert yourself.

CUSHIONS OR PILLOWS - comfort; admonition against laziness and procrastination.

DAGGER - caution against sharp words or revealing personal information DAISY - new love.

DASHES or DOTS - many short trips which may cause wasted time.

DEER - a shy, timid person; you should be more assertive to overcome shyness.

DIAMOND - gift or other surprise windfall coming you way.

DICE - destiny and change, go with the flow.

DISH - interpret as a circle unless containing food; contains food = domestic comfort.

DOG - good friend; if at bottom friend needs help; if barking, untrustworthy friend; or, someone born in Chinese Zodiac dog year.

DONKEY - stubborness and stamina.

DOOR - be aware of opportunities.

DRAGON - scheming or flashy person; or, someone born in Chinese Zodiac dragon year.

DROPS - tears or sadness.

DRUM - a change; a call to action.

DUCK - devoted mate; money.

EAR - you will benefit from something you hear.

EGG - if whole = new life, successful new beginning; if cracked/broken = failed plans or financial problems which can be overcome by action.

ELEPHANT - be patient, you will be supported with kindness.

ENVELOPE - you will receive a long awaited letter or important paperwork.

EXCLAMATION MARK - pay attention; beware of impulsive actions.

EYE - a protective symbol; insight into a long standing problem.

FACE - look for nearby initials for identity of face; if near the rim or handle it is a warning against too much introspection; if facing another symbol indicates importance of that symbol.

FAN - a flirtation.

FEATHER - need for concentration.

FENCE - temporary and self-imposed limitations.

FINGER - emphasizes whatever symbol it is pointing; up = caution; down = stop.

FIRE - passion; hot emotion; sexual desire.

FISH - sharing of knowledge; a teacher; a person born under the Zodiac sign of Pisces (especially if there are two fish).

FLAG - danger, look to nearby symbols for added meaning.

FLEUR DE LYS or LILY - femininity; a loving woman.

FLOWER - praise and compliments are coming your way.

FLY - an annoying person.

FOOT - movement in love, career or location.

FORK - get advice from trusted friends before deciding.

FORKED LINE - a decision to be made.

FOUNTAIN - overflowing happiness.

FOX - a cunning person may be trying to trick you.

FRUIT - prosperity, fertility.

FROG - fertility; abundance; a disguised handsome/beautiful lover.

GATE - be aware of opportunities around you.

GLASS - celebrations, parties, social events.

GLOBE - long distance travel.

GOAT - your persistence will pay off, but take some time to recreate; or, a person born under the sign of Capricorn.

GRAPES - abundance and epicurean enjoyment.

GRASSHOPPER - summer delights.

GUN - danger; a bully.

HAMMER - an attempted persuasion.

HAND - if open = karma or destiny; if closed means an argument; look for added meaning where the hand is pointing.

HARE - unlike the shorter eared rabbit, the long eared hare represents something important brewing in your destiny in love or travel.

HARP - love; romance.

HAT - you will experience a change in roles; or business success.

HEART - love, friendship, romance.

HILLS - small challenges which will leave you improved.

HORSE - if galloping means good news; if just the head means a lover HORSESHOE - good luck; very positive especially for travel.

HOURGLASS - a warning to be punctual.

HOUSE - comfort and home.

ICEBERG - danger.

INSECT - distractions; fractured concentration; need for relaxed focus IVY - this is not a good time to be too independent; trust friends to help you.

JEWELS - material success; you will receive a valuable gift.

KANGAROO - travel; a journey.

KETTLE - a special visitor is coming, probably not romantic.

KITE - your wish will be granted.

KNIFE - caution against sharp words or revealing personal information.

LADDER - promotion; an improvement in your business life.

LAMP - at the top means a feast; at the side means secrets revealed; at the bottom means postponement LEAF - the turning over of a new leaf; inevitable changes with the passage of time.

LETTER - you will receive a long awaited letter or important paperwork.

LIGHTNING - startling events; sudden insights.

LINES - journey on a road; if straight = progress; if wavy = uncertain path; if many = many short trips.

LION - male lion represents a powerful contact or important man; the lioness represents a strong family; or, may represent a person born under the zodiac sign of Leo. LOCK - there are obstacles in your way.

LOOP - if well-formed = fortunate undertaking or serious commitment; if broken = trouble, disruption.

MAN - a visitor of either gender; if near handle = someone close to you.

MASK - a secret to be kept.

MOUNTAIN - a difficult, but possible, goal.

MOUSE - be cautious of credit deals.

MUSHROOM - rapid growth, success or fertility.

NAIL - an unfair assault.

NECKLACE - complete = personal relationship stability; broken = instability in a personal relationship.

NEEDLE - painful repair.

OAK - long life characterized by good health.

OCTOPUS - warning.

OYSTER - passion and desire.

PALM TREE - wealth; beach vacation.

PARASOL - protection from harm or loss.

PIG - a greedy or jealous person.

PISTOL - warning of danger.

PURSE - money.

QUESTION MARK - reconsider your plans; be aware of an important question you should ask yourself.

RABBIT - fertility in family or business; someone born in the Chinese Zodiac year of the rabbit.

RAINBOW - your wish will come true; similar to an arch, it links represents the path between today and your destiny.

RAKE - you are at a crossroad and your destiny is determined by hard work.

RECTANGLE OR SQUARE - you will face a challenge or difficulty (look to nearby symbols, especially symbols within the shape, for added meaning.

RING - represents marriage but usually interpreted as a circle; unbroken = success, completion; broken (like letter 'c')= a temporary offer will come, tentative offers without fruition.

ROSE - new romance; deepening of love.

RUG - go with your instincts in distinguishing from a rectangle or square; represents joyful social events and true friendship.

SAW - something should be removed.

SCALE - a legal matter; if balanced = justice will prevail; if unbalanced = unjust result; a person born under the zodiac sign of Libra.

SCISSORS - it may be time to remove yourself from a situation or relationship.

SHEEP - a calm and peaceful person; an admonition to control impulses.

SHELL - you will find a simple treasure.

SHIP - worthwhile journey; your ship is coming in.

SHOE - you are on the correct path; be wary of advice to change.

SNAKE - someone who does not deserve your trust.

SPIDER - a small reward or win.

SPIDER WEB - potent symbol of fate; beware of traps.

SPOON - you will be comforted by someone's generosity.

STAR - success, recognition and praise.

STAIR - your position will improve.

SUN - a new beginning.

SWORD - caution against sharp words or revealing personal information.

TABLE - a happy social interlude.

TENT - travel may help you foster your spiritual health.

THIMBLE - focus on fostering your home life.

TORNADO OR WHIRLWIND - prepare for turbulent weather.

TORTOISE OR TURTLE - lasting success through slow, determined and patient efforts.

TOWER - risk of disappointment.

TREE - alone = family, roots, heritage; leafless = family conflict; many leaves = family contentment; group of trees = family unity; evergreen = enduring relationships; palm = wealth or beach vacation.

TRIANGLE - you are involved in a three way relationship; if wedge shaped = one person is getting in the way of your relationship with the other person.

UMBRELLA - protection from harm or loss.

URN - be aware of the distinction between material and spiritual success.

VASE - a secret being kept from you; be aware of the distinction between material and spiritual success.

VIOLIN - allow your feelings to surface.

VOLCANO - there is an obstruction in your life that must be dealt with before it explodes.

WAGON - childhood; simple pleasures.

WASP - danger of small harm.

WATERFALL - wealth and prosperity.

WHEEL - events outside your control will change the direction of your life.

WINGS - do not box yourself in or limit yourself unnecessarily.

WOLF - you will be challenged or betrayed by someone.

YOKE - domination or control you should not allow.

ZEBRA - be more flexible and adventurous in your travel plans.

Tasseography: The Art of Reading Tea Leaves

by Mar'n J. Manco Tasseography (“the Wri1ng of the Cup”) also known as Tassology (“the Study of the Cup”) and Tasseomancy (“the Divina1on of the Cup”) originated with divina1on methods involving wax, lead, and other molten splaCers as early as the Middle Ages. These methods were adopted for tea shortly aGer the Dutch introduced tea to Europe from China in the seventeenth century. The Bri1sh Isles have the most extensive wri1ngs and history on the subject, though forms of tasseography found in the Middle East have used coffee grounds for similar readings. It is also possible to perform tasseography with wine sediments.

Some1mes, actual fortune-­‐telling cups and saucers, complete with astrological signs and similar symbols, are used, but it is possible to read tea leaves with any cup or saucer. It is preferable that the cup/saucer be made of fairly light colored material, however, so that the paCerns of the dark leaves will beCer stand out.

In order to perform tasseography, first you must make a cup of tea. Almost any kind of leaf or herbal tea is possible, though different preferences (such as Earl Grey) are common.

It has been suggested that the

divinatory power comes not from the tea itself, but from the water used to make it. Keep this in mind as you pour.

Though this will cause floa1ng bits, you can open the tea bag and sprinkle it into a cup of hot water (or sprinkle coffee grounds into a cup of coffee, etc).

Allow the tea to steep and calm yourself, quie1ng your mind. The 1me it takes to steep can vary or depend on personal preference, though green and black teas oGen take a minute or two, and herbal varie1es can take a bit longer. Prepare yourself to harness your mental crea1vity for paCern recogni1on, and, as with medita1on, distrac1ng conversa1on, ac1ons, and music can interfere with the process.

Make a note of how high the tea is poured. The area of the cup above the surface of the tea will be considered the “rim” area when you do your actual reading.

Once the tea has cooled enough, sip it. If leaves are floa1ng, try to avoid consuming too many (that leaves fewer pieces to read).

Use your weaker hand to liG the cup, and if you are ambidextrous, you might try liGing the cup partway with one hand, then switching and con1nuing the rest of the way to your mouth with the other.

interpreta1on of the symbols is what maCers.

Begin reading at the handle (or at 12 o’clock if there is no handle) and progress clockwise.

Note the first symbol you see, which area it is in (rim, middle, or base), and if it is next to another symbol. Pay aCen1on to the presence of bubbles, twigs, or droplets in your cup, which might influence or alter the message of the leaves.

Concentrate and take your 1me.

As you relax, iden1fy the issue or query in your mind. As you try to block out all thoughts, does anything keep coming up? If this is the case, it is likely the subject of your reading… focus on it.

If nothing comes to mind, consider this a general tea reading.

Focus your senses on your breath and the taste of the tea.

Leave a small amount of tea at the boCom of the cup. Make note of it. Everything underneath the remaining tea will be your “base” area when you do your reading, while everything between the base and the rim area from earlier will be the “middle.”

Holding the nearly-­‐empty teacup in one hand, you may swirl it 0-­‐3 1mes, in order to spread the tea leaves over the cup’s interior or keep them fairly stable, as you choose. Carefully turn the cup over onto your saucer to dump out the remaining liquid. Wait at least three breaths before turning your cup back over.

Remember that tea leaf reading is personal and subjec1ve, and that what you see, not what anyone else sees, is what maCers. If someone else happens to look at your cup and exclaims that they see a dog, but you see a rabbit in that par1cular spot, your impression is the correct one. Similarly, your

Just as your recogni1on of the symbols is personal and unique to you, so too is your interpreta1on of those symbols. How you feel at the moment and flash impulses and impressions are important here, as are cultural ideas and emo1ons. It might help to write down each of the symbols you see in one column, and then what they trigger in your mind meaning-­‐wise in another. There are a number of books and free online resources that offer sugges1ons for different symbols, if you deem it necessary to gather addi1onal informa1on.

LeCers can indicate the first leCer in a name of the person who immediately pops into your mind when you see it, even if other people with the same leCer in their names might be closer to you.

That first symbol you spoCed will represent some dominant element of yourself or someone influen1al or close to the maCer.

Symbols located in the rim are influences to the outcome which apply to this par1cular moment in 1me.

Symbols in the middle sec1on are influences to the outcome from the near future… typically not longer than two weeks (a fortnight).

The base of the cup indicates the final answer, conclusion or solu1on.

If you have a fortunetelling cup and saucer, the symbols and images on the cup/saucer near the loca1on of the tea leaf symbols will also have an influence on the reading.

With coffee readings, the three sec1ons of the cup are less important, and are replaced by two sec1ons. One method holds that halfway down the cup is a horizontal dividing line, and everything in the lower half involves the past, while everything in the upper half deals with the future.

Another method involves a similar imaginary line down through the cup. Symbols on one side (oGen the leG) might indicate a nega1ve event or outcome, while symbols on the other side could indicate a more posi1ve message. This method could also be used to indicate a “yes/no” response, with each side being aCributed to either “yes” or “no.”

Whether the cup s1cks to the saucer or not, and other signs associated with the saucer, are also possible signs, and are likewise open to individual interpreta1on.

AGer a reading, you might want to “open the heart” by placing your right (or dominant) thumb in the boCom of the inside of the cup and twis1ng slightly clockwise, crea1ng another impression to read, oGen considered to be a symbol of your inner heart and emo1ons.

(This is Mar*n’s second issue as a contributor to la Vie Sirene, and we look forward to each and every one of his submissions. He’s already amassed a cache of devoted fans!)

Different Teas, Different Colored Fabric

by Bonnie Ramsburg I knew it could be done. I had read about it before. I even did it once to give a different look to a sash we had made for a pirate costume. The sash was made from the same fabric as the shirt, so I had an “AH-HA” moment to use tea and make it look aged. I used black tea and I didn’t make it very dark, I just wanted a little bit of an aged and dirty look.

What I didn’t take into consideration though, and I might have if I would have thought about it, was the fact that different teas will give you different colored fabrics.

Do I have your interest yet? Gather your supplies and take a chance, just like I did.

Since I was only doing this as a sample experiment, I used the exact same teas and jars as I had used for my egg-dyeing project. The only things I did different were: A) I didn’t use vinegar at all, which if you’re doing this to actually dye fabric to later wash, you’ll want to use, and B) I only used the Alum in one jar, I did two of the Rosehip and Hibiscus teas, and wanted to see what the difference would be between one with Alum and one without.

I didn’t search for instructions for this project. I probably should have, but it was more of a, “What color of fabric will this tea make?” experiment than an actual, “I want to dye fabric, how do I go about it?”

Results: I think the (1.) Alum infused Rosehip and Hibiscus tea made a somewhat darker reddish purple than the (2.) tea without the Alum, but not much. I think the (3.) Raspberry and the (4.)

Blueberry tea made almost the same shade of soft pink. The (5.) Lipton tea made a brown shade. The (6.) Chamomile tea fabric sort of had a yellow tint to it. Unfortunately, I was running water to rinse the tea out of the sink as I was dumping the jars, and accidentally dumped the piece of fabric right in the running water. So I don’t know for sure what it really looked like.

The background fabric is the original shade of the fabric, with the tea dyed fabric on top for a comparison. Grab some tea and scrap fabric, and do your own experiments!

Part 3 of Valentine Masque by Lyle Dagnen Grandmother beamed her understanding.

On his way home that afternoon, on a whim, unheard of behavior among his friends and family, he drove by Lady Elaine's home and invited her to come for an afternoon ride through the park. In a flurry of gathering her winter wear, he could do nothing but smile at the flushed appearance of her face as she was assisted into the carriage. He moved over to make room on the bench where he sat. Very risky behavior but he had decided he did not care. If challenged, he would simply attain a special license and marry her tomorrow.

She settled in his carriage on the seat beside him so that they might share the blankets and the warmer. The windows were fully uncovered so that anyone could see what they were doing. Under the blankets, he held her gloved hand in his. He knew that by the evening it would be the talk of the town that he and Lady Elaine had been seen riding in a closed carriage together.

It was a lovely, clear afternoon and the sun sparkled on the lake as the driver took them on a slow drive around the lake. As Ian had planned with him, he stopped on the back side of the lake.

The couple looked out the coach windows at the beautiful sight. “Ian,” her voice was small; he almost did not hear her.

“Yes, Ellie.” He waited to hear what she would say to him.

“I am twenty and six, and in my whole life I have never been kissed by anyone except family until the other night when you kissed my hand.” She paused; he could feel her tremble beside him. “I was wondering if you would think so much less of me if I asked you to kiss me. Just once and then you do not have to do it again.”

“Oh, my dear,” he began with a smile, “I shall want to do it more than once, but I should enjoy kissing you very much.”

He dropped the curtains in the side facing the road where a coach might pass. Turning to face her, he felt as if he were holding a newly hatched butterfly in his arms. To kiss her with the desire he felt would probably frighten her so he was careful in his efforts.

She closed her eyes tightly and held her lips so stiff and tight that he thought she just might not know she had been

kissed. “Ellie,” he whispered close to her mouth, “Relax, this should be pleasant not painful. Look at me.” Her eyes popped open. “It's okay to close your eyes, it keeps them from crossing, but gently so that your face isn't frozen in a mask.” He had removed his gloves and reached to touch her face, soothing the lines and tilting her head just so. “When my mouth covers yours, relax your mouth to fit with mine. You'll find you quite like being kissed.” He smiled when he observed all of her efforts to relax and do as she was told. “Now, easy, close your eyes as I move to your lovely mouth.” Just like that, he captured his lovely butterfly. His lips found hers to be soft and willing, almost a tremble in them. He pressed lightly against her mouth, enjoying the chaste kiss.

He had intended to kiss her briefly, but she leaned in for a second kiss He found that her mouth meeting his caused quite a thunder bolt of emotions and feelings. He moved to pull her closer to him. The little sounds she made in her throat, pleasure sounds, and she fit so perfectly against him. With the greatest of reluctance he separated from her.

“What have we done?” he murmured in wonder.

Her shaking fingers came up and touched her lips where his mouth had been.

“That is the most wonderful thing that has ever happened to me,” she whispered. He could not argue with her. He moved to quickly restore them to their original positions then he opened the curtain on the coach. He felt her lean closer as the carriage resumed its trip around the lake.

Taking her hand, he held it tightly in his beneath the covers and signaled the driver to move on. He spoke softly to her. “You are quite amazing, Ellie. You need not worry that I consider you actions forward or inappropriate.” He stroked his thumb over the back of her hand. She looked up at his smiling face and returned his smile. She reveled in the feeling of being somehow wicked and she wanted to be wicked again and again. She imagined that her lips tingled where he had touched her.

They rode in silence on the return trip to her home. His hands on her waist to help her out of the carriage, he held her for a brief moment, then cradled her arm as he walked

her to the door. He bowed, taking her hand and kissing her fingers. “I'll see you tomorrow evening.”

above the entrance to the main room. Ellie stood on the chair surveying her handiwork.

Her eyes sparkled as she entered the door; he wanted to dance his way back to the carriage, but managed a dignified walk. Once again under the cover, he leaned back and closed his eyes, enjoying the ride home. He had not expected these stirrings deep inside him, he had not expected to fall in love ever again in his whole life.

“Ahh!” Ian stood close to the chair, ready to catch her if she fell. “It seems you are caught in your own trap,” he softly teased, looking up at her.

*** Grandmother and Grandfather appeared at his home very early in the day; he had expected their appearance and had places set ready for them to join him at breakfast. He decided to keep any information about Ellie from Grandmother just because he knew she would be in an 'I told you so' attitude, and he did not wish to put up with it.

Also, it was the only way he knew to make her anticipate Ellie's arrival almost as much as he.

Grandmother complained of no decorations until Grandfather insisted the she either go out and get some greenery or for her to sit down and hush.

She huffed and sat, he lit his pipe, Ian waited by the window waiting for Ellie's coach to arrive from town.

Upon the stroke of twelve, the coach pulled up in front of his home.

She and her sister got out of a coach filled with fragrant greenery. She was all smiles as she turned in the cold air to greet Ian. He called for his footmen to unload the greenery.

“I brought green decorations for the main room. I hope you do not mind.”

“You are the answer to Grandmother's prayers. She's been grumbling at me all morning about no decorations.”

He cradled her arm inside his on one side and offered a hand to Ellie's sister, Christina. “Welcome, Christina.”

The rest of the afternoon was spent in laughter and friendly conversation as the fragrant greens were placed in the main room and hall. The rosemary filled the rooms with wonderful scents backed by the cedar and pine. The ivy and mistletoe was twined throughout the arrangements. A sprig of mistletoe was tied in a red velvet ribbon and placed

She put her hands on her hips and smiled down at him, “How can I be trapped when I so desired you to be right where you are?”

Ian reached up and lifted her off of the chair, held her in the air for a moment while he turned, then lowered her so that she was in his arms.

“Merry Christmas, Ellie,” he spoke softly.

To say that they were lost in each other’s spell was an understatement. Instead of a chaste kiss on the cheek, Ian kissed her mouth and she allowed it.

It was Grandfather's throat clearing that startled them apart just as her sister and Grandmother walked into the area. They were both rather stunned. Both were people who had come to consider that they were very controlled and calm.

Now they both stood trying to control their breathing and get their heart rate back under control.

He placed Ellie's hand on his and walked with her into the sitting room. He chose to stand by the fire place.

She chose to stand just in front of him beside the chair where her sister sat. This allowed his hand to rest at her back. Ian noticed the glint in Grandmother's eye. She was up to something and he thought he knew what it was and had been. She had meant for him to pay attention to Ellie. *** The lessons and carols at the small church were beautiful. Of all the songs, “The Holy and The Ivy” was always one of his favorites. He read part of the lessons to the congregation. Hearing Ellie's sweet alto and her sister’s soprano combined in harmony of the carols was beautiful.

For the first time in many years the service was more than something he attended because it was part of his responsibility.

(continued further on in this issue)

#10

from Genevieve Poston

Q: I would be interested in knowing the most exotic tea she has ever tried. Did she like it—why or why not? And what is her favorite tea?! (So I can try it for myself!) Hehe, I know, fairly basic, but who better to take recommendations from than an expert!

A: In truth, my ‘expertise’ is limited to afternoon tea, specifically, but I have indeed tried some interesting teas over the years. The most ‘exotic’ in my estimation, was an Indian tea dated 1810 BC ... yep. BC! It basically tasted like an Assam and I did like it. While drinking it, I felt very connected to the space-time continuum somehow.

My favorite tea, which I drink daily around 3pm, is Yorkshire Gold with one lump of sugar and a splash of milk. When I served as a literary ‘model’ for a fictional character a few years back, the protagonist took her tea the same way ... using sugar cubes and all. When I go to tearooms I tend to order whatever is their most popular tea if it’s something I’m unfamiliar with. Lately, I’ve been on a vanilla tea kick. Since I take my tea the British way—with sugar and milk (not cream, mind you, but milk) I tend to favor black teas at teatime. When at Asian restaurants I adore the oolongs and greens served, and consume them sans additives. I nearly had a religious experience once while drinking the oolong at Midastee in SoCal, a tea house owned by a family of Taiwanese tea farmers. The stuff was like liquid gold!

Mongo Mango Couscous Adapted from a recipe on Mango.org

Preparation Time: 20 minutes / Cooking Time:15 minutes Ingredients For Salad • 1/2 Cup crumbled feta cheese • 1 Cup sliced almonds, toasted • 1/2 Cup golden raisins • 1/2 Cup diced red bell pepper • 1/2 Cup sliced green onions • 1 mango, peeled, pitted and diced For dressing • 2 cloves garlic, chopped • 1/8 pinch or dash crushed red pepper flakes • 1/2 teaspoon salt • 1/4 Cup extra virgin olive oil • 3 Tablespoons rice vinegar • 1/4 Cup chopped fresh cilantro

Image from Mango.org

For Couscous • 2 Cups water • 1 & 3/4 cup pearl (Israeli) couscous • 1 Tablespoon olive oil • 2 rounded teaspoons Mango Amazon (black tea with mango pieces) • Splash of orange juice Directions 1. In a small bowl, whisk vinegar, oil, salt, crushed red pepper and garlic until combined.

Stir in cilantro and cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

2. In a medium saucepan cook couscous for 1 minute in oil over medium-low heat to lightly toast, stirring frequently.

3. Add steeped mango tea and orange juice. Reduce heat to low, and simmer covered for 10 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Fluff with a fork and let cool slightly.

4. Transfer couscous to a large bowl and stir in dressing, mango, green onions, bell pepper and raisins; cover and chill for at least 1 hour.

5. Just before serving sprinkle with almonds and feta.

Part 3 - conclusion - of Tea with Rose by Erin Sankey

“Well, he farted. He had a couple of rounds in him and he just couldn't hold it anymore, so he let it go!” Rose let out a loud laugh. “Oh, my Marv, I loved him so, but man could he crack 'em.” Rose paused for a moment.

“Marv, he was an excellent father. He worked at the local factory where he built equipment for machines. Every Sunday we would take a drive out to the country. We'd pick apples, sometimes we’d harvest strawberries, but I think our favorite pastime was to pull the pickup to the outskirts of Midway airport and watch the airplanes fly over our heads.

We'd climb into the bed of the pickup, Christopher would sit in between us, and we'd just wait. It was such a rush —as my granddaughter would put it.”

She took a sip of tea. “But things were about to change. Our carefree life as we knew it disappeared. The 1940's came and Marv was called off to war. My mother came to live with Christopher and me. It was a big help. I became a taxi cab driver at night to fill the void. I'd been with Marv since I was fifteen. I didn't know anything else. I’d pick up fares from downtown Chicago. Fares like Lana Turner, Orsen Wells, Errol Flynn, Burt Lancaster, Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. They were some of my regulars. I knew the streets like the back of my hand and I’d take my fares to low key places—no paparazzi, if you get my drift.” She stopped to take a sip of tea.

“Errol Flynn,” Blake said sneering. “I've heard about him.”

Rose sneered back at him and nodded. “Yeah, I know what you mean.” She ashed her cigarillo, took a drag and shook it off. “I was excited at first. I mean, big Hollywood stars in my cab. I was living the dream! Or so I thought,” she said, shaking her head. “But, as time went on, the stars would bring their friends or business associates with them. The dirt that came out of their mouths—it would make a seasoned Navy man blush. But that's a whole 'nother story. I lost my innocence driving that cab. And I was a mechanic!”

Blake cringed and laughed at the same time. “Why’d you keep driving ‘em around?” he asked curiously.

“It paid the bills and then some. I made four hundred a week. A lot of it was hush money.”

“Hush money?”

“You know, don't tell the papers where they went. They really didn't want to be bothered, the big Hollywood stars.

My advice, just enjoy them on the big screen.” She took the last drag off her cigarillo before putting it out.

“In 1945, I turned thirty, Marv came home, the war was over.

He was different, distant. He still loved me though. I had two more children with him, one right after the other. They call that Irish twins. I named them Grace and Adam. In 1948, Christopher left home—he was eighteen. He joined a carnival and sent me postcards from every town he set up.

Marv and I opened a small grocery store, nothing too extravagant, just a corner store. We did well, Grace and Adam went to school, I was an adult raising them, but we still did crazy things now and again. Like one weekend we packed the kids up in the car and drove out to a rodeo. Marv knew one of the rodeo guys—they became friends during the war. He got to ride a bull straight out of the pen. I have the picture to prove it,” she said, picking up her purse.

She dug through it and found the picture. She handed it to Blake. He took the picture from her and looked at it. There was Marv sitting on a bull in a pen wearing a cowboy hat and a flannel shirt with a lasso on his side and a meanlooking bull straddled between his legs.

“For the most part, we settled down,” she continued. “We raised Grace and Adam much differently than we raised Christopher. School was every day. And the grocery store was a consistent job for both Marv and me.” Rose stopped to take a sip of her tea.

“My mama was right,” Blake said, smiling.

“Whatever happened to Christopher?” Blake asked.

“Your mama is a smart woman,” Rose stated.

“Oh, he eventually got married and had eight children. He quit the carnival and gained worked as a mechanic for the union. It was a good job. Grace and Adam grew up and they went to college. Grace became an animal rights lawyer.

Adam went on to become an electrician.”

Blake smiled. “Well, it’s getting late and I have to get home for dinner.”

Blake sipped some more tea. “Where are Grace and Adam now?”

“Grace lives in California with her husband. She had two children and they’re off and married. Adam lives in the suburbs. He had three children. I'm a great-grandmother to many great-grandkids.” Suddenly Rose became sullen.

“Marv passed away in 1993, he had a heart attack. He was seventy-eight years old.”

“Oh, I'm very sorry to hear that—my condolences,” Blake said.

Rose shook her head. “You never get used to it. Sometimes I turn the TV up really loud just so I'm not alone in the house at night, but it's just not the same.”

“So, why do you come to this factory to have tea, did your husband ever work here?” Blake asked, eating the last bit of the cake.

Rose sipped more tea. “Oh, no, honey, I work here. I feel that if I threw in the towel when Marv died, I might as well have laid down with him. Work, it keeps the mind young and strong. I didn't live this long to sit in some retirement home. I drink tea every Wednesday to keep Marv's spirit alive.

When he came home from the war, he needed at least an hour to himself every day. During that hour, he had his tea— he said it calmed his nerves. After he died, I found tins and tins of tea in his office. Green teas, oolong teas, white teas, fruit-infused teas, tea tonics and the spicy rum tea we are drinking now. The list goes on and on. I don't know what happened to him during that war. He never spoke to me about it. All I can tell you is, war changes people. Every week I try a different tea from his stash after he died, and I'll keep going as long as my body allows it,” Rose said, drinking the last of the tea. “I like you, you can come join me if you would like to. I'll be here every Wednesday drinking, Marv's tea, eating crumpets and cake.”

“Right about what?” Rose asked.

“My mama told me that if I was confident, spoke clearly, told you my name and the name of my school, you’d be just as cool.”

Rose got up and cleaned up her tea and plates. “Yeah, my break is over. I have to get back to the grindstone. I'm here till seven o'clock. Wednesdays are my late days. On my way home I stop off at the little diner and have dinner—they make some great meatloaf.”

“Does your family come visit often?” he asked.

“Every Sunday,” she said, while cleaning. “We have a big family dinner. Christopher brings his wife and Adam brings his family. Most of my grandkids are here so depending on what they've got going on, I usually see them. I never feel lonely. I miss my daughter though, but I do see her from time to time.”

Blake helped her with the last of the clean up. “It was awesome to meet you, Rose.” Blake picked up his Backpack. “I'll be seeing you around.”

“Likewise Blake. Don't be shy,” she said, walking towards the door of the building. “Be safe walking home.”

“I will,” Blake said, heading out towards the street.

And from that Wednesday on, he had tea with Rose.

Advent of The Garden Partea What would the tea world do without the Dutch? Not only did they transport the coveted stuff throughout Europe, but also introduced the idea of the tea garden, as 17th century public house owners provided patrons with portable tea sets (complete with warmers) that invariably made their way into the establishments’ gardens.

The practice of taking tea in the garden was soon adopted by the English and by the 18th century, tea gardens and their more imposing siblings, pleasure gardens, flourished in London, seeing their zenith in the 19th century.

Cuper’s Gardens was a prime example of the tea garden, while Vauxhall Gardens typifies the grand pleasure gardens of the time.

Working class frequented the tea gardens while the aristocracy made only the occasional visit. Their ‘tea entertainments’ at the posh hotels that hosted tea dances.

Artwork depicting a dancing pavilion at Vauxhall Garden

Part 4 of Valentine Masque by Lyle Dagnen In the family coach on the way home, Grandfather snoozed softly. Ian sat between Ellie and Christina, snuggling both of them close under the blankets.

Grandmother smiled across the carriage at the young people as she called them. It was late and Ian knew that proper behavior called for them to retire to their rooms. Ellie was sharing a room with her sister. He wanted so badly to sit by the fire with her, just to be with her. If truth be known, he wanted her in his bed. He knew the joyous intimacies of being in love with a woman, of having her in his bed. He wanted Ellie there, beside him, waiting for him to take her.

He wanted to feel her surrender as he claimed her as his, he wanted to feel her joy as she reached her peak of happiness and called out his name. He had to stop thinking like this or he would embarrass himself.

“Ian?” Ellie ask softly. “Are you all right.”

“Yes,” his voice was husky. “I was just having a fantasy.

That's all.” He smiled, and she blushed. Ellie was experiencing feelings that she had never imagined she would. Almost every male she had ever come into contact with had somehow repulsed her.

Ian drew her to him; she wanted to be with him.

She had even ask him to kiss her. She was still amazed that she had asked him. She was even more amazed at the storm of emotions and feeling his lips on hers had aroused in her. When he had held her, when he lowered her from the chair, how her heart had raced and her breath had left her body. Tonight when he had stepped up to read his part of the lessons, her heart had so burst with pride at the wonderful sound of his voice as it filled the church. She loved to hear him sing the carols. She was leaning close now to hear him absently hum “The Holy and The Ivy” as they shared a cup of hot chocolate and a piece of cake before they retired. She found herself wondering what it would be like to walk with Ian to his bed. Ian was not the only one who was having a fantasy. *** As Ian had prepared for the meeting with her father he remembered the cold day in the garden when he had made sure that Ellie knew he wanted to marry her. He thought it proper that he ask her first. They had spent time together and he thought she was agreeable. “Ellie it is no secret that

I am looking for a wife. I wanted to be sure that you would agree for me seeking you as my wife.”

“Ian, I am not sure that I am exactly what you want in a wife.” Her response was not exactly what he expected.

“Do you mean that you can think for yourself, that you can hold your own in a conversation, that you think and have your own ideas about things? Do you not realize that is what drew me to you? You were reading Plato during all of those empty headed conversations I had to endure.” He raised he eyebrows as he held both of her hands in his and pulled her toward him. “Lord, help me, I'd have no other than you. If it cannot be you, then the family will end without an heir.”

“Ian, what if I cannot produce an heir. What if it is too late? I refused to be considered a piece of property to be handled like a thing that has no value.” He could see her temper rise.

“You are not a piece of property that I am acquiring. If I wanted that I would be choosing one of those empty-headed children you brought round for me to meet.”

Ian shivered at the thought. “I want you to marry me because I want a partner, someone I can talk to and be with, someone who laughs.” He touched her face with his hand. “I want you, Ellie. I want you as I have never wanted a single woman in my whole life.” They stood closely together. “God help me, I want you now,” he whispered as she looked into his eyes.

“Ian, yes,” she whispered back. “I have never felt what I am feeling now. I don't understand it. But yes, I want to marry you.”

If they had not been in the library garden of her house he would have swept her into his arms and covered her with kisses. It was enough that his rapid courtship had swept though the town and civilized society. He would not drive her parents to distraction by kissing their daughter the way he wanted to kiss her. The next day he had seen her father and asked for his daughter's hand in marriage. *** As he met with her father, Ian declared his intentions to ask for Ellie's hand to her rather startled father. He was in (continued further on in this issue)

the formal parlor when he arrived the next morning with his solicitor. He was stunning in a black morning coat, with a brocade small coat. His cravat perfectly starched and tied in the latest fashion. Her father looked a bit flustered, but led him into his library so that they could speak as gentlemen, privately.

“Ian, isn't it?” exchanged.

her father asked after formalities were

“Yes sir. You and Grandfather serve in the house of Lords together.

“The name is Stewart.” He offered a cigar to both Ian and his solicitor. Neither accepted. Ian knew the way he was breathing he'd probably become ill if he tried to smoke at the present time.

“Sir ... Stewart ... I have come to ask your permission to contract with your daughter Catherine Elaine in the state of holy matrimony.”

Her father stopped fooling the the cigar and stared with his mouth open at Ian. Ian bent to blow out the match that would have burned the elder statesman's fingers.

“Did you say you want to marry my daughter?”

“Yes, sir, I did,” Ian decided to keep it simple.

“You do know she had been off the mart for two years now?”

Ian simply nodded in the affirmative. “Well, I'll be damned,” he said softly to himself and settled in a chair by the fire. “What has brought this on.”

“The usual, I'm afraid,” Ian supplied. “I am expected to marry and produce and heir.”

“Didn't you marry Remington's daughter some time ago?”

The old man's memory was sharp.

“Yes sir, I married Julianna ten years ago. She died in child birth.” He found the memory still sharp to remember.

“Grandmother thinks it is time for me to remarry.”

“Why Ellie?” he smiled at this shortening of her name.

“I find her quite charming and stimulating. I know I am expected to choose one of the ladies on the market, but I have been swept from my feet by your daughter.” He might as well tell the truth. “I find myself in the position that if it's not Lady Catherine Elaine, I shall not marry at all.”

To say that Stewart Smyth-St.John was shocked was an understatement. “This is certainly a conversation I never thought I would have. I find it quite refreshing that I am having it. I must warn you that she is not an easy female to be around. She constantly is reading some book and she argues with me on my stands all the time,” he chuckled to himself over his daughter. “If you are looking for peace and quiet, she isn't it.”

Ian smiled. “She is exactly what I want, sir.”

He offered his hand to her father. “Shall we take care of the contract now?”

It took several hours because she had a large amount of money and property that was hers as well as all of the things that were his as well as what he stood to inherit.

This was the business end of a marriage. He was amused silently when he realized he wanted her if she did not have a single penny to her name. He made sure that her father recognized it and that he had his solicitor establish her own individual wealth, that he was not assuming the money that came with her name as his. She was in no way to be considered an acquisition. They would be looked upon by the law as a joining, both equal in the combination of the property and wealth. His solicitor adjusted his glasses. This was surely an unusual way of looking at this. He spoke softly with his solicitor about the contracts. He was assured that they would be prepared and ready in two days time. Once he had the license in hand, they could marry.

“May I see Ellie?” Ian asked at the conclusion of the contracts.

“You certainly may,” Stewart puffed on his cigar. “She's waiting in the receiving room.” Stewart took a long, appraising look at Ian. “I feared that she would be alone her (continued further on in this issue)

a glance at the tea dance Dancing and dining have gone hand in hand in the cultures of the world since the advent of society. So it was just a question of time when tea and dance met and mingled. The social occasion known as the ‘tea dance’ was introduced into the activity roster of the English tea reception somewhere around 1880, and took place during ‘teatime,’ from around 4-7pm.

While it’s suggested that ‘dancing on the carpet’ (as opposed to rolling back the rug to expose the wooden floor below) came to England from Morocco by way of France, some believe the practice of including dance at a tea reception naturally evolved as hostesses

sought to offer ever grander forms of live entertainment, from poetry readings to string quartets playing beloved waltzes. Others maintain tea dancing arose from the tea gardens so popular among the working classes.

Whatever its origin, there is no denying that by the early 20th century, tea dancing was all the rage, owing its frenzied fashionableness in great part to that brazen and exotic dance, the tango! The Waldorf hotel became popular for their weekly Thés Dansants, where bold dance partners would express their passions publicly through the erotic steps of the latin dance sensation.

With the addition of the tango, tea dances spread like wildfire, crossing the Atlantic to The States.

As the waltz gave way to the tango, so that dance form yielded to the Charleston. Though the youths of the Jazz Age gave in to the lure of counter-culture speakeasies, tea dances continued on either side of the pond until WWII.

Tea gown by Charles Frederick Worth, circa 1890-95, Royal Ontario Museum

The Tea Gown Many people, when they hear the term ‘tea gown’ picture a frothy and elegant frock worn to great effect by the elite at a grand party in a Jane Austen.

In truth, they were informal articles of clothing, popularized in the 19th century and intended to be worn ‘at home.’

They were designed to be loose-fitting and worn without corsets, with a long-flowing sleeve style inspired by the Japanese kimono.

The Tea Lady This morale-boosting position is primarily a British creation. The one thus employed serves hot tea, along with other refreshments and snacks, to workers and office staff in an effort to keep productivity levels and spirits high. She often wheeled through the office or factory with a trolley bearing a large tea urn, cups, cakes and biscuits.

The character Dot (played by Ashleigh Cummings) went undercover as a tea lady on the Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries series

Part 5 of Valentine Masque by Lyle Dagnen whole life. She is precious to me, sir. Please care for her gently.” The emotional statement moved Ian. A father making a plea for his daughter in a world that treated women badly.

“I consider her a gift, sir.” He smiled and shook hands with her father, bidding his solicitor and Sir Stewart's goodbye at the front door. Turning to the receiving room, he really wanted to rush in, swing her off her feet, and kiss her all over. One day he would enter a room and do that, but not today. She stood, walking to meet him as he entered the room. Her mother and sister were sitting in front of the fire.

He folded her hands within his, squeezing them as tightly as he wanted to wrap his arms around her. “Your father and I have met, the solicitors have the papers, the license will be ready within two days. We must set a date and you and your mother must make the plans for the ceremony.” He drew her fingers to his lips.

As was proper for the time, they were never alone with one another. Most of their moments talking were when they attended a party and danced.

All of the engagement parties were crowed with people, their moments alone were just that—moments, and they were stolen ones at that.

The marriage would be the first day of March, in the church near Ian's estate. The ceremony would be with family, but the reception would be a large party.

The biggest party they would have and attend was the Valentine Mask. The guests would gather at the family estate on Wednesday and stay until Sunday evening. Grandmother was in her element managing all the plans. Ellie was welcomed as family and included in the extensive plans made by the family.

Late Friday night, Ian was sitting by the fire in his room, reading and worrying a brandy that he was not drinking.

The sound of the light knocking on his door made him think at first that he had only dreamed the sound. Then it came again with his name urgently whispered, “Ian!” Opening the door, Ellie slipped inside, breathless and smiling. “I was afraid you had gone to sleep,” she smiled.

“Ellie what are you doing here?” he was trying not to wrap her in his arms. If he touched her he would not let her go.

“I need to see you, I need to talk to you without someone listening or watching us.” She placed her hand on his chest as light as a fluttering bird wing.

“What is it?” he could feel his control slipping as he covered her hand with his.

“If you don't kiss me, I may die right here on the floor.” Her eyes were bright, her lips slightly parted. “I need you, Ian.” That was his undoing. She was enfolded in an embrace that melded her body to his. He could even feel the buttons of her robe, he held her so firmly. He had to admit that she was an apt learner about how to kiss; her mouth molded to his and opened to accept his tongue in her mouth. Within and instant he was rock hard with desire for her. He lifted her into his arms.

He could go one of two directions, to the chairs by the fire or to his bed. He chose the chairs by the fire because he was an honorable man and he was using all his strength to not damage her reputation. He carried her the few steps to the chair that he sat them both in. It felt so very right to have her this close against him, in his lap. He held her close because he wanted her close, he held her to keep her warm, he held her because he loved her. He knew he had to send her to her room, but first he was going to kiss her. He wondered how much time he could spend kissing her. He began to think it might be forever because one kiss would end then another began. Just to be breathing the same air she breathed filled him with contentment. Time became irrelevant as they became lost in one another.

She had pulled at the buttons of his robe, undone them and was rubbing her hands over his chest, she was putting sweet small kisses on his neck.

“God, Ellie, you are driving me crazy,” he laughed breathlessly. His fingers had released the pearl buttons of her robe and were pulling the laces of her gown apart.

When his hand slipped inside to hold her they were both stunned with the intensity of their reaction.

She gasped, leaning her head against his shoulder as she lay gently cradled, his hand, a perfect fit as if his hand were meant for this touch alone.

Her mouth was moving as if she were trying to form words but nothing was being spoken. He understood Ellie's startled amazed reaction. He assumed it was a first for her, but he was not new to this game. He was long-separated from it, but he knew the feel of a woman. But touching Ellie was as if it were the first time. Somewhere in his passion-muddled brain he was rejoicing because it was not a reminder of Juliana. It was Ellie alone eliciting this response from him.

He had feared that when he and Ellie became involved that memories of Julianna would come forward and haunt his lovemaking. The memories stayed put, he closed his eyes and rested his head on top of hers. “I love you, Ellie, with all my heart,” he whispered as they curled closer together.

It was the first time he had uttered those words to another person since he had kissed the tiny head of his son and placed him beside his mother to be buried. He had closed and frozen his heart that day. It was Ellie who had opened the door and let the sunshine in again. ***THE REMAINDER IS FOR MATURE PG13/R READERS AS IT CONTAINS SCENES & DESCRIPTIONS OF INTIMACY, handled tastefully & beautifully*** “Ian, I am a terrible wanton. I want to stay with you,” she whispered. “I so long for you.” Her voice trembled as she spoke to him. “I had come to think I'd never know what it was to need someone the way my body is telling me that I want you. I know all the rules of proper behavior. They were always so important to me until now, and I want to throw them to the wind.”

He managed to laugh at the blush on her face knowing that his body was sending him the same desperate messages.

“We cannot spend the night together. By you being in my room, if we are caught your reputation is already compromised. For the sake of our first born, if it's a boy, we cannot call anything to question. That's me being reasonable.” He covered her mouth with his and began to pull open her robe and pull the loose night gown from her shoulders.

“Ellie, I can take you to a place where you feel as if you are flying through the air, if you give me permission.” She whispered her acceptance, “Then we have to get you back to your room. You do understand why I'm sending you back to your room?” It was not the best timing for Ian to ask her that question because his hand was sliding up her leg and removing to power of speech from her.

It was the sounds she was making that had him lost, “This is me not being reasonable at all.” He took pleasure in the fact that she was so responsive and so willingly allowed him access. She was made for his hands and his hands found all the places that seemed to please her very much. She came apart in his hands, lost in the overwhelming feelings of the first orgasm she had ever had. She lay trembling in his arms.

As he held her, he readjusted her clothing, waiting with a smug look on his face while she regained the ability to speak and think clearly.

“I don't want to go back,” she murmured and he laughed softly.

She snuggled into his embrace.

“I thought you might say that. It's two o'clock, the house is quiet, you should make it back with no problem. I'll go part way with you, I know places to hide if we meet someone.” He stood with her in his arms, easing her to the floor so that she could get her balance. She wrapped her arms around him, inside of his open robe.

“It feels good in here,” she spoke against his chest. “You smell so good and you feel so good.”

“My little wanton.” He rested his chin on top of her head.

“Soon enough you can stay, just not now.” The trip through the hall to her room was uneventful as he had hoped it would be. Returning to his room, he could still catch her scent. He missed her. In two weeks time she would be his; his room would no longer be an empty one. *** The Valentine Masque was a raging success. It always was. The crowd stopped and applauded when he entered with Ellie on his arm and was announced as his fiancee.

They both joined the receiving line, greeting all of the guests. In all of the “doings” he had yet to present her with and engagement ring. Ellie did not mention, it but he wanted something very special to give to her. (continued further on in this issue)

#11 from Sanndi Thompson

Q: How do the tea rooms of today differ from say, the tea rooms of the 1940s or ‘50s? Or even just 20 years ago?

A: Fantastic question! And I’m sorry that my answer is so elementary. Tearooms differ greatly from era to era insomuch as they are a direct reflection of the times as well as the cultures of their respective regions. When I had my first eatery, my tearoom, it was in the late ‘80s and Princess Diana worship and Martha Stewart emulation mania (aka wannabe-itis) were rampant. Tearooms at the time were expected to observe certain English standards, which was a-okay by me as I’m an Anglophile for reasons I’ve never pinpointed. Anyway, if one didn’t serve standard British teas such as English Breakfast, Earl Grey and Black Currant ... if one dared to dabble in the dark arts of tea blending (which I did), one may as well have emblazoned a mammoth ‘A’ on her chest.

Whereas tearoom owners nowadays tend to conduct their business in a spirit of cooperation, back then the spirit was one of competition, and oh the stories I could tell you! I was quite a rebel at the time, doing shocking things with decor themes and menus that changed monthly, not to mention starting a ‘tea theater’ company that performed at tearooms during their off hours. The theater grew and expanded over the years, but we never forgot our tea roots! To this day, tearooms are my favorite venues for intimate entertainment experiences and shows.

Part 6 of Valentine Masque by Lyle Dagnen

*THIS PORTION FOR MATURE PG13/R READERS - CONTAINS SCENES OF INTIMACY*

The day of the masque, Grandmother brought him a ring that had belonged to his grandmother. It was a mixture of stones, rubies, emeralds, sapphires, garnets, topaz, like a bouquet of flowers only it was stones. During the last dance, he slipped the ring onto her finger. She had to remind herself that it was not proper to jump up into his arms and kiss him. So, she bounced on her toes, smiled and thanked him politely as a lady of her station should. Ian held her a little closer than was proper and leaned his head against hers. There was not a girl in the room that did not long to have her partner do the same to her.

After the guests were gone, the house calmed in the wee small hours of the morning. Ian led her into Grandmother’s favorite sitting room, built up the fire so that it would be warm. Ellie did not seem to be able to relax against him as she often did.

“What is wrong? Are you tired?

Would you rather go to bed?” He was concerned about her stiff behavior.

She blushed, “I must admit that I do not often wear a corset.

Grandmother insisted that I wear one to make this dress look good. I know that it isn't proper for a lady of my station to not wear proper undergarments but I had adjusted my life for comfort.”

Ian smiled. “Come and stand over here; you face the door. I can manage the laces to loosen the thing.” His hands were deft with the buttons on the dress, and in what seemed moments the laces of the corset were released and the dress was buttoned once again. “There, don't wear the blessed thing, it's left marks on your lovely back.” He wrapped his arms around her, placing a kiss on the side of her neck. “Now, come and sit with me in this chair. Prop your feet on the ottoman beside mine.” He had picked up a blanket and covering them both, snuggling her close. “It feels so good just to hold you.”

“What if they find us?” She leaned against his shoulder.

“Then we are sitting here talking to one another in the sitting room warming ourselves by the fire.

Our engagement is announced. We will marry March the first.

We've got all our clothes on, even if your corset is hanging by a thread.” He kissed the top of her head, she turned her face up to receive the next kiss.

“It was a lovely dance. I attended the masque the first season I was out but you did not appear,” she yawned and snuggled next to him.

That was the first year of my withdrawal from society.

Officially I was in mourning, but it just expanded until Grandmother decided that I would be in attendance this year and find myself a wife.” He leaned his head against the chair.

“I did not mean to stir sad memories.” Her voice was soft as her hand rested over his heart.

“I am at peace now. Finding you, enjoying things once again.

I actually had a good time, just don't tell Grandmother.” Ian laughed; they sat calmly in the stillness of the old house. Exhaustion took over, they fell asleep in each other's arms. In the coolness of the early morning Ian's eyes opened, he was aware of the softness of Ellie in his arms. He wasn't dreaming. Gently he woke her up.

“Oh my goodness!” Ellie's whisper was of alarm. “We spent the night together!”

“Actually, we took a nap by the fire, only a couple of hours. Come let me lead you to your room.” When he stood, she wrapped her arms around him inside his coat, next to his skin. He loved the way she smelled, the way her scent just filled a room with flowers. The only people moving round were the morning servants. After a brief kiss at the top of the stairs, he went to his room and she to hers.

Ellie took the dress she had been wearing and placed it on her pillow.

She could catch the scent of Ian on the fabric, it calmed her and she fell asleep in a matter of moments. The offending corset lay on the floor; she planned to avoid wearing it unless she was forced to do so. *** The last day of February he lost her. It was agreed that the wedding party would stay at Ian's home since it was the closest to the church. Grandmother made sure that his room was as far from Ellie's as could be possible. She located hers along the way. As was his habit, he stood at the top of the stairs and called for Ellie to join him. On this day she did not appear. She was not at breakfast, she was not in the library. She was not in the house. He did not panic but he did worry.

It was a pleasant day, when he asked where she was no one had the slightest idea of where she might be. Finally, one of the maids said she had asked for a horse. Where could she be going? What was she doing? The day before the ceremony, the house was in a state of being prepared for the after party, he needed to see her and she was gone.

Why he went to the church he did not know, except that he was desperately thinking that she might want to see the flowers or the candles of something. She wasn't in the church, but as he stood on the front steps he looked toward Julianna's angel and there was Ellie, sitting on the bench; just sitting. As he walked toward the grave and marker, he could hear her voice speaking softly.

She heard his step and turned to face him. “Ian, why are you here?”

“A better question, why are you here?” he sat beside her.

“I wanted to let her know that I love you.” The first time she had said it. “I wanted her to know that I was going to care for your wonderful heart and do the very best I could to make you happy. I wanted her to know that I would never try and replace her, that you would always have her in your heart with your son, but that there was room for me as well. I just wanted her to know that.” She was looking at him the way she did when she was seeking his approval. She was looking at him with that trusting, loving look that was reserved for him alone. He pulled her into his arms and held her as close to his heart as he possibly could.

“Ellie, you take my breath away with your sweetness and your beauty. I'm a very lucky man.” He set her back onto the bench. “You scared me when I could not find you. I thought someone had taken you.”

“I did not mean to be so late, but it was a nice day and the place is so peaceful I just lost track of time. I am accustomed to days that are of my design alone. There's a great deal of responsibility with being your wife, you know?

Come, we'll ride back together.” Ian stood with her, but paused a moment to place his hand upon the angel marker.

He didn't say anything, he never did. Julianna would know his thoughts. They returned to the house.

“Ian, Grandmother is old and tired. She's ready for us to assume the responsibility of the estates and the family.

She's tried to give you all the time you needed but she really is ready for us to take the responsibility.” Ellie's voice was soft. Ian regretted that Grandmother had confided this to Ellie and not to him. He and his broken heart had been so gently protected over the years that he had just become accustomed to it. It was time for him to step up and be the proper head of the family. His sisters would just love that.

“Do you realize that is the first time you actually spoke the words 'I love you' to me?” Ian helped her on her horse.

She blushed. “You know I love you.” She smiled.

“Yes, but we need to say it and say it often to one another.

We need to say it so everyone in polite society has overheard us saying it to one another. I am a very lucky man. I found love with Julianna and then I have found it again with you. We need to tell each other, often.” Ian reached to hold her hand as the horses headed back toward the estate. “Have you decided what you want to change?”

The question startled her, “Change?”

“Yes,” he looked at the surprise on her lovely face.

“The house has been untouched for over ten years, just kept clean.

Surely there are things you'd like to be different or moved or rearranged.”

“But it's your home.” She was amazed at the thought of doing anything to Ian's house.

“It's to be our home. I expect it to reflect both of us, not just me. Surely you don't want me in the bedroom for the rest of our marriage.” He was teasing but he was serious as well.

“Ian it's not proper for me to think of bedrooms and a husband,” she was blushing.

“So I suppose it wasn't you who found her way to my room the other night. Was that just a dream?” His smile made her blush even deeper. “We will be together, we will share a room, I do not fancy you being somewhere else, even if it's just a door.” He squeezed her hand. “It's your home as well. We'll talk of the changes together after we get this wedding business out of the way.”

“Ellie,” he began but she spoke instead. (continued further on in this issue)

#12 from Bonnie Ramsburg

Q: What prompted you to visit over 400 Tea Rooms?

A: Once I found places that served afternoon tea here back in the states, I was ruined forever. I have always loved pretty little foods and varieties of flavors, and prior to finding tea, I was an hors d’oeuvre junkie. So the food is one thing. And I enjoy seeing the proprietor’s personality shared through their labor of love, which a tearoom definitely is. Then there is the whole relaxing ceremony of it all. I loved the days when one used a silver or porcelain tea strainer to keep the leaves from getting into the teacup. I was quite adept at the move, which of course was all in the wrist. (*wink*) When I had a tearoom of my own and realized what a niche industry I was part of — and how fragile the status of tearooms was, with them closing at an appalling rate — I felt I needed to support my fellow tearoom owners with my patronage. Every now and then I’d catch a snide remark suggesting that I was scouting other tearooms for ideas to purloin. At such times I’d nearly snort at the humor of it all, cuz in fact, if I noticed that someone was doing something that I also did at my tearoom, I tended to stop doing it, just to ensure the individuality and originality of both businesses.

Above and beyond all that, everyone has their vices. I don’t smoke or drink or do any drugs, and I don’t gamble. My vices are afternoon tea and Cirque du Soleil, both of which I’ve been a devoted to since the ‘80s. I couldn’t imagine life without either one ... nor would I want to.

Part 7 of Valentine Masque by Lyle Dagnen

*THIS PORTION FOR MATURE PG13/R READERS - CONTAINS SCENES OF INTIMACY*

He watched her as she processed all that he had told her.

Slowly she smiled. Any day except the day before the wedding and he would have taken her someplace on the estate, someplace private. He would have flirted and almost made love to her like he did the night she came to his room.

As desperately as they both wanted to spend the day together, things just worked against them. Even when she and Ian hid in the alcove window of the library.

Grandmother knew were to look and the hour of just being together with a book ended.

“Ian, Ellie needs to have her last fitting and begin to get ready for the wedding tomorrow morning.” Grandmother put her hand our for Ellie to take and walk with her.

Ian pulled her back against his chest and wrapped his arms around her. “Why are you tying her into an impossible dress when I'm just going to take it off of her?”

He dared to nuzzle her neck.

Grandmother's voice was sharp, “Ian, remember yourself!”

She looked around to be sure there were no servants of guests to see them. Ellie blushed but she also had melted her back side into Ian. If he was not going to be able to see, speak to, or touch her until the wedding he was certainly going to kiss her. He stepped back into the alcove, taking her with him. He kissed her thoroughly, tasted her, ravished her, with his mouth. He held her long enough for her to achieve balance, then he handed her over to Grandmother who was working up a fit when Ian kissed her forehead.

“I love you, Grandmother. Thank you for finding Ellie for me.” That took all of the fight out of her. Once again, Ian was her darling and could do no wrong.

The day dawned with the early shield of fog. The ground was cold and the air was warmer than it had been. The mist reflecting the early morning sun created a magical feel about the day. The wedding ceremony was at the ungodly hour of ten o'clock, but everyone who was attending was at Ian's house so it was just a matter of waking the house. Ian and Ellie were up and willing to get to the church without anyone else.

Grandmother was pushing the crowd, Grandfather was taking his time as he always did, Ian's sisters were herding the nieces and nephews out the door and into the carriages. Ian almost managed to get into Ellie's coach but Grandmother caught him and sent him to

ride with the groomsmen. It was controlled pandemonium, it was happy noise and a joyful celebration.

Ian had seen Ellie almost every day since the betrothal; he had seen her casual, he had seen her in her night rail but that was a secret they shared. She had been dressed for every day and for a formal ball. He had never seen her more beautiful that when she entered the church on her father's arm. She and Grandmother had searched the trunks in the attic and found his great grandmother's wedding dress. It appeared that it had been made just for her. The family was spellbound.

Surprisingly, about thirty people from town had driven out for the wedding.

Since this was a second wedding for him they had not treated it as the splendid occasion that first weddings often are given. The simplicity of the ceremony, the clarity of their voices as they pledged to one another, the community of the communion made their day. As they left the church, Ian opened the carriage door, helped Ellie in and closed the door. The carriage was off and the rest of them had to catch up.

He pulled her into his arms and covered her mouth with his. It was a loving kiss, a passionate kiss, a kiss of devotion, a kiss that promised things yet to come. “Lady Jamison, you take my breath away,” he whispered, kissing her again.

“My Lord.” She was breathless. “You have me in your power. I am yours.”

She started to laugh she was so happy. “This is the very best day of my life.” He held her to his heart. The ride to the house was a short one but he made good use of the time alone with his wife. She was his now, he had waited about as long as a man could wait. But first, there was the party the had been planned. He would do his duty and be a good host. But first he would kiss her and hold her in the privacy of the carriage. He moved his hand under the dress, pulling her legs so that he was between her legs, he could feel the corset binding her.

“I told you not to wear this stupid thing. You're small enough as it is.” In a move of strength he flipped her around on his lap, dress swirling and began to pull at the laces of the corset.

“Grandmother and the maids said it was only proper. I did not know how to explain that you had said for me not to wear one.” She relaxed and began to breathe easier as the

*THIS PORTION FOR MATURE PG13/R READERS - CONTAINS SCENES OF INTIMACY*

stays were loosened. The dress did not have a fitted waist so she had not been laced down to fit the dress. He flipped her back round into his arms.

“I'll dress you from here on out. You'll not be put in that unreasonable thing. Now come here let me kiss you and get my hands on you.” He pulled her back into his arms showering her with kisses. By the time Lord and Lady Jamison arrived at their estate she was quite mussed and he was stimulated beyond human endurance. Still they had a party to attend. He began to think he knew of several new rings of Hell and they all involved frustration.

As was proper, Ian and Ellie received their guests. A luncheon was provided in the dining room. At the correct time Ian stood and toasted his bride and thanked everyone for attending. Grandfather then rose and did his duty, celebrating the union of the future heir of the title.

A cake was brought in, he and Ellie cut the first piece for them to share then served the rest of the guests. The guests has been invited for the weekend. Ian and Ellie were not aware that they had all packed and were prepared to leave the estate. It was a group idea that they needed to be alone.

As the meal ended and the various family members took their leave, Ian began to realize that they were all leaving to either return to their homes or go to the Grandparents.

Finally, as Grandmother kissed Ian's cheek, he and Ellie were alone in the house, no chaperones to keep them apart. No rules of behavior that said what was proper and not proper.

When the house was empty of guests Ian turned to Ellie and smiled at her. “Lady Jamison, we are going upstairs and we are going to spend time in our bedroom.” He took her hand in his. “Come with me, wife. We have business to take care of before another moment passes.” He did not run up the stairs like the eager boy he felt on the inside.

He did not fling Ellie over his shoulder and carry her away by brute force, although the idea had a great deal of merit to him, instead, he walked with her, leading her to his room. He stopped at the door before he opened it, “Are you ready?”

It was as if he needed her final acceptance before he moved forward. He was sure that Ellie was aware of what would happen, she wasn't an idiot, but things would move to

a different level between them. He knew they would lose part of themselves to the other as they blended into one another. He longed to be inside her, to feel her as she accepted him into her body. To know that it was distinctly possible that they would conceive a child on this very night.

Things would change; he wanted them to change for the better because she was happy and satisfied. He opened his door and led her into the room.

The fire was crackling with fragrant fruit wood. There was a tray with hot tea. She immediately went to pour a mug for him, preparing it the way that he liked, then preparing hers.

He watched her, her hands were shaking.

“Are you cold?” he asked.

“No.” Her voice was very soft.

“It's going to be all right.” He spoke softly, crossing the few steps to where she stood. He took the cup of tea and placed it on the table then wrapped his arms around her. “We've waited so long to be together that suddenly seems odd that there is no one to interrupt us.” He moved to hang his coat on the silent butler, then went to the boot jack to remove his boots. “Turn round, I'll get the laces in the dress.” His deft fingers loosened the laces; he was careful to protect the ancient lace. “You look so beautiful in this dress.

There's a painting somewhere of my great grandmother wearing it.”

She had never undressed before a man. She had rarely even had a maid to help her. She had adjusted to the fact that she would never marry and was adjusting her existence accordingly. She questioned, would she please Ian? Was she pretty enough to make him really want her?

He pushed the dress off of her shoulders and pulled her back against his chest. He removed the offending corset, the next obstacle was the petticoats. He found the ribbons that tied them on, dropping all three onto the floor at her feet. He took off his vest, untied his cravat and sighed.

“You'd think we'd figure a simpler way to dress. All these layers,” he was muttering as she wrapped her arms around him. Finally he could feel her skin, feel her against him, her head rested on his chest.

“You know, I looked for a book, don't you?” she was smiling. (continued further on in this issue)

#13 from Sanndi Thompson

Q: Do you think tea rooms will ever make a big return?

(Fads come and go and then resurface again.)

A: I think you answered this one for me, Sanndi :) Everything comes back some day in some form. In fact, we’re seeing a quiet renaissance of the tearoom currently, in its latest iteration of the urban (dare I say, ‘hipster’) tea lounge. These tend to be stylish, minimalist establishments, where while tasty and avant-garde food is often served, the focus is on the tea.

Many who own these businesses are serious tea students and will blow you away with the breadth of their knowledge. While I go to these places, and always enjoy them, they do not ‘count’ on my tally of tearooms visited.

Part 8 of Valentine Masque by Lyle Dagnen

*THIS PORTION FOR MATURE PG13/R READERS - CONTAINS SCENES OF INTIMACY*

“A book, what kind of book did you look for?” He went to get her robe because he did not want her to chill. They were not yet under the cover and he wanted to be sure she stayed warm.

“A book that instructs proper young ladies on behavior when they are taken to bed by their husbands.” She covered her face with her hands. “It doesn't exist and the information I have been given just doesn't go along with the way I feel.”

“What have you been told?” He sat her by the fire; he began to remove her shoes and stockings. She was busy talking so she didn't have time to be embarrassed by his intimate behavior. He sat and removed his stockings, then removed his shirt revealing a well-formed chest. He was beautiful.

She was stunned into silence by his appearance. She had seen marble statues, but never a real live breathing male so beautiful and so close to her. He had listened to the load of crap she had been told.

Things about how she was supposed to lay still while he pierced her with his sword, that he would hurt her and she would not like it but she just needed to be still and he would go away.

“Touch me, Ellie and listen to me.”

Her first touch was so light it was like a feather. He pulled her closer. “My touch is not something you must tolerate. As best I can I'll try not to hurt you. I want you to enjoy what we share.” He held her face in his hands. “I love you, wife, you please me greatly. You are beautiful and more than I ever dreamed I could find.” He kissed her until she was breathless. “Let's get rid of the rest of these clothes and I'll show you everything you need to know.” His skin was warm and the light dusting of silky hair on his chest felt good to her fingers.

“No clothes?” she seems shocked.

“No clothes,” he smiled. “We don't need them.”

While she finished and climbed into his bed he extinguished the candles. The fire light lit the room with a dim glow. He made sure the fire screen was secure. He knew she was hiding her face under to cover and the idea tickled him. He pulled the cover back and slid in the bed beside her, pulling her close to him. “Move your feet over here, I know they are cold,” he instructed snuggling her cold toes against his leg.

She had barely glimpsed his naked body before he slipped in between the sheets next to her. She had seen statues but he was more that any statue she had ever dared to gaze upon. She was clutching the cover because she was nervous, not because she was afraid. Ian brushed light kisses over her closed eyes.

“Open your eyes,” he whispered. “Look at me.” As she gazed into his eyes she was lost to him. “Remember the night you came to me and I told you that I could show you a way for you to reach the stars?” She nodded. “We'll be able to do that and soon. But first I must hurt you just a bit.

For that I am truly sorry but it is just the way of things. Do you understand?”

She nodded again. With his kisses, his touches, he coaxed her body to a very needy state. As he moved to take her for the first time the silky feel of her body was almost enough to cause him to lose what little control he managed to maintain.

It was when she stiffened and grew still and silent that he knew he had hurt her.

No longer was she purring against him. He tried to be as still as he could but she was reacting to him and it made him grow even larger inside her. “Ellie,” he breathlessly whispered and rested his forehead against hers.

She moved her hips up to receive him deeper. They moved together and he heard her say his name over and over until they both tumbled over the edge of passion together.

He held her long after they were spent; she was curled against him.

“Ian,” her voice was soft.

“Yes, love,” he waited to hear what she would say.

“I want to do that again. Can we?”

He laughed softly, “We certainly can.”

Loving Ellie was easy. She was nervous and scared, but not of him. She responded to his touch, his movements.

She was a willing and apt pupil. He found that the banked fires of passion burned within her and he only had to barely fan the flame to get it to burst into a blaze.

“I'd have given anything to avoid hurting you.” He spoke softly at they lay snuggled together. “But it has to happen when the female is a virgin.” She was kissing his chest and driving him crazy. He was trying to hold her still, but she

was wiggling against him. It was warm under the cover; she was very curious and it was driving him crazier. “Ellie you can't do things like that and not get a reaction from me.”

“You mean, we can do all this again, if I do this?” she moved her hand to caress him.

He jumped, but enjoyed the feel of her fingers. “Yes, I mean that. I was going to be a man about this and allow you time to recover.” He was kissing her and not thinking a bit about recovery time or being a man about the whole thing. “You're not going to be able to sit comfortably tomorrow if we keep this up,” he teased as he moved inside her again.

“Then I shall just lie in bed,” she giggled and wrapped her legs around his waist.

By the time midnight came round they were having a naked picnic by the fire. “Are you OK?” he asked as he set aside his cool mug of tea.

Ian and Ellie were lucky; they lived long enough to celebrate their fiftieth wedding anniversary. Ian took his place as the head of the family, serving in the House of Lords with distinction. They had four children, two boys and two girls. Ellie always believed that he planned it that way, but Ian was just happy that the children and Ellie were alive and healthy.

They were together, she was with him; even when he went to London to serve in parliament she was with him.

She was his confidant, his advisor and his dearest and best friend. He was the same to her. There were many young women in London who desired to have a relationship much like Lord and Lady Jamison.

At Christmas of his eighty first year, Ian declared he was exhausted and wanted to sit by the fire and rest. Ellie snuggled next to him, Ian simply stopped breathing. Very simple. One moment he was with her, the next he was simply not there.

He was such a force in her life, the reason she woke, the reason she breathed.

The young Duke, as young Ian had been, was called to take on his father's duties.

Ellie sat by Julianna's angel looking at the new soil were Ian's grave was. She had cried very little in the nearly fifty-one years they had been married. It seemed that with Ian's death fiftyone years of tears were flowing forth. “Come, Mother.” Young Ian offered her his arm. He was so like his father when he was the same age.

“I can say this ...” She moved into the circle of his arms. “This is much better than the single life I had planned for myself, and I thought that that would have been perfect. Just me and my books.” She was laughing, her beautiful hair was tumbling round her shoulders and down her back. It was a very lovely back that led to a very enticing rear end. His hand moved to cover that rear end as she snuggled close to him once more.

“You know Grandmother picked you out for me. She had you bring those brainless chits for me to meet just so I could see you. You sitting there reading Plato in my sitting room and I had to converse with those brainless females.” He brushed her hair out of her face.

“They all were not empty-headed, they were just young.

They were quite impressed with you, although they said you were very old.”

“Old!” Ian could not believe it. “I'm not old.”

“To an eighteen year old female you are old,” she laughed. “But I was the one you invited to tea.”

“I love you, Ellie.” he held her close to his heart. ***

Two long years later she sat by the fire in their room drinking a mug of tea. Ian had taught her to love tea in a large mug. She was sitting in the chair enjoying the fire. In the mist of her vision she saw Ian as he was on their wedding night, young and beautiful. Lusting for her, she, not yet knowing the years of passion they would share. The vision said, “Come and touch me, Ellie, I have missed you so.” When she stood to go to his outstretched arms she was young again, her hair falling about her shoulders in rich brown waves. His arms felt so good, she looked back at the old woman sitting in the chair who appeared to be sleeping.

“Ian?” she asked as she looked at his beautiful face.

“I love you, Ellie,” he whispered, “Follow me.”

And she did.

Siren Send ~off p with us u c a e s i a Please r e conclusion st th as we toa ney through the r ur of our jo life of tea. If you o ,d ng enchanti s j u s t been whet s ha raveller T a appetite e T e t th join us a tea whether in Socie nline or o , n o s r e p through our tearoom ks. guideboo

Our next issue is entitled 2 if by Sea and will fe ature Pirates & Merm aids. To ease y ou into the transition to our next theme ,w posted a few im ages on the follo e’ve wing page.

Cheers!

Joy & the LVS Magpies

Mermaid Tea Party

by Jim Warren

Oh, Canada! Spend a gracious weekend sipping & sampling the age of elegance in the regal beauty of Victoria, BC. This Mythic Adventure getaway includes tea talks & tutorials, quirky excursions to a ‘castle’, croquet club and a dragon lantern walk through old Chinatown. You may even opt for a horsedrawn harbor-side carriage ride.

Whether taking tea at The Empress or taking in the natural wonder of Butchart Gardens, this glimpse of the queen's North American empire will leave you sated and serene. Join us for a Victorian GentiliTea experience.