WEDNESDAY WISDOM ( POST #3)

I must apologize for not posting earlier in the day, but today was FULL, to say the least, so some of you may not read Wednesday Wisdom until Thursday. That being the case, and because this day has been so busy and hectic, here's my simple little wisdom for today (and I'll try to give you something more intelligent to read for all subsequent Wednesdays, but no promises people, this is me you know (or you'll learn:)):

1. Don't fill your day with so many things you can't manage them (prioritize--I did do this today, but my day was full non-the-less.)

2. Don't agree to manage what you can't really manage.

3. Don't have kids who dictate and manage your day for you (my kids would never do that:))

4. Send the kids that do that back where they came from until they can learn to manage their own lives

5. Don't manage to have more kids like them in the future.

6. Split the duties if possible. See if your husband would like to manage some of the things you need to have managed. (Maybe he can at least deal with those unmanageable kids.)

7. Manage to manage.

8. Am I detecting a theme here?

9. Does it seem like there is something I want to take out on the kids?

10. Have a wiser Wednesday than your last one, and an even better one next time:)

TO THE TUNE OF TEA TUESDAYS (Post #3)

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT COLORS OF TEA

AND

WHAT KIND HAVE YOU BEEN DRINKING?

First of all you guys, I have to tell you this before the 'tea-cha' gets into her tea lesson today:). I just received (yesterday) my "this year's" shipment of J. Greens from Kyoto, Japan, and OH MY WORD!! I'm not kidding when I tell you that Sencha Fukamushi Super Premium has got to be a J. Greens tea lover's dream tea!! I wish I could share this with all of you guys. I am going to have to have a J.Greens tea party with you local folk so that you can taste what I'm talking about. Hubby and I drank 2 cups apiece last night and would have downed more if it weren't so late. BTW, they shipped me an extra bag of an organic tea that I had not ordered (they let me keep it instead of shipping it back--YESSSSS!!!!), so I've decided that it will be the next prize for the tea contest coming up in March. You will want to enter!! Okay now, on with the lesson....

I promised you guys last time that I would tell you what the colors of tea mean, what you're likely purchasing off the store shelves, and what pekoe, orange pekoe, etc. has to do with tea. It might surprise some of you that orange pekoe has nothing to do with flavor or color at all. Let's do this backward and start with the "pekoe" information then.

Have you ever noticed the ingredients or ingredient list on your boxes of tea, like Lipton, Tetley, or store brand iced tea? You're probably going to see the words 'pekoe' and/or 'orange pekoe.' It would be perfectly normal to think that if someone uses the word "orange" in a description of an ingredient that that represented either the color or flavor. In truth, it doesn't represent color or flavor, so if you thought that you were getting something that should have a slight 'orangey' taste to it, or smell, or color, it won't happen. Processors of this kind of tea or the tea industry in general give the following names for the sole purpose of grading or to identify tea leaf size (having nothing to do with the quality of the tea itself, although leaf size does affect flavor and end result in the cup):

WHOLE LEAF TEAS

S.- Souchong

F.O.P.- Flowery Orange Pekoe

O.P.- Orange Pekoe (a thin, wiry leaf with a tighter roll than F.O.P.)

T. and G.- Tippy and Golden (name used with whole leaf and broken leaf grades to indicate colorful tips in the dry leaf)

BROKEN LEAF

P.- Pekoe

B.O.P.- Broken Orange Pekoe

FANNINGS AND DUST (Read carefully. This part will be interesting)

F.- Fannings (Smaller than B.O.P., with less 'keeping' quality, and used for commercial tea bags (what most of us southerners especially are buying off the shelf for our regular iced tea--nothing wrong with liking it, if you do BTW (I have never liked the taste of it myself) The name "fannings" derived from traditional practices in which the broken grades were tossed in front of a fan, and the small particles blown off were called "fannings.") My guess is that while fannings are still fannings, they're not quite gathered the way they used to be:)

D.- Dust (smallest grade produced; quick liquoring)

I bet you just learned something didn't you?!!

Now about colors...they are based on fermentation or how the tea leaf, once picked, is processed. Colors will tell you not only what kind of tea you're drinking, but what it will taste like, from your most pungent to your most delicate. Here we go...

Black tea (called red tea in China because of the color of it in the cup) is the variety most familiar to us. It is processed in such a way that it allows for full oxidation (fermentation). After the drying process of the leaves and the leaves have turned a copper color, it is fired at a temp. of 120F, turning the leaves black. Black tea brews rather quickly and is pretty brisk and strong in flavor. If you've ever purchased iced tea bags, Chinese Keemun, Ceylon, Assam, or Darjeeling, to name a few, you're drinking black tea.

Green tea (my FAVORITE along with white) retains its original character because it does not undergo oxidation (The leaf smells like "earth" or newly plucked leaves). As soon as these leaves are picked, they are steamed or pan-fired so that the enzymes that cause oxidation will be destroyed. Most green tea is produced in China, Taiwan, Japan, and India. (You all know what I prefer by now:))

White tea is the least processed of the tea types and has a delicate flavor. For centuries, it was unknown in the west, and compared to green and black tea (especially black), it is still rare, but you can find it easier today than ever before. It is called white because only the unopened buds and leaves from the very tippy top of the bush is plucked, and the unopened buds have tiny, silver-white hairs that cover it, hence the name. This tea is simply sun-dried or steamed to remove moisture, and then it is immediately ready to be drank. This tea is grown in China's Fujian Province.

Yellow tea usually implies a tea that is processed similarly to green. The drying phase is slower though, and the tea is allowed to sit and "yellow." The liquor from the tea has a yellow-green appearance and the taste is similar to white and green. Yellow tea can also describe very high quality tea served in the Imperial Court of China or any imperially served tea. (I'm pretty sure then, that I haven't had this kind of tea although I'd like to:))

You might also hear about Oolong tea. It is semi-oxidized to give it a fruity flavor. Some people say then, that oolong is a cross between a black and a green. To make oolong, the leaves go through almost the same process as black, but are only left to ferment 15 to 80% of full oxidation. Oolong is produced in China and Taiwan, but Taiwan is better known for its very high grade oolongs. (I like these too, though I don't drink them nearly as much as green.)

Well I'm off to taste another of my new arrivals from Japan. I hope you have a green (or other color) tea moment today and everyday. Maybe we'll talk about the supposed health benefits of tea next week. We'll see. (If you find any typos in this post, sorry...I'm in the middle of homeschooling and I'm trying to get this done rather quickly...no time for editing this time:))

MOMMY (or Caregiver/Mentor) MONDAYS #3

SOME EDUCATION SHOULD START IN THE HOME

Should you educate your children at home, to some degree, even if they go to public, private, or Christian school, or do you think with attending outside school, enough is enough?

What should the teachers and counselors teach your children, and is their total education the teacher/counselor's responsibility?

Only you can answer this, but for us, we've found that even when the children were all in school (3 are homeschooled now, 1 is in an outside school), there was much need for home education, and it doesn't have to take up that much of your or the child's time. We found that there were some things that we absolutely SHOULD be teaching our children at home. Beyond that, we felt like there were some things that the teachers/counselors at school SHOULD NOT be teaching our children. Now this may seem obvious to most of you, but I've heard, and you may be surprised to know, that some people think that if the kids are in school, that's enough; the kids will get enough or all of what they need. It's someone else's job to educate for the most part. I've also heard them say that the children don't want anymore "schooling" when they come home, so there is no attempt made, not to mention that parents who work are downright tired. Maybe they don't realize that they're educating in the home anyway, every time they teach their children how to do a chore or how to cook or something else. Why not incoporate other things that are so important?


For girls, you can think of or search on the internet (or library) for many topics that are relevant for them and their spiritual, mental, physical, and emotional growth that they probably won't get at school, that they absolutely NEED; and if they get it from school, it may be learned or taught to them the wrong way, sometimes, by the wrong people. I found and tweaked the neatest lessons for my girls and took out an afternoon every day for however long the lessons lasted (ex. a 4-day study or 2-week study, etc.) to teach them these things, show or give examples, and talk and ask questions. It also gives me an opportunity for just "us together" time. If moms and dads work, they can set aside a time in the evening, whether it's every day or once a week for a few weeks.


The girls and I have done everything from What to Expect During Adolescence and Puberty to How to Choose Friends Properly. They are just fun little units that allow for talk and discussion. It gives us a chance to impart our own values and wisdom to our children. While some of us would teach these things to our children along the way anyway, the little units and lessons give us formal lessons, worksheets sometimes, and creates an environment for intentionality, where we hit on things that we would have either forgotten about or maybe wouldn't have thought of, but found necessary or even fun. Some of the things I've found are even simpler than what's mentioned; some are just for fun discussion; some have even had crafts to accompany the lessons.


I found a great one for my boys years ago. I wish I could find the book so that I can share the title and author, but it was just a neat little workbook that a dad or mentor would do with a boy, showing and teaching him how to be a Godly man, a man of courage and valor; it taught how to treat women, how to act in the world, how to save money, and what to expect and do as they looked to the future. I really liked it a lot! Again, googling things like this or looking in your local bookstore or library can turn up many great finds. Even if you think working from a book is too formal or tedious, just looking around will give you ideas for discussion you can have on your own and never open a book. I realize that sometimes the sight of another book to some kids is more than a turn off!!


Parents really are first teachers. We believe that it is not totally up to 'outside teachers' to impart the things that we would want our children to have. We get out of them (most of the time) what we invest in them. And truth is, it never just ends with them. What you impart to them now and the manner in which you do it, literally lasts generations. Leaving a great legacy is one of the greatest things you can do for your children and the next generations.

Hope your Monday was marvelous darlings!!

SATURDAY SHOPPING AND STUFF

Since Saturday most people relax or shop, I thought I'd share a few tips I've learned from author, speaker, wife, mother Ellie Kay who is the ONE to go to when you want to shop on a budget, live well on one income, save, invest, find bargains, shopping tips and secrets, etc. I love her book 1/2 Price Living-Secrets to Living Well on One Income. I would encourage anyone who wants to know some really great things about any topic I've named above to get this book (she's got other great ones too!). She knows her stuff. I know that most women love a sale or bargain, and some of us love to make sure we're spending our money and time wisely (practicing good stewardship).

Ellie talks about the right days to shop for certain things. Yes, there are certain days you ought to try and shop for what you're looking for, unless, of course, it's something you need right then. But, if you use some of the following tips and plan ahead, you can save a lot of money. The following is what I learned from reading her book:

If you're shopping for a car, Ellie says, "Most people know late summer and early fall are the times when carmakers release new models and dealers want to get rid of last year's leftovers. But most people don't know a good time to buy is at the end of the month and often in the middle of the week-Wednesday. If you can buy on the last Wednesday of the month, you'll do even better. Another Wednesday factor is that dealerships aren't crowded in the middle of the week, and customers can get more attention from the sales staff. Early mornings and midweek are the least crowded times."


House shopping is another good thing you can do on Wednesday, because real estate agents have a tendency to show fewer homes on this day. Ellie Kay says the best season to look for a house is winter. She shares that "houses tend to have a lackluster appearance in the winter and don't show as well. They lose curb appeal in their dormant state. Higher home prices come in the spring, when most houses go on the market. So, buy in the winter and sell in the spring." Good advice we may not even think about when buying a home!

Since it's February, I'll share with you what things she says are best purchased in this month or may have special sales in this month. Sorry I waited until almost the end of the month to share, but...better late than never, right? Okay, here we go...
Bedding
Chocolate
Coats
Dinnerware
Floor Coverings
Furniture
Housewares
Valentine's Day Candy (after the 14th of course)

Happy shopping and savings to you. Hope you can find sweet rest on your new bedding while you eat your discounted chocolate from Valentine's Day. That's after you have gone out shopping wearing your new coat that was a steal at your favorite store. Of course you would have come straight home to use your new dinnerware while standing on that fabulous new floorcovering in your kitchen. While waiting for the dinner to be done, you slumped on the chic, new furniture the warehouse up the road had with unbelievable sale tags on it. That particular furniture store had a housewares section you could check out while there, to complete that look. Those prices were more heavily discounted than the furniture. It was unbelievable!!

Wouldn't that be a great shopping day?!! See you next Saturday!

A POETIC FRIDAY

I must apologize to all of my regular, everyday readers (okay probably none:)) for not having a fresh post up yesterday. Yesterday was really busy in our home and lives. Sick kids, dr.'s appointments, waiting in the dr.'s office, waiting at the pharmacy, waiting, waiting, waiting, then...exhaustion. Typical day in the middle of "gunk" and "flu" season. Gotta' love the way those good old germs come in and wreak havoc, leaving behind the aftermath, while they move on to their next victim. Oh, at The Fall, at The Fall, where it all began. Thanks to our first parents. Yall know who they are.


Anyhoo, Since today is another gloomy day in Tennessee, I thought I'd do poetry. My Friday posts don't have a theme like some of the other days I post on, so we'll let it be our hodgepodge day. Anything to cheer us toward the weekend and celebrate the end of the sometimes monotonous work week. Let me give you a little history on me and poetry. I've written it and loved it since I was a little girl, elementary school age. I'm not sure if any of my friends were writing it back then, but I was and I really enjoyed it. I even checked out books by famous poets from the school library when I was that young. I used to try and interpret the really hard ones and memorize the easy ones. I still recall some lines from some of the famous poems by well known authors. I was really intrigued by poetry written by people of African American or foreign culture and descent. There was always lots of passion, vibrancy, feelings, artistic language, heart, and culture in them. As you read, you danced with the words; you were sometimes "there," you could "feel" the author, you were snatched into the poem itself. Okay, I really liked poetry and I still do!


At Pensieve.typepad.com (Robin's blog--she won the tea through my contest, remember?), there is a challenge to just simply write poetry once a month. There is always a theme, but you don't have to be professional and you don't even have to go with the poetry theme if you don't feel comfortable with it. I would encourage people to try the theme though. This month, it is sonnets. I love sonnets. Well, I love all kinds of poems, but for this month, I LOVE SONNETS. I wrote her two and sent them over. I'll share with you my two, and I want to challenge you to try your own. Send it to me in your comment at the bottom of this post. I'd love for everyone to click on comments to see what everyone else has written. It'll be bad if there ends up nothing there but mine, but, oh well...such is life! Just enjoy mine then. One of mine is serious, so it may not "cheer" you on toward the weekend, but the other one IS!! Just read them both for poetry's sake and be inspired! Here we go....

WHERE ARE YOU MY BOY?!

"I am desperately looking for you, my sweet boy!

Where has my little boy gone?

Come out of hiding son; don't be coy,"

Mummy's been praying since dawn.

"What were you running from? Where did you go,"

I asked once my sweet boy returned?

"He called me, Mummy. He beckons me so,

That I ran where my foolish heart yearned."

"Just ignore him, sweet boy. Stay near to mum.

We will keep you safe; all the more we'll pray."

"But if I don't go, mum, here he will come,

And then he will want to stay."

"Then we'll take our scrip, sweet boy of mine, and we'll look to Him.

He'll make small of him, in your sweet rest, once the lights grow dim."

The one above is personal to me. I still thought I'd share the poem itself with you. The meaning will remain personal.

CHEER FOR THE SONNET SOULS

I thought a sonnet only for Shakespeare;

For he is the man of soul with words.

I am surprisingly wrong, it appears.

You people are responding in droves and herds!

Keep writing dears; keep writing!

I love what I see and read!

The poetry bug is bitterly biting!

Think; ponder; write; take heed!

And now, my friends of new-found gifts,

Off I go too, to make a sonnet my solace.

I just have to come to grips

With the poetry plague that will befall us.

What is that from afar off I hear?

The song of a sonnet in my ear!

HAVE A WONDERFULLY POETIC, FRESH, FRAGRANT, FABULOUS, FRIDAY!!

WEDNESDAY WISDOM ( POST #2)

I don't consider myself all that wise, but I know enough to take you to a great source that gives great wisdom. I'd like to share some wise teachings that might help you this week; they've sure helped me (I'm always "preaching to the choir first"). They are no secrets. They're found in the Bible, but sometimes, unless we're purposely studying these things or have them in our devotions, we don't think of them often and may even forget. Ahh, the simplicity of just going to the Word...:) If you're not yet reading your Bible or don't have devotions, start with the 3 simple "wisdom" verses I mention in this post. God will do the rest. You'll be on your way


First of all, can we define wisdom: It is (according to Webster) the quality of being wise; the faculty to discern right and truth and to judge or act accordingly; sound judgment; sagacity (first time I've heard of this word--now I'm wiser:)); discretion; common sense; extensive knowledge.

Now, I like the part of discerning right and truth and to judge or act accordingly. Common sense can help us do that to some degree, but on-going, deep, and true wisdom comes from God; the leading of the Holy Spirit; the teachings of Jesus. We will surely stumble and err leaning on our own understanding.


Okay, on with the wise part or the good stuff! Check out Exodus 28:3-"You shall speak to all of the skillful persons whom I have endowed with the spirit of wisdom, that they make Aaron's garments to consecrate him, that he may minister as Priest to Me." I love this! Here is a quote that I think explains this verse well: "The tailors who made Aaron's garments were given wisdom by God in order to do their task. All of us have special skills. God wants (and will) to fill us with His Spirit so we will use them for His glory. A talent must be used or it will diminish." God's wisdom tells us what to do and how to do it and the result of us acting in obedience to that produces a "perfect product." May we use our talents for His glory always!


You say you want to be truly wise, it's very simple--Psalm 111:10 says, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; A good understanding have all those who do His commandments; His praise endures forever." I guess, because of the Holy Spirit working in me, causing my respect and reverence for the Lord, I can be considered wise after all:). Thank you Jesus!! Often, people think that becoming wise means skipping the above step and and focusing on gaining life experiences and education. They think that's all they need. Wisdom starts with the All-Wise One, no cutting corners.


Last thing I want to share today is that Jesus wants us to model Him. You knew that right, but what was Luke saying in Luke 2:52? Jesus doesn't want our growth to be stagnant. His was not. Luke 2:52 says, "And Jesus kept increasing in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men." This is a great example and model of the Christian life. Here's another great quote that I think sums this verse up nicely: "The second chapter of Luke shows us that although Jesus was unique, he had a normal childhood and adolescence. In terms of development, he went through the same progression we do (that's why He can so understand our feelings, emotions, development, etc.--He's been there and done that!!). He grew physically and mentally, he related to other people, and He was loved by God. A full human life is not unbalanced. It was important to Jesus--and it should be important to all believers--to develop fully and harmoniously in each of these key areas: physical, mental, social, and spiritual."

Let's ask God for His wisdom today and lead fuller lives for Him! Have a wiser Wednesday!!

TO THE TUNE OF TEA TUESDAYS (Post #2)

TEA TERMINOLOGY--IT'S TIME TO GET IT RIGHT!!

Now this post will seriously only matter to those who care, who are curious, and who are crazy when it comes to getting things right. All 3 would be me!! For all the rest of you, you'll look at the title alone and skip down to read something else. "WHO CARES?" will be the first thought in your mind. Well, while I don't understand that, I respect you. There are plenty of other good "reads" on here, so go navigating. All you other fanatics, fickels, and "funny like that" kind of people, read on; listen to the tea-cha!

My mom is a Cosmetology Instructor (I know, you're wondering what this has to do with anything. Keep reading; be patient!). I remember so many times she would mention that cosmetologists, once they were learned and skilled of course, did not appreciate when the unlearned and unskilled population of non-cosmetologists (everybody else) would say things in their presence like 'wash your hair' instead of 'shampoo your hair' or "I need to get a perm" when you really needed to get a "relaxer" (this was mostly for ethnic clients and African American clients who wanted some of the kink or coil relaxed from their natural strands). Well obviously us non-cosmetologists were using improper terminology. We were requesting things we knew we wanted done to our hair except we were really asking for something altogether different without knowing it. This is what people do when it comes to tea. For they know not what they're looking at, drinking, or asking for. But most of the time, they know what they want. YOUR TEA-CHA TO THE RESCUE!! I CAN HELP YA PEOPLE!! (You see what happens when a commoner gets a little learned about something?! It's not just cosmetologists obviously. Lord help me!!) Anyway, here we go...

Camellia Sinensis is the plant or bush (can grow into a big tree though!) that tea leaves come from, real or actual tea that is (black, green, white, yellow, red). The colors mentioned here only tell you about the processing the leaf underwent and two of the colors (black and red) can be used interchangeably. They're both describing the same kind of tea, but the choice of color depends on what part of the world you're in. I mention all this because, everything you drink in a tea cup, that's not coffee, is not tea either. Let me help you see this clearly:

Tea is tea. When you drink anything else, it is probably a fruit, floral, or herbal infusion or, less likely, it could be a tisane. When you go to a tea or coffee house and you ask for tea, you're really asking for the resulted extraction from the steeping of tea leaf with water, in a cup. This is a true cup of tea. When you ask for chamomile, rose, lemongrass, orange peel, blueberry, or any other single or combination of floral, fruit, and/or herbal matter, you are no longer (or shouldn't be) asking for tea, you're asking for a simple infusion (unless the list of ingredients include the words green or black). You must be able to distinguish between the two because only tea can come from the camellia sinensis bush. This bush does not grow fruit, other herbs besides itself, nor other flowers besides it's own bloom, which is not used in tea production. Again, you can only get tea from a tea bush. Everything else you're drinking is just that...something else.

Some stores who think they've finally figured this out and want to impress you, will now say they've distinguished between true tea and everything else by saying you can order tea or a tisane (their word for the "everything else"). Still incorrect. Tisane is a French word, a variation of the word ptisan (pronounced ti zan' or tiz' un) which has two definitions (1) a drink made by boiling down barley with water and other ingredients or (2)any similar decoction, as of herbs. This last definition, I think, is the reason we use the word when we think of herbal, fruit, or floral infusions, because I don't think most people are out there ordering barley groats boiled in water. That brings me to the word decoction. Decoction comes from two words that mean to boil down or reduce. When you place things in a pot or kettle that are hard to extract the essence or flavor from (like some flowers, stems, roots, some herbs, nuts, etc.), mix them with water, and boil them, you are bringing forth or creating a decoction. Some matter has to be boiled to get what you are trying to extract from it. True tea (or tea leaves) would be too delicate for that, and most fruit or floral infusions, even though they require boiled water to be steeped properly, don't need to be boiled together with the water to extract the flavor or essence. So, you're not getting a true tisane when you ask for those tasty infusions of fruit and flower either. Again, you're getting an infusion.

Infusion is easy to remember. It is the liquid extract that results from steeping a substance in water. An infusion can be your true cup of tea or your "everything else" then, but for the sake of clarification and correctness, the truth is that "everything else" can't be tea, so...order up (and educate someone); order tea if you want tea and order an infusion if you want an herbal, fruit, or floral beverage. You probably won't be ordering a decoction, so if you want to forget this word and put it out of your mind, at least for now, do so. I guess I've given you enough other stuff to remember besides something that you won't be using.

In the future, I will tell you the difference between all of the colors of tea, or what the colors really mean. I will explain to you what you're really buying when you purchase off the shelf in your local grocery store. I will tell why the name orange pekoe has nothing to do with flavor or color. If you're interested, we're going to have fun with this tea thing. By the time we're done, we'll all have at least basic knowledge of what we're buying, what we're asking for, and what we want and love. Have a tea-liscious Tuesday! (yes, I know that was lame, but I had to do it.)

BTW, Robin (Pensieve -you all can google her blog name until I figure out how to make it a link on my blog) WON the tea contest. Yes, Robin, you won yourself a bag of Sencha Superior tea from Hibiki-An!! It is wonderful!! I will be delivering directly to you. How convenient!! Read my blog and watch for the next contest coming up within the next month. There will be more wonderful tea-liscious or cool give-aways!!

Thanks for entering for those who did. See ya' next time!