DE-AGE and DELIGHT WITH TEA....

The fountain of youth?

What does tea have to do with Memorial Day Weekend? Well, there’s iced lavender tea when relaxing on your hammock. Hibiscus berry ice-tea on the deck with friends, iced mint green tea for those Zen moments, and good old fashioned sweet ice-tea for front porch and backyard sipping!

I simply don’t picture myself doing anything anymore that doesn’t involve some type of tea. As I write this sitting at my computer, I am drinking an earthy Pu-erh (ancient tea)…and wow, what a kick. This beverage is so fine. The color is lovely, the taste, the smell, and even the tea cup. They all come together perfectly and these simple tea moments carry me a long way. These simple tea moments enhance the quality of my day to day life.

                                           iced matcha

Part of the fun of getting together with my friends is selecting which tea to serve. And, I am honored when my friend Carroll says “Tea taste better with you.”

a healthy six pack and then some

I am often asked what I use on my skin to stay young looking. The truth is I attribute white tea (known for anti-aging) to any glow that my skin might have. Drinking White and Oolong Tea have been a daily ritual for the last ten years.

Have you tried any new teas lately? I could suggest you try anything by Rishi Tea. They are an outstanding tea company with integrity towards tea. I did a little research and Dr. Oz and Dr. Weil both seem to like genmaicha, one of my new favorites. I discovered the pretty little bag (it’s like brown rice popcorn) in one of those tiny Asian markets.  This delicious green tea is highly drinkable. In Japan they call it “popcorn tea.”

A tea blog that you might enjoy is the Half Dipper. There is also Samavar Tea Lounge. And, I believe Upton Tea Company has close to EVERY tea on earth! I read their catalog like a novel.
They proably even have the tea to the right>!

Even Aunty (featured above) who had a lifetime love affair with coffee…..during the last seven years of her life (and some of her best), cherished our teas for two!

A high quality organic loose tea is suggested whenever possible for what I believe to be the healthiest brew under the sun.

Drinking a daily cup of tea will surely starve the apothecary~ Chinese Proverb~

www.uptontea.com

www.rishitea.com

                                                                      Cheers~

TWO WISE MEN AND THREE BRAZIL NUTS...

Saturday, I went to hear two wise men speak, and was handed wisdom on a silver platter. And, just now, I got the clear and distinct message that; it’s all in what I do with that gift. I can look at my notes, think about what I heard, or I can actually start making better choices and paying more attention to how I am living each day, each moment, and become even more aware of how every morsel of what goes into my mouth counts, and has an enormous effect on my health and how I feel.


One of the speakers was Larry Rosenberg, my meditation guru. He happens to be the wisest person I have ever met. I could listen to him speak for hours. I call Larry my Dalai Lama. He injects humor with his wisdom, and he says profound things in simple ways, like “Pay attention to the way you are actually living, with the emphasis on the actually.” He founded the Cambridge Insight Meditation Center…a place that has helped me make significant changes in my life. By guiding me as I cultivate a meditation practice, CIMC is helping me build a sturdy surfboard to ride the waves of life. I start to see things more clearly just walking the path to their door. My feelings are, just about everyone will reap enormous benefits (much more than you can imagine) with a meditation practice. And, one of the things Larry stressed on Saturday was that life itself is practice. There is just as much wisdom and beauty standing in line at the grocery store, or in your personal relationships, as there is on the cushion. Life is practice!

Paul Schulick, a friend of Larry’s, is a master herbalist, founder, and chief formulator of products for NEWCHAPTER Supplements. NEWCHAPTER has been a pioneer in bringing together the wisdom of nature and cutting edge scientific technology. Having tried Paul’s impeccable products, I can assure you it’s true.

Paul center, Larry on right

These two wise men talked about becoming whole through meditation and by carefully selecting what goes into your body. When you eat well, and take proper supplements, you are more relaxed and in a better state to receive any of the benefits of meditation. And when you meditate you are more aware of what does go into your system. It all works to your benefit. According to them, it’s all about deepening and refining our practice, our life. What could be better than that? And, by taking better care of our bodies and minds now, we have a better chance of reducing the pains of old age!


Because these two wonderful men have so much to offer, I highly recommend Larry’s Books

• L. Rosenberg, Breath by Breath: The Liberating Practice of Insight Meditation, Shambhala Publications, 2004. ISBN 1590301366.

• L. Rosenberg and D. Guy, In the Light of Death: On the Art of Being Truly Alive, Shambhala Publications, 2001. ISBN 1570628203

And, Paul’s superior products http://www.newchapter.com/.

One thing that Paul said is he eats three Brazil nuts a day. It may sound funny but, I looked it up and, these nuts are extremely nutrient-rich and contain protein, copper, niacin, magnesium, fiber, vitamin E and selenium. Selenium is a powerful antioxidant that works to neutralize dangerous free radicals. A study at the University of Illinois even found that the high amounts of selenium in Brazil nuts may help prevent breast cancer. But, use in moderation, a handful at a time.

To bring this all together, Paul also recommended Qigong, a wonderful form of martial arts I have suggested throughout this blog. I was tickled too, to know that Larry drinks Rishi tea. You know how much I LOVE that product. Practice wise action and order some Dragon Well or White Peony now…. sip, meditate, and blossom!

http://www.rishi-tea.com/

Artwork by the sublime Deedee Hampton http://www.deedeehampton.com/

SNOW DAY...

Here in New England today, some areas got a walloping 24 inches of powder!

Some ways to make the most of this, and other snow days to come….

Build a snowman. It’s more fun than you think. Frolicking in the snowfall is one way to satisfy your inner child. It's one of my favorite anti-aging tricks. The more snow, the younger I feel.


Watch every episode of I Love Lucy (which Aunty is doing while I write). I hear my great Aunty laughing hysterically. I am afraid she is laughing so hard, she might burst! As for me, I Love Lucy has to be my favorite TV show of all time! It’s so hilarious it’s taking me four hours to write this one post, because Aunty keeps calling me to say… “You have to see this.”

Read blogs… Hopefully mine will help put a spring in your step, as one of my readers exclaimed. It really is all for YOU! My friend Kittie Howard’s blog, The Block, is also recommended. Miss Howard is a terrific writer.

If you feel like getting nostalgic, put down your blackberry and grab hold of some bound pages, aka a book. I happen to know the great Roland Merullo. His books, including Breakfast with Buddha, are worth sitting down to. http://www.rolandmerullo.com/

When the view outside your window looks like a Currier and Ives card…Meditate and Reflect…the snow has power…it’s magical. My late Uncle D used to say, “Snow cleanses the air.” Ever since I was a child, and Aunty would make hot buttered (Italian bread) toast and hot chocolate when my cousins and I would come in from sledding, I have loved winter. Things have changed a bit over the years. After this blog post, I will be buttering Aunty’s whole wheat toast with marmalade made of violet-flowers from France.

And, one of my new favorite snowstorm splurges is… ordering cozy items while shopping online. May I suggest Farmaesthetics? I just ordered their Nourishing Lavender Milk moisturizer. It’s a product Aunty and I share, and we can’t seem to get enough of it. After you come in from the cold, it’s the perfect balm to rub into your red cheeks and soothe your senses. They blend the perfect amount of lavender in every batch. The scent is heavenly. This spa-like product is a great complement to a snowy day and a wintery night. I know you’ll be pleased. http://www.farmaesthethetics.com/
Ahh…..

Why not try a new recipe for homemade cookies today. I have one that’s outstanding. …organic rose sugar cookies. They fare well with a cup of healthy green tea. You can get the recipe, along with the world’s finest tea, from Rishi tea. http://www.rishitea.com/

Stay tuned to this blog…Ageless Aunty and I will help keep your snow globe glowing wherever you are….

   



ALWAYS A REASON...

photograph by Aunty

Ten reasons I am smiling:

Aunty just told me she has always loved me…

I have a new guru named Mingman…he tells me to “be like water and go with thee flow.”

My good buddy G-bro updated my computer.

Received a sweet email from a dear friend who greeted me with “Hi Chicken…” and signed it xxxxooooo me.

Aunty was eventually able to take this picture by herself (her first time holding a digital camera as you can see).

I Read Roland Merullo’s Italian Summer.

http://www.rolandmerullo.com/

Sipped Rishi’s exclusive Organic Wild Rose White Tea with aunty (a generous gift from a friend).

www.rishi-tea.com/store/wild-rose-organic-white-tea.html

“One of the leading agents in the country” has my book proposal.

Aunty told me she will always love me…

I found the two Christmas stockings I bought for Aunty and My Late Uncle D many years ago.

Went to church with a heart full of gratitude for all of the above, and more, including YOU! Thank You for following our blog…We ask God to Bless You.

That was eleven….but, this blog is not possible without you...