A Little Bit Of This...

If you have a moment this Friday and Saturday, I invite you to celebrate with my village, Owego, NY and me.  We are celebrating our survival of the Sept 7/8, 2011 flood that devastated our town.  We are battered, some of us are broken, but most of us are still here and we remember the kindness of strangers who became family.  We know what it is to pull together and help each other.  We want to celebrate not only that we did survive, but  that we are going to thrive once again.  Owego has the same spirit as that little engine that could in the old children's story - "I think I can, I think I can, ...I know I can , I know I can,...I knew I could, I knew I could" as it climbs an impossibly high hill out of destruction.  We have a long way to go, but we're moving up.

The little tufted titmice, the nuthatches and the finches are all so pretty and sing so sweetly instead of jarring me out of my chair with raucous cries.  However, the crows have been busy, I think they are preparing for a fall convention.

Did you know the Coffee and Tea Festival will be in Atlantic City on November 3 and 4?  Now you do.  For more info, go to www.CoffeeandTeaFestival.com

Meanwhile, don't forget World Tea East in Philadelphia, October 2-3.  Joe Simrany, the long-term president of the Tea Association of the USA will be receiving the Cha Jing lifetime achievement award for service and leadership to the industry.  Joe has been a tireless worker in promoting tea.  He is the second recipient of this award.  Lots of good drinking and networking at both events!

It's a nice soft gray outside today.  There's a breeze and it is pleasant.  I am having a pot of smooth Gorreana Orange Pekoe Tea.  I have reviewed this before, but I was sent some in a tea swap, so I can appreciate it anew.  Gorreana comes from a small island off the coast of Portugal.  All of their teas that I have tried I have really liked.

Indie Tea www.indietea.com has come out with some tasty sounding tea based spice rubs and salts, as well as some creative new tea blends such as Ride Off Into A Moroccan Sunset.  Check them out.  Each month they give part of the proceeds to a different charity - more bang for your tea buck.  Many tea companies, such as Ajiri and Harneys also make charitable donations.

A bit of Gothic eye candy, complete with saint.