Easter Blossoms & Tea Seasons

What a glorious Saturday morning on Main Street! The flowering trees were all dressed in their Easter finest and the smell of fresh bread and steaming hot coffee was mixed with the fragrance of daffodils and magnolia blossoms. Sitting at a table at Sacred Grounds deconstructing Earl Grey tea bags, I felt the energy and fresh rejuvenation of springtime in the hearts and voices of those gathered in the café, as well as those sitting at tables just outside the front door. While I had planned for a two-hour chat with friends and customers while working on my project “A Tea for All Seasons,” the café closed twelve hours early at 11am for Easter weekend. Although no one chose to complete my survey for tea drinkers (not a problem), a few people did stop to ask why I was taking tea bags apart, which gave me the opportunity to explain that the tea bag paper would be used for small handmade books and the loose tea would be used to dye cloth. Some seemed bemused until I added that my husband was English (Cornish actually) and my jute bag filled with used tea bags held a year’s supply of his daily tea consumption. Stereotypical image deeply planted - each person smiled and nodded as if, despite their skepticism, that bit of information finally made sense.