Whispering Pines Tea Company

An excellent black tea. Smooth and rich and robust and not at all astringent. It is a glorious 62 degrees out there today, but it is breezy so I feel a little chill. This is just what I wanted today to keep me going.

There are several screaming children playing on the balcony below me. They’ve been playing out there for several hours. Not being a kid person. I dearly want to tell them to shut up. But I an’t really tell them to use their inside voices when they are technically outside, right? More tea.

Delicious morning tea. That is all.

It was a bit chilly and very windy here today. I made a pot of this. Such an excellent straight black breakfast tea! I always enjoy this one.

I have had a challenging fortnight. I got the flu about two weeks ago, and after four days I felt better. Whew! I thought I got off pretty light that time. Then a few days later my temp climbed again and I started coughing. Badly. Everytime I took a deep breath I felt like I was stabbed in the back. Off to the doc I went on Wednesday and found out it is pneumonia.

Hey, didn’t that JUST happen back in December? Yep. So I have augmentin and some cough syrup and strict orders to REST. I really, really would have loved to, but …

Today I finally had the inspection and handed the keys over to the old apartment. I spent the last three days cleaning, and hauling things down the three flights of stairs to the dumpster and the car. I pushed myself to get everything cleaned, but my energy level just wasn’t there. The oven was cleaned, but not scoured. The windows weren’t washed. I didn’t pull out the fridge or stove to clean behind them. Between $150 and $175 will be deducted from my deposit. Ask me if I care. It’s done.

I’m taking the rest of the weekend to sleep. Knit. Watch TV. And, of course, drink tea. It’s supposed to be quite warm this weekend. MIght be the perfect time to try some teas iced. Good night!

There are so many decent straight black breakfast teas out there, but this one honestly is one of the very best. I love the smooth, robust flavor. NO bitterness or astringency at all. Just rich wake-me-up tea. I don’t do cream, milk, or sweetener in my teas. This one has enough body to support milk, but it doesn’t need it. Truly, one of my all time fave teas.

Today has been cold and super windy. I drank two cups of coffee, then started on tea. I really love this breakfast tea. It is a staple in my tea cupboard. I was going to call it plain, but this isn’t plain. it is rich and satisfying, not one bit bitter or astringent or any of the things I don’t like. Happy sigh.

This is still one of my very favorite breakfast teas. And afternoon teas. And just any danged time teas. This is smooth and rich without being frilly. I made this for me and a friend today, and when he asked where he could buy it I directed him to the whispering pines website. He just about dropped his teeth. “It costs how much?” he yelped. You’d have thought someone stabbed him. Sheesh.

This one isn’t even available at the moment. I suppose $8.50 an ounce is a bit spendy, but it is a lovely tea, and it re-steeps well. For a really good tea I’d pay even more. I’ll have to keep track of when it comes back in stock. I am planning a tea order in October. Not that I actually need more tea…

This has been a MONDAY. Yes, all caps. Work has sucked today. It’s only been three hours, so maybe it can turn around. This tea helps. You know, if you like a straight, robust but mellow, smooth, yummy cuppa for the morning, this is a fantastic choice. Now go away, you stupid Operations Coordinator. You are trying to tell me how to do a job that I’ve been doing for 15 years. You’ve been here three months. You shouldn’t make a ton of changes to our policies. And if you do, you should TELL US WHAT the changes are BEFORE they go into effect. Telling me three weeks later and giving me demerits for not knowing the new policy is not going to make me happy. Moron. sips tea

Happy sigh. I love this tea. After the past several weeks of drinking mostly the teas from my 24 Days of Tea from DAVID’s, I decided to brew up a pot of this. I really enjoy a good flavored tea. The dessert-y teas from 52 Teas and A Quarter to Tea are my favorites. But when the wind is howling on a cold December morning, I want a solid straight tea, and North Winds remains my favorite breakfast-y tea. So smooth. so rich.

I had planned to run out for some After-Christmas-Sale shopping this morning, but it is far too icky to go outside today. That’s ok. I have a book to revise and tea to drink. Let it howl!

Ack! I love this tea. It has always been a reliable morning tea. But today it has a horrible taste. Like gasoline. That was not the tea’s fault. My coffee tasted like that too. The soda I made tasted like it. I have a sinus/inner ear infection. I’m on a new antibiotic. That’s the only think I can think of that would make something I love taste so gross. Sigh.

Oh boy, oh,boy! It’s quite COLD this morning. I really LOVE it! It’s such perfect tea drinking weather. I brewed up a whole pot of this and the first sip reminded me why I like this tea so much. Smooth. Rich. Warm. Just one of my favorite teas for chilly mornings. I know we’ll have warm weather again before fall really hits, and after fall is winter. But I’ll just enjoy this morning and not worry about those things. And drink tea.

Still one of my very favorite breakfast teas. This summer hasn’t been unusually hot. In fact, we’ve only gotten above 90 like 8 or 9 times. But it’s been consistently warm. Normally we’ll have a week of 75 here and there, or even some days in the upper 60s. This year it’s been in the mid to upper 80s just about every day. And I positively loathe hot weather. Add some humidity to it, and I am DONE. The last thing I want is a hot beverage.

But this weekend it is supposed to be low to mid 70s! And low to mid 50s at night!!! It will be very cool in the mornings in my apartment this weekend! See me? I’m the one with my cup ready to go. Tea drinking weather is coming!

(And winter. Yeah, winter is coming too. Sigh)

Oh, and though it wasn’t as cool as I wanted this morning—stupid humidity!— I had a couple of cups of this tea this morning. Nummy.

Gosh, I’ve had a tough week. I know it’s only Tuesday, but believe me, it’s been tough. Since it was one of those cold, rainy days in late spring, I decided not to cold brew a jug of tea. Instead I made a hot pot of this. I earlier tried Brioche from The American Tea Room. I know I like that one, but today it just didn’t hit the spot. I drank about half a cup, then poured it out. I’m sure it was me, not the tea. Even this one, one of my absolutely favorite old reliables, tasted bitter and a bit astringent. Still, I enjoyed it.

It’s darned cold here. I left my sewing room window open about an 8th of an inch, and my apartment was FREEZING this morning. I had my two cups of coffee, and switched to tea. This tea is superb. Malty, rich, and flavorful without ever getting bitter even when I re-steeped it three times. I know this tea is a little more expensive than some of my other faves, but the quality is worth it. And when you can get three or four good cups from one batch of leaf it pays for itself.

Dear God, in a meeting this morning we were informed that mandatory overtime has been extended through February and increased from 5 hours a week to 7. As soon as that meeting was over I headed to my drawer of tea. If it hadn’t been work hours it might have been something stronger that went into the cup!

This really is a lovely cup. Smooth and strong, just what a morning calls for, especially after getting news you really didn’t want.

I’m going to like that extra money on the check. Say it again: I’m going to like that extra money on the check.

(and just between us, my boss is a jerk. That has nothing to do with the overtime. It’s more about my teensy little raise. My 14.5 years in this position and the experience I bring is worth a he!! of a lot more than 1.2%)

This morning was one of those mornings when I just could NOT seem to keep my eyes open. I started with coffee. Two cups didn’t do the trick. I pulled this one out of the drawer and made a large, strong pot. It didn’t do the trick either, actually, but it was tasty. This remains one of my very favorite breakfast teas. It’s smooth but robust. When I get my tea drawer pared down to my 20 teas, this will probably be one that I’ll want to keep on hand.

I’m glad I ordered another couple ounces of this tea. I had my usual cup of coffee, but it was chilly this morning so I had a cup of this instead of a Coke like I often do later in the morning. I drank it out of a particularly ugly but dear to me cup. I made it myself in a potters class. I completely botched it. The potters wheel turned too fast. or maybe too slow? Anyway, I had to make several attempts to form a cup shape. Even when I finished it the lip was a bit wonky. But I made it myself, so it was a favorite. Sadly, when I took the empty cup into the kitchen to rinse it out and put in the dishwasher, I dropped it. Good bye ugly cup. :(

I woke lst night around 4am to the sound of an immense clap of thunder that went on and on. Scared me half to death. I thought maybe a jet was ready to crash on top of me. But it went away, leaving only the rhythmic sound of pounding rain on the pavement outside my window. It was very cozy to lie in bed feeling a little chilly, safe and tidy.

It ws still raining when I got up, and cold enough that a good morning tea was required. I’m almost out of this one! It’s so good in the morning. So warm, and smooth, and mellow, and just a little malty without being astringent or bitter. Just about the prefect morning cup! I’ve put myselt on a strict tea diet until Christmas. I have plenty of tea to drink up before I order more. But it’s going to be hard to hold off on this one.

We’re expecting snow tonight. glum face This was my mid-morning tea. Still really like this one. It’s not a weak tea, but mild and smooth. I approve! I’m just about out, so I think it will go on the Autumn Re-order List.

I made a 2 cup pot of this tea this afternoon, hoping for tea delight. I got soap instead. It’s so tempting to think it’s the kettle. But no, coffee tastes soapy too. Sigh. This too shall pass.

Dear God. My eleven year old niece is staying with me this weekend while her mother is out of town house hunting. I need caffeine this morning! Being single and childless, I am used to having everything stay the same. I mean, when I clean the kitchen, it stays pretty much clean unless I dirty it. Today there is a winter coat in the middle of the kitchen floor. One child sized boot is under the table, and the other is god knows where. I asked her and she got this blank look on her face and said “I don’t know.” She lost her phone twice in two hours. When she does have her phone, she’s on it texting her friends. She uses a different glass for each can of pop she’s had (she was supposed to have ONE) and leaves the glasses in the living room. As a treat I bought her PEEPS. (shudder. I hate those things) and she ate the entire package last night. She told me she gets up really early, so I showed her where the frozen French toast strips were and told her to help herself to breakfast in the morning. I got up at 7:30. She was dead asleep. I made tea (did I mention how badly I needed caffeine?) and took it and my laptop back to my room to let her sleep. At 8:30 she came to my room to tell me she was starving. I now have a far better understanding of my sister’s weariness. NO wonder she looks so frazzled all the time. I love my niece, but I am clearly not cut out for children.
WHY DON’T THEY COME WITH AN OFF SWITCH????!!!

Tea helps. A little.

My morning cup. So good in the morning! Today is supposed to be in the mid 70s. UN-believable! The average hi for today is 36, so that is almost 40 degrees above the norm. Too warm for hot tea this afternoon, so I put some of this to cold brew. We’ll see how it is cold.

This was my morning tea. It’s a great tea for the morning, robust and smooth.

Yesterday I went to an ENT for the first time in 8 years. I know I have nasal polyps. I’ve had 4 previous surgeries to deal with them. The last surgery was at the Mayo Clinic and cost $42,000. But polyps come back very quickly. Well, I’ll only have to pay about $6,000 of it probably. But guess who doesn’t have $6,000 laying around? Of course, this new ENT thinks surgery is a must. The polyps are so thick that on the CT scan it looks like I don’t even HAVE sinuses. No wonder I feel so blech all the time, right?

I have to decide if being able to smell my tea (and shampoo, and cat box, and food) for 3 or 4 months is worth it. Polyps are generally not fatal. In very rare situations they can lead to terrible complications, but generally they are benign. It’s just that you can’t breathe or smell, have continuous headaches, and pretty much feel like you have a cold all the time. For a measly four months of salary I can feel well for a little while. Is it worth it? That’s the decision I have to make.

Meanwhile, I’ll go brew another pot of this and imagine I’m smelling and tasting all those delicious flavors.

I had success this morning getting the liquid antibiotic into the cat today. At least, more went in her mouth than on me, so we’ll call that a win.

To celebrate, I brewed a pot of this tea. A lot of times I really love a flavored black, but this one really hit the spot this morning. It’s rich, a little malty, and smooth. Off to brew another pot.

It’s awfully cold in my apartment and I couldn’t figure out why until I went to the window and found it was open about a quarter of an inch. Hmmmm. It’s frozen in that position. Time for some hot tea, right? Brewed a pot of this, figuring it would be warm and delightful, and it is. I don’t know how to describe it, since I don’t taste much, but it’s a rich tea without being too strong or bitter, nor is it weak.