Re-Visiting My 2019 Tea Activities

2019 will soon draw to a close, so I am going to re-visit some of my tea activities that I neglected to  write about on this blog.

1) In March 2019 I gave a lecture about tea and its' spread around the world for World Awareness Day at my son's high school.  The students sampled teas while I spoke.

 2) I helped to create an exhibit for Asheville's Smith McDowell House Museum called Infused in History: A Tea Exhibit.  This exhibit ran from April through September 2019 at the museum.

3) I donated a tea-themed gift basket to the 2019 Jane Austen Summer Program silent auction at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. The silent auction raises money for scholarships to attend the annual four-day symposium. The gift basket included one pound of Congou black tea from Elmwood Inn Fine teas.  

These activities kept me busy in 2019.

Tea 101 MasterClass by Elmwood Inn Fine Teas: Day 3

Day 3 of the Tea 101 MasterClass consisted largely of very helpful lectures about starting and running a tea business.  The day ended with a meditation given by Shelley Richardson and a graduation ceremony.

meditation by Shelley Richardson

(photo courtesy of Bruce Richardson)

class photo

(photo courtesy of Bruce Richardson)

Receiving my certificate of graduation

(photo courtesy of Bruce Richardson)

gift from Shelley Richardson

Tea 101 MasterClass by Elmwood Inn Fine Teas: Day 2

Day 2 of this Tea 101 MasterClass included a number of tea tastings.  We sampled black teas, herbals and infusions, and finally oolongs.  I came away from the tastings with a much greater appreciation for the flavors and aromas of fine teas.

black tea tasting notes

pu erh cake

herbals, infusions, and blends

Bruce Richardson leading the Gung Fu ceremonial tasting of oolongs

The tasting of the oolongs was done in the Gung Fu style ceremony.  It was fascinating and the teas were delicious.  I have a new-found appreciation for oolong teas.

At the end of Day 2 we visited the retail shop of Elmwood Inn Fine Teas.  We had great fun and all came away from the trip with much lighter wallets.

Lynn at Elmwood Inn Fine Teas

Shelley Richardson at Elmwood Inn Fine Teas

Our group at the Elmwood Inn Fine Teas retail shop 

(photo courtesy of Bruce Richardson)

Tea 101 MasterClass by Elmwood Inn Fine Teas: Day 1

Arriving at the Tea  101 MasterClass by Elmwood Inn Fine Teas I was greeted by the open door of a historic Shaker building where the class was to be held.  The classroom space was pleasant, comfortable, and well organized.

Day 1 consisted of a combination of lectures and tastings.  The lectures on "Tea as a Lifestyle" and "Understanding Specialty Teas" were followed by tastings of white and green teas.

The lectures were presented by the famous and knowledgeable Bruce Richardson of Elmwood Inn Fine Teas.  The tasting was a joint effort of Bruce & Shelley Richardson with Joanna Kirby, their friend and Director of Education.  After tasting these white and green teas I can say with all assurance that Elmwood Inn Fine Teas is my new "go to" source for fine teas.

Lynn with Bruce Richardson

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!