Share Tea Love with Your Community

 I recently set up a tea-themed display at my local library branch.  This is a wonderful way for any tea lover to share her/his/their love of tea with a local community. 

The display I created is on view at the North Asheville Branch Library, Asheville, North Carolina, for this month of December.  It features books from my personal tea library which are also available for check out through the Buncombe County, North Carolina library system.  I identified each book with the type of person I thought it might appeal to.  For example, some of the book headings are "Tea for the fiction lover" (Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane by Lisa See), "Tea for the memoir lover" (Infused: Adventures in Tea by Henrietta Lovell), "Tea for the Activist" (The Way of Tea and Justice by Becca Stevens), and "Tea for the history buff" (For All the Tea in China by Sarah Rose). You get the idea.

In the display, I also included an assortment of different style tea pots, a Limoges tea set, and two children's ceramic tea sets. I also included a flyer entitled "What is tea?" as well as two botanical drawings of the Camellia sinensis.

The exhibit has been well received by both library staff and the public.  For me it has been a fun way both support my local library and share my love of tea with my community.

Photo is courtesy of North Asheville Branch Library.

Photo is courtesy of North Asheville Branch Library.

An Evening of Poetry and Tea

Asheville grown tea plant with resident bear.

I recently enjoyed a lovely evening of poetry and tea at Asheville's Dobra Tea.

We sipped tea, listened to tea poetry, and wrote poems.  Here's my poem:

Earth sends her gifts
through these leaves - 
filling me with life energy
as I sip the brew.

From taste to taste
with each new infusion
I follow the tea journey: 
an ancient Earthly offering.

Tea 101 MasterClass: The Arrival

I arrived this morning at LEX, Blue Grass Airport in Lexington, Kentucky, ready to begin this tea adventure.  The rental car pick up area is right beside baggage claim, so I got my car and hit the road.  The drive from the airport to Shaker Village at Pleasant Hill is a quick and easy one.

I saw fields of beautiful fences like these above along the route to Shaker Village.  Closer to the village, beautiful stone walls like these below lined the landscape.

Upon arrival, beautiful scenes greeted me.  The village is dotted with lovely vistas across fields, fences, and stone walls.  Inside the restaurant I found this curving Shaker staircase.

I am excited to begin the Tea 101 MasterClass organized by Elmwood Inn.  In the meanwhile I am relishing this venue, Shaker Village at Pleasant Hill.

Tea 101 MasterClass, September 2018

botanical illustration of the camelia sinensis plant

I am signed up to attend the Tea 101 MasterClass that is coming up next month in Lexington, Kentucky.  This will be such a valuable experience!  The course, organized by the team at Elmwood Inn Fine Teas, is for anyone who wants to be "immersed in tea culture."  Well, that's me!  As they state, tea is not just a beverage, it is a lifestyle. So, check back in September as I post about this once-in-a-lifetime experience!

Tea at Twenty Six Divine, Charleston, South Carolina

In early January, my family and I enjoyed a lovely and cozy afternoon tea at Twenty Six Divine in Charleston, South Carolina.

As is fitting for an establishment located in Charleston, Twenty Six Divine serves teas produced by the Charleston Tea Plantation.

We had our fill of savories, scones, and sweets made by owners and chefs Jenn and Enan Parezo.

proprietress Jenn Parezo

This was a lovely experience that I highly recommend to any tea lover who visits Charleston, South Carolina.

Afternoon Tea at Ivory Road Cafe in Asheville, NC

I just returned home from a lovely afternoon tea at the Ivory Road Cafe & Kitchen here in Asheville, North Carolina.  This event was a collaboration between Jill Wasilewski of Ivory Road and Jessie Dean of the Asheville Tea Company.  Jill and Jessie host these afternoon teas on a regular basis. The events are always a beautiful and relaxing experience - replete with delicious food, tea, music and company.

my table set for the tea tasting

The event began with a tasting of four different seasonal tea blends from the Asheville Tea Company.  We tasted the teas and selected a favorite.  Jessie then served us each our own piping hot pot of  the tea that we had ordered.  Jill brought a selection of tea treats to each table and we then sipped and ate our way through the abundant servings.

a pot of piping hot pumkin pie chai

Jessie Dean of the Asheville Tea Company

tea and tea wares from the Asheville Tea Company

The Ivory Road Cafe & Kitchen hosts tea events on a regular basis.  I recommend that you explore them if you find yourself in the vicinity of our beautiful mountain town, Asheville, North Carolina.