Hidden Buddhas, now visible for all to see

Thank you, Liza, for this lovely image of your new book...


More about Hidden Buddhas as soon as Trixie lets me look at it!
~ dustin (starting the day with a BIG cup of water)

Our friend Liza has a new book!

Liza Dalby, human being extraordinaire, has a brand new novel called HIDDEN BUDDHAS and it has just been published this very month (October 2009) by Stone Bridge Press. Available this moment from independent bookstores, extra-terrestrial spacecraft, and, yes, even Amazon.com. Trixie can't wait for her copy to arrive so she can sit out on the deck, tea tray nearby, and read straight through it the way she always reads Liza's wonderful books. Our friend Mayumi K happens to feature prominently in this book, so check it out, will ya? Yes, you will. Excellent book club selection!

As soon as I can get a nice copy of the cover image (it is very groovy!), I'll post it here.
Lots of love and tea-stained kisses,
Dustin

Intercontinental Breakfast (or, Going to Japan without a Passport)

Our friend Naoko T just flew in from Tokyo (after hanging out in Bangkok for a while, which she does often, sigh, lucky lady!), and what did she bring all the way over the ocean in her handbag but some fresh new tea sweets for Trixie and me. What a gal! We couldn't wait to try them... as you can see from the progression of pictures, a fun time was had by all, and a nice little mess was made of the intriguing powdery covering on the jelly-like sweet.

O Wagashi!! How we do love thee... especially little bird-shaped, bean paste-stuffed confections and savory powder-covered, molasses-smeared chewy bean jellies... Of course we were drinking tea that Naoko also carried across the sea in her bag -- Hojicha, it was.

And here are some other nice gifts that arrived in the same direct-imported parcel:



Trixie met Naoko backstage at the Opera, and the two of them have all kinds of fun serving the folks there.

Remember to visit Trixie's website soon, and to use the coupon code DUSTIN909 during checkout to get that lovely discount... now through November 1st. Until next time... Dustin (looking in the parcel to see if any more wagashi are hiding there)

New Vithanakande Estate FOP, postscript

Trixie served the lovely and alluring New Vithanakande FOP last night at the San Francisco Opera (backstage), and it was a hit! Many new musical fans of this elegant long-leaf tea. Trixie says check it out... New Vithanakande Estate FOP. Yummy. Use the discount code!!! Dustin909... remember.

New Vithanakande Estate FOP

Thank you, darling Mayumi, for sharing your eloquent suggestions for using spent tea! I hope that all of our readers are saving little piles of dried tea leaves for pillow-making and floor-cleansing. You know I am.

Autumn is sneaking in, between heat waves and fogbursts, along the Pacific Coast of northern California... and our afternoon tea tray changes to reflect the season... A lovely shipment of long-leaf New Vithanakande Estate FOP has arrived, and this tea is quite the thing to drink alongside a selection of what the English call Biscuits and we call Cookies. See the pictures... long, wiry, well-twisted leaves; bright coppery liquor with moderate tannins and medium body. A high-quality tea of excellent value, with lots of that splendid cocoa-like aroma which is a special feature of the best teas from the Ratnapura district of Sri Lanka. Simply delicious, without a hint of pretension... a fitting companion to assertive or buttery cookie flavors. To read more about this tea, please follow the link here.

Friends: here's a new **DISCOUNT CODE** for you to use during checkout on Trixie's website: Dustin909. 10% discount on merchandise (not shipping or gift certificates, sorry). This code is valid for single or multiple purchases NOW through November 1st, so skip on over to TheTeaDrinker.com and get yourself and your best friend a nice gift of tea. Trixie says Thanks.

tea pillow

There are several things one can do with used tea. Of course you can add it to compost, but that is hardly the best use, I think. Do you still sweep your floor with a broom? I recommend you do this occasionally. And when the dusty bits get all kicked up and fly into your nose, you can tame them by sprinkling wet used tea on the floor before you sweep. Try it.

And then you should put that used tea in the compost.

When your floor is clean, and you have more used tea, put it in a strainer somewhere hot and dry so it completely dries out. Keep doing this until you have enough to stuff a small pillow. You can mix all kinds of tea, it doesn't matter. Keep this pillow at the head of your bed. It will give you sweet grassy dreams, I am confident.

What I had for tea on Wednesday

Just in case you suspected that I had fallen off the edge of the earth (I have not, I am glad to say), here is proof that not only am I still here but I am STILL DRINKING TEA... Take a gander at this simple yet satisfying teatime repast: a very fresh Ti Kuan Yin oolong (a sample from a friend, thank you Friend) and some cookies to accompany.

Now, if you can correctly guess what cookies these are (i.e., which company baked them), Trixie will give you 10% off your next order at TheTeaDrinker.com -- yes, for being able to suss out my sustenance you can save dough on your favorite teas! Go on, have a guess... it's fun.

Send your guess (one per reader; deadline August 23rd 2009) to Trixie@TheTeaDrinker.com and she'll let you know if you're right... or not. Nothing to lose, so hop to it!

Love and tea-stained kisses,
Dustin