Post from: Kettle and Cup

Several years ago Marc and I met a young man in a coffee shop. He was on fire to join the military and couldn’t wait until he was 18 and could do so. He talked to us a lot about it, knowing that Marc and I had been military. His face lit up, his eyes shone, and he was animated.

There was only one problem. Mama.  Mama didn’t want Sonny-Boy to join the military. She couldn’t bear the thought of him in danger, away from home…and so she constantly told him why he couldn’t, shouldn’t go off to boot camp.

Every month or so he would tell us how he was getting ready to go in…only it never happened. A few days ago I happened to see him, now in his 20s, in another coffee shop. No talk of the military. No animation. His eyes were dull, his face was without expression.

Moms (and dads!) kids need to be who they are. They need to grow and mature and eventually move away and start their own lives, make their own mistakes, and dream their own dreams. We pour into them to prepare them to be adults.

This mom may feel that she has spared her son from the danger and possible death of the military but at the same time she has effectively killed him herself. His life will not ever be what it could have been..He will be full of the what ifs….and the sad thing is…if he had a destiny to fulfill? He is settling for mediocrity now. Minimum wage. Mediocre job. Average life. Ho Hum.

I hope and pray he breaks out. It is heart-rending to have children grow up and leave home…I know from experience. And having a son in the military who has been in Iraq twice, lives in Japan  until 2013 AND hasn’t been home since June 08? I understand. I do.

But I raised him to be his own person, and I am proud of the man he is. It is just not right for me to stand in the way of someone else’s dreams. It is criminal.

Don’t really know why I am writing this. The young man haunts me, I suppose, because I am so sad for him. I grew up with a dad whose cheer for me was “Go for it!”…I have a husband and family that say “Go for it!” and to have those things taken away at such a young age ..just sad.

image:sxc

Post from: Kettle and Cup

They are still letting me write it, I am still going to be doing  all of those amazing reviews, cool coffee and tea recipes, and snarky Starbucks sarcasms that I always have.  No worries!

Just here.  Same blogs on the blog roll, same odd and offbeat posts.  Different look.

So, I will be coming back in a bit to continue with the reviews of Silver Joe’s Coffee, and then we will be moving on to other things…

Iced Tea season is coming up …You guys in the North are probably unaware of it…but it is almost Spring!  The trees here have budded, the Bradford Pears and Quince are in flower..I even saw some bluebonnets yesterday.  And it is raining.

If it is raining in Texas it must be one of the two days of Spring that we normally get every year.

Adagio has some new teas, as does Teavana…so see?  Lots to talk about.

If you are wondering, yes Simply Home Remedies was retired.  But, I will start discussing medicinal teas here as well, they are teas right?  So,  don’t go far…As always, you don’t want to miss a minute of it.

Image:SXC

Post from: Kettle and Cup

Writing blogs takes a lot of research. You read, in a matter of moments, what it has often taken me days to put together. I read alot of news reports, websites, blogs, library books…you name it.

The other night I was infusing MYSELF in a hot bath with a LUSH bubble bar. I was lying there reading an old Alexandra Stoddard book from my personal library, Living a Beautiful Life.

It is the book that opened my eyes to the need for beauty and ritual in our lives. Not just to be doing something but because those things feed our spirits, and help us to remember who we are deep inside.

I have been going through a most difficult time. It has lasted far to long, and there is no end in sight. The little rituals that I made a habit of years ago are the things that glue my sanity together when it feels shattered. Having my coffee in a special cup..retreating to my hot bubble bath…spending a quiet time with my Bible….all of these things are habits that energize me in ways that I can’t explain.

One thing that I have stopped doing is sitting with a cup of tea and just looking out the window for ten minutes in the afternoon. I realized I miss that. It is something between a nap and a mental vacation!

I have a fireplace in my bedroom. It is a hologram one but it is a fireplace none-the-less. This afternoon I am going to ask my sons to carry a comfortable chair upstairs and put it by the fireplace. I am going to make a note to take a break everyday, with some tea and a cookie or muffin and I am going to sit there in quiet and just revive myself.

So, what is it that you do to revive yourself? What is the ritual that is the glue that holds you together? And if you don’t have one, what will you do in the future?
What part of confidante has that poor teapot played ever since the kindly
plant was introduced among us. Why myriads of women have cried over it, to
be sure! What sickbeds it has smoked by! What fevered lips have received
refreshment from it! Nature meant very kindly by women when she made the
tea plant; and with a little thought, what a series of pictures and groups
the fancy may conjure up and assemble round the the teapot and cup.
-William Makepeace Thakery

Post from: Kettle and Cup

Today is list day for me…12 baking skills to learn, 12 books to read to your kids, 12 projects to finish in the house…

So…in keeping with the theme here are 12 coffee & tea habits to cultivate in 2008.

1. Find a local roaster- it may be difficult depending on where you live but getting your coffee locally will make it so much fresher and more delicious.  Most of them will work with you to create a roast/blend that is perfect for your tastes. And, by buying locally you will not only be supporting the local economy but also cutting down on environmental wear and tear from excess transportation.

2. Buy Fair Trade – I don’t always buy fair trade coffees and tea but much of the time I do, and I am trying to increase that percentage. Fair Trade is about paying farmers what they are worth. I would like to see the US implement a domestic Fair Trade Farming & Dairy program because our own farmers should be supported as well. Let me NOT step up on that soapbox.

3. Be Greener- start with these 21 ways to use coffee grounds. 

4. Try Local Coffee Shops – Again, support your local economy. If there is a local coffee shop try to at least give them equal time with your Starbucks visits. If they serve cream in powdered form gently suggest maybe the real stuff would be a neat choice.

5. Learn to taste the coffee.  Don’t just get your cup and start pouring in cream and sugar. Slurp in some while it is still black and really taste it. maybe you won’t need cream and sugar, or maybe you will need less. It will depend on the type. Teach your taste-buds to be detail oriented.

6. Get an artisan mug that you love. Take it where ever you go. You will cut down on throw-away cups and besides it’s nice to drink out of a cup you really like.

7.Learn the difference between high tea and low tea 

8.  Have an afternoon tea or coffee break with a tiny but exquisite pastry.

9. Share the tradition of having tea with your children, regularly. Even my 4 year old loves a good cup of tea and a small pastry while sitting and chatting.  It doesn’t have to be a full blown tea party!

10. Have tea in a tea room with all the trimmings at least once every couple of months

11. Try a tea or coffee that you have never tried before at least once a month.

12. Read Kettle and Cup Daily for great ideas and to keep my self esteem at a positive level.

Post from: Kettle and Cup