Word Magic

 It seems appropriate this week that my word should be TEA, as that has been my world this past week. On Friday I will share some pictures of TeaFestPDX.

Definition:  "Tea is an aromatic beverage prepared by pouring hot or boiling water over cured or fresh leaves of Camellia sinensis, an evergreen shrub native to East Asia which probably originated in the borderlands of southwestern China and northern Myanmar."  Wikipedia

Tea really isn't tea unless it is from this plant. What some people call tea is a tisane or herbal.

It is grown in many areas of the world now, including my own backyard. More and more farmers in the US are beginning to grow tea.

Many people don't realize there are many tea flavors and varieties. Even in these two cups you can see the difference in color. The top cup holds a Darjeeling and the bottom cup is a Oolong. They can come from the same plant, but just processed differently and possibly grown in different climate. Sometimes tea is blended with herbs and flowers and sometimes it is even used in cooking.

The sign that greets friends that come to my front door. 

Tea is the second highest consumed beverage in the world next to water.

Tea growing in my garden. It blooms in the fall. In the bloom you can see that it is related to the camellia plant.

Now I really need a cup of tea.

Have a great week, dear friends.