The Personal Side of Tea Part 3

As I shared in my last blog post, tea is not just a beverage or a business to me.  Tea is personal, but sometimes your personal life and your professional life intersect.  If you would like to go back, here is Part 1 and Part 2 for your convenience. This is how the inspiration to my second book, The World in Your Teacup came about.  It was my son's eighth surgery.

"My son was in the hospital recovering from mouth surgery. When we moved him from the intensive care unit to a regular hospital room, we met the night nurse who was assigned to his room. Her name was Shirley. After talking to her about the various concerns I had, I asked about her accent and where she was from. When Shirley told me she was from Kenya, I asked if she had lived near the area where the tea plantations were. Then my son piped up and tried to explain to the nurse, as best he could with his very swollen tongue, that I was—as he likes to call me—a “tea lady.” When I asked Shirley if she liked tea, her eyes immediately lit up. She told me that my questions reminded her of her home and the wonderful memories of family and friends drinking tea. She smiled and said that because of her and a few others the hospital started serving tea in the cafeteria.

As Shirley tended to my son’s medical needs, we talked for more than 45 minutes about our love of tea and the traditions of her native country. She left us for a time and then came back to introduce me to another nurse from Malawi whose father grew tea in that country. We chatted more about tea, and they reminisced about their homelands, tea, and the families they left behind.

It then dawned on me that here are three women, all from different countries, who have been united because of their love of tea. We might not have had anything else in common, but we experienced a bond by sharing our thoughts on that single beverage. 
 

With that as my inspiration, I began to research the bond tea has created between the people of many nations, including my own. I found it fascinating to learn about how the very same beverage became so important to each country and how the practices and ceremonies surrounding that one beverage differed from one culture to another."

We just went through our ninth surgery with our son who is now 20. As we walked into the hospital, our trusty tea thermos accompanied us to the waiting room. We took our respective places and sipped our tea as we waited for it to be over.  We love to hear the words from the doctor that everything is fine and the surgery went well!

Tea is for all occasions in my opnion.  I sometimes get a text from my daughter who is now almost 15 that she is having a bad day at school or a text that says she just got a 100% on a test.  It is on those days, that I have a pot of tea waiting for her when she gets off the bus. Sometimes I just make tea for her because its raining, or its cold, or just because.  When she gets home,  I stop working and we chat about the day over tea.

Tea is more than a business or a beverage-that's what I love about it.  It is a way to spend time together, a way to connect, and a way of life.  My faith, my family, and my tea have been through a lot!  I can't imagine life without any of those three.  I would love to hear how tea is personal to you!

Happy Sipping and Fourth of July, Lisa

The Personal Side of Tea Part 2

In the last blog, I shared that although I'm a tea expert and tea book author, tea is also very personal to me.  So today I want to continue with why I thought the movie Soul Surfer had such an impact on our family.  If you need to be brought up to speed, you might want to read The Personal Side of Tea Part 1. 

Although there wasn't any tragic accident, our family also has an amputee. My oldest child, Zach was born with several birth defects-one of which is missing his left foot and ankle. This is one of the reasons I chose a business that was flexible due to all the doctor visits that were needed. As you can see from the picture below, his disabilities haven't slowed him down.  There were times when he was little that I caught myself saying, "Isn't he supposed to be handicapped?" as I would try to keep up with his constant running and climbing!

Just before his 5th grade year ended, he needed a revision to his limb to help his prosthesis fit better. He knew and we knew that it was going to be a long recovery. My husband and I weren't rookies at surgeries. We have learned how "to do" surgery as this was his fifth surgery and not his last. We have developed a routine for waiting for the outcome of the surgeries.  One of them is bringing our tea with us. 

 As we began "our routine" of waiting while the surgery was going on, our trusted tea-stained thermos full of tea was there with us. As we settled in for the long wait to hear the outcome, it was comforting to sip our familiar brew and pray our son was going to be okay.  Our tea time in the waiting room is reflective with quiet prayers being whispered.


He came home with badges just like the girl in the movie and his recovery was difficult. He spent a lot of time in his bed for almost three weeks because it hurt too bad to move. I had to carry him piggyback down the stairs when he wanted to come down. Then after that, it was a wheelchair for most of the summer. Some of our tea times were spent weeping together because it was so hard to see your child in so much pain! 

Zach in his wheelchair with Kate by his side at his end-of-soccer-season party

A difficulty just doesn't happen to one person in the family, everyone is affected by it. What was so amazing to my husband and me, was our daughter Kate's actions who was just 5 years old at the time of the surgery. She sat by his side and played games with him in his bed. She even declared she wasn't going to swim that summer-even though she LOVED to swim-since Zach couldn't. She kept her word and didn't swim all summer long! Some of our tea times were spent marveling at how sweet and sacrificing our daughter was and is.

She is a different person having watched her older brother go through all of his difficulties and so are we. I watched my son's determination to get back to school and soccer in the fall.  He had one week to rehab in his new prosthesis before heading to his first day of middle school and just two weeks before soccer started back up again.  He would come home from both in pain and sometimes bleeding from his newly formed scars.  We would ice his leg and then he would get right back up and do it again.  Our tea time then was full of celebration because our son is a fighter and so is his family!

 I love that tea can represent so many different things.  It can be a pick-me-up when I need to get going in the morning. It can be a social event when I want to share time with friends and family.  It can be a comfort for when things are grim.  It can be a wonderful companion when I seek solitude or need some time alone.  It can also be a celebration for a special occasion such as a bridal shower, baby shower, or a child accomplishing great things!  What do you love about tea? 

My love of tea goes beyond my business and is deeply personal at times. I wanted my readers to have a peek into my personal side of tea. Be sure to join me next time for the conclusion of the personal side of tea as I share more. It is interesting how business and personal connect when your business is tea! 

Happy Sipping and Reflecting, Lisa

The Personal Side of Tea Part 1 and Happy Father's Day

So yes, I'm a tea expert, author of 2 tea books, and have had a tea business for almost 11 years. I am an official tea geek and love to talk withering, oxidation, and recipes with the best of them, but tea is also very personal to me.  It represents more than just a beverage or a business.  It has a deep connection to my everyday life personally as well as with my family.



Our second family tea together!

My intial business concept started while I was pregnant with my daughter.  I had an interest in tea and had bought some books, but never got a chance to read them since I was working.  While I was pregnant with my daughter, I had to go onto bed rest twice.  It is amazing what you have time to read when you are forced to lay in bed! After reading the tea books, I began to plan my tea business and as Kate grew so did my business plan.  It took four years to investigate and figure out what kind of business I wanted to have.

My husband and I have tea time every weekend. It is the time we catch up on schedules, life, and us. We also use tea time for business stradegy and planning. It is a time we connect with each other. When we miss it for some reason, the week just doesn't go right. Some of our tea times we spend sharing about life's hardships and we have faced a few in our almost 21 years together.



My husband and business partner Joe and I having tea.

I was reminded of that several weeks ago when for Mother's Day, my husband, kids and I went to go see the movie Soul Surfer. For those of you who aren't familiar with the movie, it is based on the true life story of a young surfer who was bitten by a shark and lost her arm. Here's the trailer that explains a little more if you aren't familiar with the story. 

So for Father's Day, I thought it would be good to share "our story", the personal side of tea for me, and how I couldn't have gotten through it all without my husband Joe's support.

Watching the movie as a family, we could relate so much to the struggles incurred when one them suddenly became an amputee. Watching the characters in the movie struggle with the tradegy after the shark bite hit very close to home with us. We all seemed to fight to hold back the tears through the movie as they tried to cope with a "new normal."  From removing the bandages, to people's stares, I related to so much of it.  

Be sure to join me next time as I explain why our family struggled through the movie as I share more of the personal side of tea.  As I recount our struggles, I am reminded of how blessed I am to have a husband who is not only a great husband and business partner, but a Wonderful Daddy to our two children!  Happy Father's Day  Joe and all the other wonderful involved dads out there!

Do you have a personal side or story to tell about tea?  Why don't you share it with everyone in the comments section!

 

Happy Sipping and Father's Day, Lisa

Tea Twist or Tea Travesty?

As an author and speaker, I realize that I am not going to please everyone.  That is why there is room for so many in this world because everyone has their own style and those that like that style.  My approach to tea is one of study and learn all I can about it in certification classes and on my own, but also to have fun with tea. 

I recently received an email from a disgruntled reader of Tea with a Twist.  Here is what she wrote:

"I was quite disappointed with your book, I'm sorry. I too love tea and was raised around Tea Parties, etiquette and traditional tea parties of which salads and salmon steaks were never on the menu. Why do you and so many other "Tea Experts" not stick to the right information about tea and turn it into such a travesty. No wonder "High Tea" is so misunderstood in the USA."

I thought the reader's comments would create a great blog and an opportunity for explanation, education, and hopefully great feedback and discussion!  Now, I don't think anyone loves a traditional English afternoon tea party like I do!  In addition, early on in my tea career, I was trained and certified by the Protocol School of Washington in Tea and Etiquette and teach classes still to this day on the subject matter. I do think proper protocol and etiquette is very important and varies on the level of formality!  For instance, there is a difference between a BBQ dinner at your local rib shack and a dinner at a five-star restaurant. 

Having fun with tea was my inspiration for writing Tea with a Twist-hence the word "Twist". I wanted to create tea parties that were a little outside-the-box as some might consider me to be-especially my kids!  My inspiration was "a tea party can be all sorts of things as long as you are sipping tea".  I also wanted those that didn't own china and silver to still feel like they could entertain with tea without the expense of having to buy those items!  My philosophy on teatime is that it is anytime so, creating parties for all different events and incorporating tea in them was exciting!  I realize this is might not be everyone's "cup of tea" though.

My love of learning about this beverage took me on a quest to discover traditions in other countries other than my own. That is why I wrote The World in Your Teacup.   Culturally speaking, I would be remiss if I stated that there was one "right way" to have tea as each country celebrates tea differently.  However, for most Americans, a tea party is fashioned after the English tradition of finger sandwiches, scones, and desserts which is properly called an "afternoon tea" not a "high tea". 

To help get the message out about the proper terminology on tea in the "English style", I purposely did a high tea menu for my second book in the England chapter.  A high tea is a "meat tea" or a "supper tea" served in the evening and it is much heartier than an afternoon tea.  I also featured many "high teas" in Tea with a Twist, just with a little "twist" of course.  If you want to learn more about a traditional English high tea or how tea is celebrated around the world, you can read more about it in The World in Your Teacup. 

Well, salads or scones, salmon or sencha, travesty or twist, I do hope we all just enjoy TEA!

Tea Travesty or Tea Twist?  I guess it is up to the reader to decide. What do you think?  I would love to hear!

Happy Sipping, Lisa

My Confession: Certified Tea Specialist Used to be a Coffee Drinker

Okay, it is out there.  I used to be a coffee drinker before I was a tea drinker.  Why the change?  The simple answer is, after the birth of my daughter coffee bothered my stomach and the caffeine content was too much for me .  Tea didn't seem to have that effect, but it goes beyond that.  Tea has a story!


When I was pregnant with my daughter, I had to go on bed-rest twice for short periods of time.  While I lie there in bed, I pulled out all the books I had collected, but didn't have time to read with a busy toddler in toe.  One of the them was a book on tea.  It talked about how drinking tea and sharing tea with friends is more than just sipping on a beverage.   I also began to dream about what I wanted to do with my career when my kids were a little bit older and tea began calling me.  I loved what tea represented.


After my daughter was born and I could consume caffeinated beverages again, coffee didn't sit well with me so I began to drink more tea.  At the same time, I began to research different careers in tea that I could do and collecting information.  After attending some seminars on tea, I thought I might open a tearoom, but having worked in the restaurant industry before my children were born, I knew the time demands were not family friendly.  I decided that I would become a tea speaker and expert. 

When I told my sweet husband what I wanted to do, he was supportive but had no idea what a tea expert and speaker was.  That just goes to show how great he is and how much he trusted me!  At that time, tea was not the popular beverage it is now and I know he was wondering how in the world I was going to do that. 


Fast forward 13 years, after many hours of studying tea, tasting thousands of cups of tea from all over the world, and attending many classes and taking tests on tea I became a Certified Tea Specialist.  In addition to that, I have 2 books published with Harvest House-the very same publisher that published the very first book on tea that I read while on bed-rest!  Dreams to come true if you want them badly enough and are willing to work hard!


Giving up coffee was the best thing I could have ever done for my body and my career.  Oh don't get me wrong, every once in a while, I have a sip or two of coffee, but TEA is my drink of choice.  It will take a lifetime of study to discover all the different teas of the world.  I hope you will join me on the tea journey.  If you want to know more about my books go to:  http://www.lisaknowstea.com/books.html