Zen in a Cup

When Spousal Unit and I were getting ready to leave New Mexico, the bookstore manager, Michael, came to work one day with a box full of tea as a going-away gift. And by "a box full of tea," I mean a box with at least ten packages of tea, about a quarter of a pound each.

A lot of friggin' tea.

He said it's from a place he and his wife love, near where they lived before New Mexico - Willoughby's. If I remember right, there were five different kinds of tea in the box: Earl Grey with Blue Flowers (black), Gyokuro Jade Dew (green tea), Gardens of Provence (herbal), Ti Kuan Yin Oolong, and Russian Caravan (a blend).

"It's for you, but if Spousal Unit likes it too, that's a bonus," he said, and went on about his work. As though he hadn't just given me a two-year supply of tea.

I was incredibly touched. I hadn't expected anything at all from him, and his sincere, thoughtful gift spoke volumes. I've thought of him and his wife every time I drink the tea he gifted - which is often.

Of my two favorites, I was most surprised at the oolong.


(picture from Willoughby's website)

It's flavored like a lighter version of green tea, and is apparently the "monkey-picked" tea of legend (you can read one version of the legend in Cloud Tea Monkeys, a beautiful book). This oolong is perfect for a moment of relaxation on a weekend, when you can just sit while you enjoy a cup or two and ponder all the good in the world.

But my favorite one by far is the Russian Caravan.

(picture from Willoughby's website)

While this one is mostly black, its flavor is much lighter than that, thanks to the oolong mixed in. It also has keemun tea in the mix, which is one of the ingredients in English Breakfast tea.

I've been living by this one in the mornings, now that I have an actual commute to undertake. I miss being able to walk to work every day, but if I have to drive, I like doing it with a cup of this tea. (I am apparently too much of a tea snob to drink it in anything other than a mug now - meaning, no travel cups. I can taste plastic in the tea if I do that.)

When I drink this on the drive to work, I can almost forget where I'm going. Not enough to miss my turn - fortunately or unfortunately - but enough to have a moment of zen in the little bubble of my car. And it's that last push toward waking up my brain, too.

I think I'll have that cup early this morning.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Sally Anns and a Can of Spam

Image
Sally Anns are one of my favorite cookies. By their taste alone, they evoke a sense of home and comfort, reminding me of the kitchen at my grandparents' place and the simple happiness of mid-afternoon sweets. They're the only food that evokes the thought, This would be better with a cup of coffee. Making them was a good Easter activity, especially as I was stuck away from the family due to unpacking (the books are now free!) and yard work shenanigans (such as finding a dead mouse in the yard, which was lovely). With help from my mom, I found the recipe in the family cookbook (my great-great-grandparents are on the cover, and other awesome old pictures are scattered throughout). I decided that the transgression of buying a can of Spam (just once) was worth it for the sake of the cookies. Poke holes in the bottom of the can to allow for air flow. I didn't have enough butter for a full batch, but half of one made 18 Cookies of Unusual Size. I made the mistake of
Read more

The Beatles' Help! Scarf

Image
Remember when I posted about making Beatles-themed crafts after seeing Cirque du Soleil's performance of Love? I've finished the first one. Here's a refresher of the original Help! scarf. Source And here's my version: a massive thing that I gave my sister for her birthday. In these shots, it's wrapped around her neck twice. I didn't measure the beast before I sent it to its new home, but it's probably about 8 feet long. Made with Caron yarn on size 8 needles, this tube scarf was 40 stitches in the round. Each block of color is 20 rows. The only tricky parts are getting a smooth transition between colors and what to do with the yarn ends inside the tube, but they are easy problems to solve. When you transitioning, knit a normal row with the new color, then pull tight the last stitch of the previous color. That last stitch shouldn't disappear entirely, but it will be close, and your problem will be solved. Then, because this scarf
Read more

Data in Social Science

The science aspect of social science work is central to improving social systems. Data inform whether we are moving in the right direction or need to adjust our course. However, data and science must not be the center of our work; we must keep focus on children, families, and individuals, whose experiences are nuanced and filtered through systems that hold innate bias, which rests within the data . By maintaining awareness of these biases and their potential, we can keep people at the center of our work and focus on the true causes of injustice and pain that many families deal with. Lack of awareness can be a slippery slope to believing that individuals or families are themselves at fault for their situations, be it lack of housing, interpersonal violence, or other abuse. With data that are conscious of systemic issues and biases, we can examine the true issues at hand, such as racism , financial instability, and ableist policies.  What good are any manner of properly applied scientifi
Read more