I'm Back!

Greetings, web dwellers!

It’s been quite some time since I posted in this blog, and I’ll be straight with you: that’s because it started as a project for a college publishing class, and I am human, ergo I dropped it the less than two months after the class ended. I’ve since become a high school English teacher, and while my students write something every day in my class, I spend my days writing nothing more substantial than email. And every time I assign an essay, every time I ask my students to put their creative hats on and craft a story, poem, or persuasive article, I miss doing those same things myself.

I’ve decided it’s time to start writing again. Even if I’m inconsistent with my blogging, and even if nary a soul reads it, I know it will soothe my stagnated, shriveled writer’s soul. And besides, I’ve always regretted letting such a sweet blog title go to waste.

So here we are. I don’t know what I will write about from week to week, but hopefully over time something will begin to solidify. I still love tea, but I don’t think I can sustain a regular blog that focuses exclusively on that blessed beverage. I’ve mostly become set in my ways on that front, mostly drinking Twining’s and Bigelow and whatever’s on sale at the grocery store. Also, I long ago abandoned my Google Alerts for “tea” because I was inundated with articles about the Tea Party. And while I have plenty to say on that subject, I’m going to try to keep things positive here.

So, dear reader, in true English teacher form, I believe it’s time for a brainstorming session. Here are some ideas I’ve come up with for blog posts. In the future, if I can force myself to stick with this, you can expect to see posts about…

• Tea - I know, I know, I’ve already talked about this. But it’s best to start from familiar ground, no?

• Teaching - This is my third year of teaching and I work in a low-income district. I have SO MUCH still to learn, but I'd like to share my experiences!

• Travel - I don’t do a lot of it, but I do have a family trip to Paris coming up in June, so there’s that! I speak French and I love French culture, so that will show up from time to time on here as well. 

• Crafts - crochet, embroidery, sewing, and general crafts of the Pinterest variety. 

• Wellness and Fitness - I am currently in the worst physical shape of my life, and I’m working towards exercising out of self-love. I’m dipping my toe into cycling and yoga, and I’m also trying out mindfulness meditation to combat anxiety.

• Book Reviews – That English teacher life.

• Food – I like it a lot. I’ll probably share recipes.

• Feminism – Prepare yourself for some rants.

• Faith – I've always been a Christian, but I have some complicated feelings on the subject. Let's see where that goes.

I guess that’s a long enough list. I’m sure other things will come up as well. Cats, for instance. Yep, get ready for some posts about cats. But for now, I think it's time wrap this up. If you've made it this far, thanks for reading! I hope you come back to read more!

Anna

The City of Lights and the Emerald Isle!

Photo by Maggie Bohn 

 

Hey friends - I'm back!
I am ashamed to say I abandoned my post for a few weeks. The my internet connection was rather dodgy in both Paris and Ireland, so I never got around to posting. Then I got back and settled into a state of Battlestar Galactica-fueled lethargy until, well, yesterday I suppose (fun fact - they drink a lot of tea on that show!). Anyway, I hope you can all forgive me for my laziness! Now, to recount my European adventures:


Paris was, of course, beautiful. We had three busy days full of sightseeing, family time, and wedding stuff, and not much time for tea. We stayed at Le Grand Hôtel des Balcons, a beautiful hotel in the Latin Quarter, owned by family friends. The rehearsal dinner took place at Le Train Bleu, an ornately decorated restaurant in the Gare de Lyon, a famous train station in the heart of Paris. The ceremony itself was in L'Église de la Madeleine, a church originally built as a temple for Napoleon's glory. It was such a big deal that there were tourists in there during the ceremony, watching my cousin Erin and her husband Lee exchange their vows! After the ceremony all the guests were given a private bus tour of the city, and then we went to Hôtel de Crillon for the reception. That place is chock-full of history. Benjamin Franklin signed an agreement with the French there recognizing the Declaration of Independence. The cocktail hour took place in the salon where Marie Antoinette supposedly had her music lessons. Overall, a pretty over-the-top experience. I recommend Googling some pictures of those places. They were all amazing!


I mostly stuck to coffee while in Paris, to fight the jet lag. But I got a couple opportunities to enjoy some tea in the short time we were there. One morning, my family climbed the steep hill of Montmartre to see Sacré Ceour, one of the most beautiful churches in the world. When some of us went inside, we were promptly asked to leave - My sister Erin and I for our bare shoulders, my brother Drew and his wife Ann for showing their knees. Outside, we found my mom and other sisters, Maggie and Claire, who were all dressed appropriately. They went inside and the rest of us headed to a nearby café, where I ordered a cup of tea. It wasn't anything special, just some Assam black. And it cost me €5 - that's close to $7! I was a bit disappointed, but it was worth the experience. Ann took a picture of me, which I'll be adding to this post asap. 


On my last morning in Paris, I undertook a walking tour which one of my wonderful professors wrote. He gave me a copy of his as-yet unpublished manuscript, which visits some of the favorite haunts of the Lost Generation of American writers in Paris. I didn't have time to finish it, but I did have a lovely cup of Darjeeling tea at the Café du Dôme (now simply, "Le Dôme"), which in the 20s was a hub of American literary hobnobbing. Here's a picture of my table. This was the most peaceful part of my stay in Paris:

Later that day, we flew Aer Lingus into Dublin, and then drove three hours to the splendid little town of Kinsale, Ireland. On our first walk into the town, I spotted the Perryville Tea Room, and I instantly knew I'd be spending a lot of time there. Maggie and I went in the next morning, and quickly dubbed it our "Happy Place." The front of the store is a shabby chic gift shop, and the tea room in back is quiet, calm, and full of soft greys and blues - the perfect escape from a little too much family bonding time. We ended up going there four times in the five days we stayed in Kinsale, and we ordered the same thing every time: Perryville Breakfast Blend black tea, and a slice of coffee cake to share. We brought Claire along twice, but we made her promise to honor the rules of our Happy Place: speak quietly and take your time with the cake - we want to stretch this out as long as possible! Here are some pictures: 

Sorry for the cruddy quality - I'm not a very good photog!

The glaze-like icing on that coffee cake was delicious.

Just enjoying a cuppa.

It was at this tea room that Maggie and I discovered how scrumptious it is to put milk and sugar in our tea. I've been doing it a lot since I got back. It makes tea feel like dessert - dessert you can have with breakfast!

On our last visit, I discovered that the Perryville tea room also has an apiary, and sells Parryville honey! I bought a jar and brought it home. I'm saving it for when I get back to school - something to sweeten the start of my senior year!

I had tea at every café we went to, and even at a couple of pubs throughout the rest of our stay. Cream and sugar are brought out with it, just like with coffee. Long story short, Ireland trumps France when it comes to tea. At least in my experience. But of course, this trip wasn't about tea. It was a chance to see some of the most beautiful places in the world, and to connect with people - family and friends, old and new. The tea just made it better!

Green Tea and Great Adventures!

So, I definitely stretched beyond the limits of my promised "two-to-three day break" after finals week. I suppose I underestimated the amount of time it would take me to recover from such a busy semester! But here I am again.


I just wanted to share with you all a cool article I found about the health benefits of green tea. Recent studies have shown that not only does it lower cancer risks, it also combats a host of other diseases! You go, green tea!


Here's the link to the article: http://www.wellnesstimes.com/articles/can-green-tea-reduce-cancer-risk


I've been drinking mostly black tea and Darjeeling (always a fave) this week because I haven't yet unpacked all my tea things after returning home. I should probably get on that today.


I'd also like to announce that in two days, I'll be heading across the pond to La Ville Lumière - the City of Lights - Paris! My cousin is getting married there, and we'll be spending three days there for the festivities. After that, my parents, sisters and I will spend a week in Ireland! How about that? I'll be sniffing out the best Irish teas and letting you know all about it! My goal is to find some more Connemara Irish Afternoon Tea, which my lovely friend Emma brought me from her study abroad experience in Ireland last summer. Which reminds me - Emma's got a really fun travel blog that you should check out! She's hopping around some wonderful places in Europe with my other friend - her freshman roommate - Herolinda. Check it out at http://bluejaysineurope.blogspot.com/


That's all for now! My next post will be from the Emerald Isle!!!

Pictured: Kinsale, where my family will be staying. I plan on sitting in one of those chairs and sipping a cup of tea. Probably followed by a Guinness or two in the evening. Source