Happy Birthday and Cheers to the Irish!

Happy Birthday to NM Tea Lover!

I'm sitting in my office, finally awake on this Monday afternoon. It was raining sheets here this morning, and I was having trouble getting the fog to lift from my brain. Now, I'm finally in a nice work rhythm. Just "taking 10" for my tea break and to write in the blog a bit.

Drinking a heavenly tea - Vanilla Silver Needles (white). It's one of the teas I got in my tea club from Imperial Tea Court. (Thanks, Mom!) The tea is very good. Very delicate and the vanilla aroma is heavenly. I'm also listening to Cian, an Irish band. I picked up the CD in Ireland a few years ago. Per capita, the Irish drink more tea than anyone else on this planet. I recall when I traveled to Ireland a few years ago, seeing a list of "steps" to make a cup of tea in the company cafe where I was working. I thought it was interesting, but my Irish colleagues were a little miffed. The statement was something on the order, "As if we don't know how to make a proper cup of tea in Ireland."

I'm in the Irish mood, I suppose, with St. Pat's Day just around the corner. It was in Ireland where I had my first formal afternoon tea. It was in a fancy hotel, after I had spent the day roaming around Dublin. It is a special memory...including the part about my not-so-elegant exit from the hotel. :-) I was exiting in one of those huge revolving doors. I was so happy to be there and had just had tea! I was half way to heaven, and I was bouncing my way along. I swung my big shopping bag as I walked - and it lodged in the revolving door, not only trapping me, but also those parties opposite. It took a while for maintenance to come and let us out. No, I will never forget my first afternoon tea experience!

I've been reading a fun series of books by Nora Roberts. The books are a trilogy: Jewels of the Sun, Tears of the Moon, and Heart of the Sea. No classic novels here - just pure escape reading. A fun story about an Irish family and how each of them, in turn, falls in love. A little magic thrown in, lush descriptions of the Irish coast, and lots of tea. Perfect for a quick read and escape over the weekend.

The rain has subsided and I see blue sky. It's windy today. March has definitely come in like a lion around here! The DH just walked in, returning from his job. He brought me three crocus for my desk. One white, one purple, and one yellow. Life is good.