Tara had a beautiful post recently on surviving the dark, cold winter in Seattle, with the help (in her case) of fresh local milk to put in her morning tea. It made me think about my morning tea – a beloved year-round ritual, but more vital now than ever.
These days, I hop out of bed and straight into the shower, because nothing wakes me up or warms me up faster than a quick, steamy shower. Then I slather on the lotion and moisturizer, dry my hair, etc., and brew up a cuppa – either flavored black tea, brewed strong and drunk plain, or a breakfast blend (such as Yorkshire or PG Tips) with milk. I open all the blinds in our dining-room bay window, whether it’s sunny or not, and start a load of laundry, if it needs to be done. (Nothing like crossing a task off the to-do list before breakfast.) Then I drink tea and eat breakfast while writing my morning pages, reading blogs and getting ready for the day.
What do people do who don’t drink hot drinks, who don’t have this cup of warmth and comfort to ease them into the day? When I lived in “the dungeon” in Oxford, sharing a basement kitchen with five boys, we all flocked to the kettle and the French press every morning, brewing up cups of Yorkshire or strong coffee or even peppermint tea, to help us wake up and warm up. Even in Abilene, where most mornings year-round are sunny, I needed my morning tea time, and here amid the cold and snow, I need it more than ever.
I’m lucky to have a whole cupboard full of mugs, though I most often reach for the simple, cobalt-blue mug that came from the Ground Floor. Before closing up shop, Barb gave us each a goody bag that included one of the crayon-colored mugs we’d used in the shop for nine years, and mine is still my favorite on these winter mornings. It’s sturdy and simple, and it feels good in my hands.
Anyone else have a morning winter ritual? Or a favorite tea you’d recommend?
(Taken last month, as evidenced by the Christmas candy dish.)
cakes, tea and dreams 
I don’t think I could survive without my tea! It seems like my mug is permanently attached to my hand in the winter. I too, have a cupboard full of mugs and always seem to reach the same one. I usually start the day off with Green tea with lemongrass. It’s very refreshing, and helps get me going. My other all time favorite is a tea made for children believe it or not. It’s called throat coat, and it is so delicious! It is warm and comforting, and if you ever have a sore throat, it really helps to soothe:)
My morning ritual is coffee…and I am particular about the mug I put it in, it has to be deep and extra big so it serves as a hand warmer for me 🙂
Irish Breakfast Tea – brewed strong enough to be mistaken for coffee. It doubles as an encouragement to actually eat breakfast; if I drink it on an empty stomach I get really jittery. o.O
I forgot to mention that breakfast for me typically consists of dark chocolate. 😀
This post is SO TRUE — for some strange reason I don’t benefit from the effects of caffeine in any noticeable way (I don’t get that “pick me up” feeling), unless I take like 4 Excedrin tablets and then my heart just races. So I don’t actually need tea in the morning to physically wake up, but at the same time, if I don’t have it, my whole day just feels off.
I would recommend the Valentine’s Tea blend from Argo Tea — it only comes out around this time of year and it’s DELICIOUS! Plus it has pretty red hearts thrown into the mix. 🙂
Happy Sipping!
Tea, over and over. A whole drawer of teas. I also occasionally enjoy coffee, but that is something I go out for, and I’m a bit snobby about the coffee itself. If I’m going to have it, I want the good stuff. (Starbucks is not the good stuff, although I like their chai, and I like hanging out there to work.)
But the tea. So many favourites. Yogi Tea Tahitian Vanilla Hazelnut – warming and almost sweet. Blue Willow Tea World Peace – minty and soothing. One my sister brought home from Sweden – black tea with northern berries – heavenly. Remedy Teas 72 Earl Grey Creme – earl grey with vanilla – oh my.
That’s a start. 😉
I need my tea every morning, too. Often I wait until after I walked my son to preschool to enjoy it. No milk, but always a bit of sugar in black tea, usually rock candy. And for non-flavored black tea, rock candy in liquor syrup – oh yeah.
I drink coffee in the morning – currently working my way through Trader Joe’s Wintry Blend, which I adore – but tea in the afternoons. Cold gray days when I work at home, there’s something comforting about the ritual of the kettle and the steeping and stepping away from my desk for a few minutes. Often I just drink a green tea or a peppermint, but after years of searching, I finally found Stash’s White Christmas in a small shop. I first drank it years ago, and adored it – perfect blend of ginger and peppermint – but have not been able to find it since. When I found it in a store last month, I bought out their entire stock and have been savoring it since.
[…] The poetry of bare tree branches against the sky. 6. Snow on the beach. 7. Tea. Lots and lots and lots of tea. 8. Soup, soup and more soup. 9. Blankets, particularly wrapping up in them while I write. 10. […]
[…] for lunch; walking to the post office and the branch library; playing around on Twitter and blogs; sipping tea at the dining-room table while journaling or writing. And feeling […]
I love hearing about your morning ritual! I’m working my way through some new teas this month. Lots of gingery flavors. Got to keep warm somehow!
The first thing I do when the alarm rings off, I shuffle to the kitchen and put the kettle on. I have an entire cupboard full of tea and I believe the tea chooses me based on my mood. If I am feeling grumpy, Organic Assam. If I am happy and ready to face the day, Organic black tea with ginger. If I am feeling ambivalent, its English Breakfast. If I am feeling a bit blue, Organic Creme Earl Grey from David’s Tea. I always use my favorite mug too, an all glass mug from Crate and Barrel or the I Love You mug in a bright yellow and white with flowers, lady bugs and butterflies surrounding the outside. This mug is old and has many cracks and I think one day it is going to crack in two.