9.12.2011

"I Love NY" - Madam Potts delivers



My blend from Madam Potts

I had a rough week so imagine my surprise - and happiness! - to find a package from Madam Potts containing my PersonaliTEA!

A few months ago I featured Madam Potts in a company profile, showcasing her talents as a tea blender. The way her site works is this: fill out a form about yourself and she'll blend up a batch of your very own PersonaliTEA based on your preferences.

Well I'm happy to report not only is Madam Potts one of my favorite people to interview and talk tea with, she is also amazingly on target when it comes to a person's, well,  PersonaliTEA!

My tea blend is called "I Love NY." Immediately I gave her one point for the name. I do love NY. Not the city, but the state. I was born in Rochester and while I grew up in San Diego (CA) and Mount Airy, MD, Rochester always has a place in my heart. My grandparents - the wonderful Oma and PaPa my readers have heard about! - still live there. And many of my short stories take place in towns and villages similar to locales in Monroe County.

Anyway, back to my tea. I pulled out the little card which says, "Enjoy!" Inside Madam Potts describes the tea. I immediately put the card down, opting to smell and taste the tea first, then ask questions later.

It didn't matter whether I read the card or not! I opened the bag and immediately was transported to upstate New York - apples, spices, mints. I grinned happily and giggled like a crazy person. Then I got back to reality and brewed a cuppa, following her careful directions.

First sip and this became an instant favorite. You can taste the apples, the mints, the spices. And there's a bit of home in the tea. I have no idea how she did it, but she did. My husband even said it smelled good - and since he's not really a fan of tea, that says a lot. Gulped down one cuppa, brewed a second. I thought about bringing it to work, but decided to be selfish and keep it for myself at home.

On my third cup, I read the card she enclosed, which described the inspiration for the tea. "New York State, Orchard, summer, autumn, apples, Spicy, Minty, Intense, Tranquil, Aromatic, Meditative, Seasonal." On my fourth cup (second infusion), I remembered when I was answering the questions on the form I wondered how the Great and Powerful Madam Potts would use these words to create my blend. Doesn't matter to me how, the point is she did and she got everything right. THANK YOU! :)

I'm going to order a blend for my mom and my sister-in-law for the holidays. And I'm going to bring some of my blend to my grandmother when I visit her next month. She might like my blend as much as I do!

Trivia fact: the placemat underneath my tea blend is one of six in a set that my grandmother quilted for me a few years ago. Notice the bright colors of autumn and the apples? :)




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