Have a marshmallow, my dear

I had such a great birthday, lovely cards and cupcakes at our bookstudy in the morning and dinner and champagne with old and very dear friends, one of whom is also a cancer survivor.  We went to our favorite Thai restaurant.  They make the best coconut soup I have ever had and I swear it keeps getting better, just so flavorful and it beats mine.  I think mine is good, but theirs is exquisite.  No tea, just bubbly!

When I was on my way into town today I spied a lovely arrangement of golden rod, white wild astors and brilliant orange and yellow touch-me-nots - nice going, Ma Nature.  Thankfully. some trees are beginning to actually get color - I was really afraid we would have a brown fall.

I made a huge pot of tomato soup today - we had so many they were going bad and I wasn't in the mood to actually can them and the freezer was full.  It's wonderful.  I put a bit of cinnamon and clove in it and it just tastes warm and comforting.

I am so stuck in a rut, tea wise, I've been having nothing but that lovely, unknown Assam.  It's not that I don't have a lot to choose from, I do, but a lot of them are flavored and I am not in the mood for them, at all.  I really like my tea plain, as they have their own charm and nuances, some are the best things I have ever drunk, why spoil them with things that often taste like chemicals or are so flavored, you don't even know they are made with tea.  I was reading about one, with a lot of additions, which billed itself as a white tea.  If you have ever drunk white teas, you know their flavor is very delicate.  It simply cannot stand up to a lot  of flavoring.  To add insult to injury, it was also mixed with black tea, the second ingredient.  I ask you, who are we kidding?

Following on that, in last week's NY Times magazine there was an article on flavored marshmallows.  Are you ready?  The list includes pretzels and beer, creamsicle, salty watermelon, horseradish, margarita, chocolate chipolte, turkey gravy and tomato.  If this does indeed float your boat, look for them at Mitchmallows in NYC.