I am actually drinking tea right now. Plain decaf.

It's cooler here since a front blew through Monday. We've been dealing with getting my father-in-law into a nursing home so I haven't had much time for anything else lately. Still working on the General Store fence. Next thing I have to do is get the porch awning up.

I'm going to take a short class tomorrow on native plants. It looks like we could be in for a long drought and everything I plant from now on will be as drought tolerant as possible.

My cup is the Rooibus or "red bush" tea, naturally caffeine free. I also ordered some loose rooibus today, since I am getting low on the individual teabags. I like the whole experience of having the loose tea.

It is a cool rainy day here and I feel like taking a nap. I take my Kindle with me to the sunniest room in the house, and it won't take long before I nod off.

Marti, it is commendable that you are learning about native plants. I would imagine a great flower bed for your front area, especially after you redo your entry area. Such a bed of natives can let the house reach out and wrap its arms around visitors in a really pretty way.

Marti- Sorry about your father-in-law. When things calm down a bit, maybe you can get back to work, on your fence. That looks like it's going to be a neat project.

Your gardening class sounds like a great idea! What a wonderful way to put a positive spin on the drought.

ML- Loose tea is fun. I need to go get some jasmine tea (with flowers) which is one of my mom's favorites. The flowers are so pretty, floating in the tea. Enjoy your cool day, your Rooibus tea...and your nap. Sounds like a lovely afternoon :)

Thank you LL. It will all work out.

I have a question for you loose tea drinkers. Or maybe I should say drinkers of loose tea. lol

Anyway, when you have a tea pot with the little ceramic basket under the lid, do you just pour hot water over the tea leaves and that is it, or are you supposed to fill the pot with so much water that it covers the tea leaves? That would be a LOT of water with most tea pots.

Hi marti8a, I have one pot like that and I usually just pour the hot water into the infuser (or basket) with the tea leaves in it, while the basket is in the pot of course, filling the pot up with the usual amount of water.

When using loose tea, I prefer to use a strainer that straddles the cup. When I pour, it catches the leaves.

Here is one just like mine. I use a two-piece, perforated ceramic tea bag holder that has a saucer-type bottom to rest the strainer on between cups. It catches drips from the wet tea leaves.

{{!gwi}}

Schoolhouse, yours is a fine piece of teaware.
I have a FOR LIFE 24 ounce teapot which came with an infuser of stainless steel that had micro holes in it almost as fine as mesh. But it never lets any pieces of the loose tea pass into the brewed tea. My little FOR LIFE pot (found at Amazon) is small, making a good two cups really. It lets me have a good quick cup, and then let it steep more for a stronger second cup. If it looks strong enough before I'm ready to drink it, I pull the infuser out, and set it in a saucer to drip.

One thing about loose tea, it is mostly larger pieces than what is found in teabags, which can sometimes have powdered spices or smaller items in them. It would take a really fine mesh to keep unbagged tea of the same consistency from leaving dregs in your cup.

They also make single cup infusers, sort of like the perforated holder above, but it goes down into the cup to allow it to brew there. It is not designed to sit on TOP of the cup and thus keep tea leaves from entering your drink as it pours. I hope I am being clear here. The FOR LIFE folks make another cup infuser which is actually the same size as my POT infuser, but it would not fit a real traditional lady teacup, because it is really for a MUG.

I'm now discovering that I like the CHAI teas. Lots of spices, even red peppers in it, so ground up, it takes sweetener and warm cream. Cold milk I suppose is possible, but it cools it down too quickly. Now THAT is served in a larger cup. And my granddaughters love a chocolate tea, its aroma permeates my cabinet when I open the door. Ohhhh nice. And they like to drink it with sweetener and warm half and half.

I drank two cups of black tea yesterday, which has caffeine in it, sort of mid afternoon. I usually leave caffeine alone after the morning, but it did not keep me up any later than usual....which is about 1 am anyway.

We simply MUST discuss what everyone does while having tea.
Which is, what is happening to our neighbors and friends. In this case, where has everyone disappeared to?

Very few posts, not many people, few projects, a sort of ennui seems to be chilling the land. Is it school? Maybe the economy? The weather? Oh boy, the WEATHER!!!

Well, I hope everyone is doing fine, safe, prospering, and healthy. Have another sip of tea and tsk tsk tsk with me.
:)

I am at work getting ready to make some coffee - Seattle's Best - thats some good joe. I have had a bad cold all week so after work I have been watching episodes of the Dog Whisperer and wishing I could have a dog, but that will have to wait til I am not working full-time. I am thinking about getting a cat instead, I just have never had one of my own. Lots out there waiting for a home.
I hope everyone is doing well and having a blessed day.

I usually post in Cottage Gardens Conversations side on Lass's tea threads, so I don't know which forum to carry my tea tray to! ha. Lately, I've been busy with projects but still taking time to brew a pot a couple times a week. I'm the one who snaps pics, not to stage, but I enjoy the whole tea experience so much and often use the photos for greeting cards when one turns out unexpectedly pretty.

I've wondered where everyone has been lately too. It seems that I check in several times a day and none of the posts have changed. I hope it is just beginning of school busyness and they'll be back soon.

Marti, I'm with you on that hope.
It was a really nice day today, and I had both parrots out of the cages, which both enjoyed. I found a new hosta/daylily private nursery (meaning in someone's back yard) in the next town over, and I am hoping they will let me shop for a few plants to take south when I return. They have some WHITE daylilies, that my most favorite little old neighbor has wanted for a while, and I want to take one home for her. Plus, a few hard-to-find (in the south) hostas that I can pick up instead of having shipped.

Besides tea and reading on my Kindle, playing Mahjong, I am not doing much. I cannot wait to get back to my Teahouse projects. Oh yeah, I am doing a bit of sewing, but nothing fancy. JoAnn had a sale the last week, and I got more fabric....something I swore I would NOT DO. But there was GIRAFFE.....so unexpected.

When are you returning home? Does it worry you to be away during hurricane season?

Simple pleasures - this the jar of honey I bought yesterday at the Herb Fair. Isn't it pretty? It's 6" tall and still sealed with beeswax. I just love the shape and it will fit on a tea tray so well. Best of all, I can refill it - a messy job I'm sure but worth it I think.

{{!gwi}}

Marti, it does worry me to be away during hurricane season. Which is also prime growing season for my plants..

Schoolhouse- I'm so glad you're here! Beautiful strainer...tea is such a fun way to enjoy something to drink...and have beautiful dishes and accessories, too.

Very pretty honey container. It reminds me of Laura Calder's kitchen in French Food at Home. I watch her show on the cooking channel and she has wonderful containers for her honey, oils, wine (decanters)...and a milk bottle full of cream or 'creme fraiche'. I bet she has wonderful tea, at her house!

Katrina ellen- Oh, I hope you get a cat. Dogs are fun, but kitties love to cuddle. At least mine do (LOL) especially as the weather gets cooler.

ML- I'm glad the parrots had a good time. I bet they love being out of their cages. I hope you get your daylilies and have a safe trip home. It will be fun to see all of your plants...and we have to have tea in your new Teahouse...at least online :)

Marti- I think it will get busier on the forum. As the days get shorter, I think more people will be on the computer and thinking about inside projects, again.

It's Tuesday again...and I started a new 'tea chat' on the Conversations side. Hope to see you there! :)

Oh boy, well, here I go.

Just wanted to remind everyone that the 'tea' moved to the Conversations side. Hope you'll stop by and visit :)

Marti, may I suggest you trade in your plain decaf for some camomile tea? Or maybe look for something called ROOIBUS. Both are naturally decaffeinated, and help to soothe jangled nerves. It sure couldn't hurt. :)