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Blog

Lessons from My Tea Pet

In honor of the second birthday of a tiny clay turtle generously gifted to me, I am sharing a few lessons from my tea pet.

My Tea Pet’s Backstory

A small clay turtle teapet with a white shell next to a piece of paper that says: "Name: Bonsai. Birthday: July 23, 2022. Birth place: Snohomish, WA."

Bonsai is my tiny turtle tea pet. She’s slightly smaller than a quarter. If you aren’t familiar with tea pets–which are used by some people who drink tea in a style where they pour out the first rinse of some teas–my previous post on tea pets could be helpful.

Michell Hovey made Bonsai (and other clay tea turtles). She is a tea lover brimming with kindness and affection for small things. Many of us first learned about the sweet clay tea pets she made through the Instagram tea community by following Herb the Traveling Tea Turtle. (Find out more about Michell and Herb in this earlier post.) You can also follow Herb on Instagram.

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Blog Newsletter

Tea Infusiast News, No. 19

Welcome to the July 2024 edition of Tea Infusiast News–a newsletter for tea lovers to connect with and through tea. This is the 19th edition of the newsletter.

In this July 2024 Edition

To start off, I’m pleased to share my review of the NYBG Wonderland Exhibit and Afternoon Tea. (The exhibit runs through October 27, 2024.)

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Blog

Review of NYBG Wonderland

Review of the NYBG Wonderland Exhibit and Afternoon Tea. The exhibit runs through October 27, 2024.

NYBG Wonderland Exhibit

In June, I joined members of my local botanic garden, Clark Botanic Garden, for a visit to a much bigger nearby garden–the New York Botanical Garden (NYBG).

Traci Levy by New York Botanical Garden's (NYBG) "Wonderland" Curious Nature" sign. Traci is wearing green and purple glasses, a straw hat, and a pink shirt. Scenes from Alice and Wonderland are on the sign--the Mad Hatter, a teacup with a mouse in it, etc.

A guide led us through their their Wonderland: Curious Nature plant exhibit. Afterwards, we enjoyed an afternoon tea. The story of Alice in Wonderland inspired both experiences.

The plant exhibit was beautiful and thoughtfully curated. You start by walking through a Victorian garden–the world Alice belonged to before going through the rabbit hole. Then, you walk through a door representing the rabbit hole. Fantastic, almost otherworldly plants great you on the other side. I saw so many wonderful plants and flowers!

The Amazon water lily pads and the spotted begonias were among my favorites! Read more for garden and afternoon tea photos…

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Blog

Meditation Teacher Training: My Experience

I’m about 80 percent through the Inner Illumination Meditation Teacher Training with Shawn J. Moore through Sankofa of Yoga. This training has been a fabulous journey! I’m learning so much from the practices, classes, readings, assignments, and small group work. 

Central "altar" at a meditation training and yoga nidra retreat in 2023. Mindfulness cards, a candle, burning sage, mala beads, lavender, a bouquet of flowers, a bouquet of mugwort are in the foreground. Shawn J. Moore is in the background.

I met Shawn at a retreat with Tracee Stanley in Summer 2023. (The photo is from that experience.) His sound baths and meditation sessions were absolutely transporting!

So, I subscribed to his newsletter and attended a few of his online experiences. (You can subscribe to his newsletter at the bottom of his page here.)

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Blog

Review of Wistaria Paris Tea House

Review of Wistaria Paris Tea House–a French outpost of the historic flagship location in Taiwan.

It’s a wonderful place for tea lovers to enjoy quality tea with gongfu teaware in a serene location. Wistaria offers a small sweet/savory menu, too.

Tea counter inside Wistaria Paris Tea House
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Blog

Review of Tea Magic in Williston Park

Tea Magic in Williston Park serves bubble teas (AKA boba or pearl tea), slushies, smoothies, and desserts in an adorable setting.

In this post, I will share my reflections on the vibe and what Tea Magic offers bubble tea lovers.

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Blog Newsletter

Tea Infusiast News, No. 18

Welcome to the June 2024 edition of Tea Infusiast News–a newsletter for tea lovers to connect with and through tea. This is the 18th edition of the newsletter.

In this June 2024 Edition

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Blog Events

Tea Infusiast Offerings

Here are some core Tea Infusiast offerings–resources and eventsdesigned to connect us with and through tea.

Subscribing to my monthly newsletter will reliably let you know about my upcoming offerings (in addition to other tea-related content). You can also contact me directly about customizing and leading an event for you or your group. (See the link at the bottom of this post.)

I absolutely love designing online kits and different types of events to help tea lovers connect with and through tea. I am looking forward to running these core Tea Infusiast offerings. Currently, my resources and events include…

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Blog

Review of Humble Cafe in Williston Park

Although Humble Cafe in Williston Park focuses on high quality coffee that it roasts on the premises, it also has some very good tea choices–particularly for tea lattes. In this post, I’m happy to share my reflections on the cafe’s vibe and what it offers tea lovers. (This post was updated in June 2024.)

Photos of tea lattes from Humble Cafe, above, from left to right: Earl Grey latte with rose, matcha latte, and hojicha latte with cinnamon.

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Blog Tasting Notes

Rosebud Tea: Yellow vs. Pink

Rosebud tea can be delightful. Let’s compare the flavor, mouthfeel, and more of yellow vs. pink rosebuds steeped as herbal tea.

I have been drinking pink rose and pink rosebud tea for some time. Yellow rosebuds, by contrast, are relatively new to me. Realizing I had two different colored rosebud herbal teas, both grown in Iran, made me curious to compare them. The results surprised me!