"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? :)

Happy Mother's Day - Memories

One of my favorite memories is sharing a cup of tea with my mother and Oma, my mom's mom. Many times when my family visited my grandparents, my dad, brother and Papa would disappear into the family room (probably talk sports or politics), and the girls would enjoy a cup of tea after dinner.

I remember selecting a tea from one of the many tins which, to this day, still smell like Oma's house - like clean linens, fresh laundry and baked cookies.

I always felt so grownup sharing that cup of tea with Mom and Oma. They would talk about grown-up things or I'd talk about school or the latest "novel" I was writing. (I wrote my first "novel" when I was in elementary school...a diatribe about a lemonade stand.)

A few years ago my grandparents celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. My brother, now sister-in-law, Mom and I made a scrapbook of their lives together. We actually sat and drank tea while presenting them with presents. There is a peace that comes from drinking a cup of tea, surrounded by loved ones, enjoying a family moment together. I felt that peace then, and whenever I drink Constant Comment tea now I imagine that moment and feel that peace again.

My mom & Oma both have a love of tea, which they've past on to me. My mom loves her Red Rose tea - collecting the ceramic animals and making sun tea from the bags. Oma enjoys coffee-flavored teas - Hazelnut and French Vanilla. I've taken that love and expanded on it, plus crafted my own blends for them.

I'm reminded, now, of a tag sewn on the many clothes my mom made for me, as well as clothes and quilts and mittens and scarves my Oma made for me: Made with Love. Should I ever start a tea company, I think I would adopt that and called it "Brewed with Love" or "Steeped with Love."

I plan to name my future daughter after the grandmother, Oma, who inspired me to be a better person. From things I've done in my life I hardly think I'm close.

But I look forward to each visit with both my mom and my Oma, so we can share tea and memories once again.

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day!

I'm not a mom, not yet. But I have been fortunate enough to know three amazing women - my mother and my two grandmothers, Oma and the late Grann.

Grann & I shared a lot before she passed away. She was one of the few people to encourage me to write, and taught me how to really listen to people. She married her childhood sweetheart, as I have married my college sweetheart. She was passionate about many things, and taught me to be passionate too.

Oma, who is in her 70's, is my mom's mom, and her first name will be the middle name of my future daughter. Oma is a very good woman, well-liked and well-respected. She is loved by her family and friends. I have tried to be like her in many ways: patient, friendly, mild-mannered.

I get a lot of my personality from my mom: we're both driven, hard workers and loyal. We both have hot tempers, but share a love of the Young & the Restless. Like many mothers and daughters, we've had our share of tears, but laughter too.

You only get one mom, and you don't get pick her. My mother and I didn't get along very well while I was growing up. I yearned for a "cool" mom - someone like Lucille Ball, who was my childhood hero. Now that I'm 30 and looking to have kids of my own, I realized that my mom was pretty cool. She didn't spoil me, she taught me to earn my way, work hard and be responsible. But she also showed me it's OK to laugh - especially at yourself. My mom worked hard for us kids (me and my younger brother), and wasn't always appreciated for the sacrifices she made. (She worked odd shift hours at a printing company.) But she was the one who made sure we had dentist appts lined up, and food on the table. My dad is more of a dreamer, chasing his heart, not always considered about the bottom line. They are no longer married to each other, although both have remarried.

I floss every day because my mom encouraged me to. I was rarely sick as a kid, and even if I was, I worked through it as often as I could. Speaking of work, I get my drive from her. We're both hard-workers and passionate - even if we're passionate about different things. I didn't have the happiest childhood, but I never had to go hungry (unless I was being punished for backtalking!) and I always had shelter and clothes.

I consider myself blessed to have shared my life with three amazing women: Grann, Oma and my mom. They influenced me in ways we all probably don't realize. They helped make the person I am.

Happy Mother's Day, Mom & Oma! And to Grann: I miss you.