Tea and Things

I am a die-hard tea drinker. When I went to visit England many years ago, I fell in love with PG Tips brand of tea. Now to anyone who is British, this does not speak well of me. PG Tips is like their Lipton tea--nothing special. In fact, when I recently held a "tea" for the ladies in my neighborhood, my British neighbor gave a very unladylike snort when I pointed out the PG Tips on the table. (I also had Earl Grey, Lady Earl Grey, English Breakfast, Irish Breakfast, Ginger & Peach, and Green tea in loose leaf or bags depending on the brand so not to worry, she had lots to choose from.)

But, if you have ever had PG Tips, you know that it is a robust, strong tea that bests the "weaker" common American teas in my humble opinion especially if you have to drink decaf as I do. Everything, you see, is relative.

How do I get PG Tips in America? Well the good news is that regular PG Tips started showing up in my local supermarket about five years ago. I would have been ecstatic except I can't tolerate caffeinated beverages. When I met a new neighbor who loved tea, however, I presented her with a box of regular PG Tips. She loved the tea but was sorry to hear that I could not partake with her.

Fast forward to my birthday. The doorbell rang, I opened it, and there stood my neighbor with a small bag and in that small bag was a package of Decaf PG Tips! I was in heaven. Where did she get it? Amazon of course. Since then I have been buying my tea off of Amazon. Who knew?

This is my little extravagance that makes me smile with every cup (and I have a lot of cups especially when I am writing.) Much like, I'm sure, coffee drinkers feel when they have a Starbuck's Caramel Macchiato, though my cup of tea, even though it is imported, is much less expensive.

Tea anyone! What's your favorite tea? Coffee?