Heath Hillman led a discussion about tea: who it comes from & why it’s wonderful. Heath is the import manager for Two Leaves and a Bud tea company, and lent us his passion & expertise for the evening. www.twoleavesandabud.com
Tea is inherently social; it stimulates the mind and the spirit, and certainly led to a spirited question & answer session. After looking over a dozen-or-so samples of leaves and hearing about some of their outstanding characteristics, we sampled some of the best of the lot: Te Quan Yin, a jasmine-scented green, and a really “tippy” Assam black were outstanding. None of us had ever tasted teas quite like these. The Te Quan Yin was a particularly rarified treat; it smelled like honey. Heath later told us this one normally costs about $20/cup. Wow! Now that you know Heath, you never need to worry about getting good tea again!
Some interesting tidbits:
– All tea comes from the Camellia Sinensis plant (you might find these in your landscaping)
– White tea comes from the very first leaves and buds, and this honored harvest is traditionally performed only by women.
– Only black tea likes boiling water, white and green teas prefer to be brewed closer to 175 degrees to keep from burning the leaves. Of course, if you’re in Leadville, what’s the difference at that altitude?
NEXT MEETING
Our next meeting will feature Bari Tessler & Conscious Bookkeeping. Started in 2001, “Conscious Bookkeeping is for anyone that would like to integrate their relationship with money with the rest of their life and the values that they live by.” Bari earned her MA in Somatic Psychology from Naropa University. I had the pleasure of taking Bari’s level one class in 2005 and it changed my life in many ways, not least among them was meeting Maritza, co-founder of the Abundance League.
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MEMBER ANNOUNCEMENTS
Heath Hillman
Passions/Projects—Tea, Environment
Gifts—Tea
Jessica Hasten
Passions/Projects—design, architecture, animals, food/wine, baths, aromatherapy
Needs—a job! 10 years experience in modern furniture design
Gifts—laughter & hugs
Rachel Pickett
Passions/Projects—ideas, design, education, creative conversations, creativity, The Work of Byron Katie, love/connection
Gifts—listening, connections, passions, thoughtfulness
Jessica B
Passions/Projects—Hell, I don’t know
Needs—Help fixing my house
Gifts—brokedownhouse.ning.com [ed. added this link]
Kevin Bergthold
Passions—Photography, riding bikes, snowboarding
Projects —slowly remodeling our 1951 ranch house
Needs—To get out and do the things that used to define me: bikes, climbing, camping, skateboarding
Susan Coates
Passions—dance, Contact Improvisation, cooking & growing food, travel
Projects—Cultural Community Center Laundromat
Needs—People to be on an arts org board, Web site assistance, accountants & financial advisors
Taj Moore
Passions/Projects—the Abundance League! Post-modern Photo Safari, the Colfax Cruise, social innovation
Needs—planning/volunteer help w/ Colfax Cruise in April/May
Gifts—marketing advice on anything; I can lend you any season of The Wire
