Dust and smoke dance in the moonlight,
Swirling in a samba upon the sand.
A beachside bonfire increases the heat,
And they entwine themselves tighter,
Until they appear as one in the flames.
Slowly the fire dies down and dawn arrives.
The dancers fade away with the sunrise,
Hoping to twirl in each other’s arms again.
The rain trickled down on the green canopy
While the ancient calls of cranes echoed.
A mating dance ensued, wings and necks contorting.
The squawking faded as the crunch of leaves continued.
Soon, distant grunting came into earshot.
Pausing, looking down, a brood of little gators waited.
The sprinkles continued and flowers danced.
All just part of wild Florida on a winter day.
Contagious laughter echoed down the hall.
The cackle soon turned from hearty,
Falling into a sinister tone.
Her plan came together better than hoped.
The television flickered the movie,
Soon glitter and color replaced the dullness.
A yellow road, and creatures on two instead of four.
A field of poppies covered in snow,
And an emerald city sparkled and glowed.
I loved this movie growing up,
Pausing each year as it flickered on the t.v.
What little girl wouldn’t want to go,
Somewhere over that colorful rainbow?
Only to realize how special home is,
And wish to be back there once again.
This year, the holidays bought to me an advent calendar full of tea forte teas. This post tracks my thoughts as I sip each one of these little treats, one for each day leading up to the big day.
Day 1 – Caramel Nougat Black Tea – Sweetened with brown sugar and sweetened condensed milk. Delicious tea to end the day by the fire…okay, it’s an electric box with a “flame” light pattern…but that’s what works in Florida!
Day 2 – Strawberry Apple Herbal Tea – Sweetened with sugar. Light and crisp, tasted like apple cider with a hint of strawberry. I could see drinking this on a sunny spring day.
Day 3 – Citrus Mint Herbal Tea – Sweetened with sugar. Not for me. The mint tingles the tongue, but the citrus doesn’t shine through.
Day 4 – Cherry Marzipan Green Tea – Sweetened with Sweet-n-Low. (I hear screams of noooooo!?) Prior to today, I have only had green tea in ice cream. Today’s flavor was good, but wouldn’t be a regular for me. It balanced nicely with some sweet treats from Starbucks however.
Day 5 – English Breakfast black tea – Sweetened with brown sugar and a little sweetened condensed milk. This is one of my standard go-tos for tea at breakfast; just as good for after dinner.
Day 6 – Cherry Blossom green tea – sweetened with cane sugar. Light taste and pleasant smell. Still not a fan of green tea though.
Day 7 – Ginger Lemongrass herbal tea – sweetened with cane sugar. The ginger is strong with this one. I enjoyed the first few sips, but the burn of the ginger got to me. Good palate cleanser after a sweet dessert.
Day 8 – Raspberry Ganache black tea – sweetened with brown sugar and sweetened condensed milk. Dessert in a cup! I enjoyed this with a slice of cheesecake, but to be honest, I could have just enjoyed the tea.
Day 9 – Jasmine Green green tea- sweetened with sugar. I love flowers, don’t get me wrong. I even love jasmine rice. But no, just no. I felt like I was about to inhale a floral bouquet and tasted soap as I brought the cup to my lips. A couple drops made it to my tongue, then I slowly took the cup away. This is not a tea for moi.
Day 10 – Earl Grey – Added a drop of vanilla, brown sugar and sweetened condensed milk to make it into a London Fog. Yes!!! This is almost like my daily tea from another tea company. The bergamot is stronger in this variety, but not to an overpowering state.
Day 11 – Black Currant black tea – sweetened with sugar. Lovely gentle taste of currant. Not tangy, as currants can be. May consider as an occasional tea. Enjoyed with a nice little slice of stollen for the holiday.
Day 12 – Belgian Mint – did not try. I know I do not enjoy mint tea, so I will be passing this pyramid on to one of my tea lovin’ coworkers.
Day 13 – Blueberry Merlot herbal tea – sweetened with sugar. This tea brews to a merlot color. It has a nice berry taste; I wouldn’t equate this to a typical tea, but it is a nice alternative for a fruity drink.
Day 14 – Apricot Amaretto herbal tea – sweetened with sugar and sweetened condensed milk. I want to like this tea, but I don’t. I believe the amaretto flavoring is off a bit.
Day 15 – African Solstice herbal roobios tea – sweetened with sugar. Hints of berries and rose. The rose is not too overwhelming but it is definitely there. I prefer to see and smell fragrant flowers, not really drink them. Good tea if you like that kind of thing.
Day 16 – Winter Chai herbal roobios tea – sweetened with brown sugar and sweetened condensed milk. The winter chai has hints of vanilla..now I know! That’s how I order it at Starbucks! This variety has a bit more spice (ahem, kick) to it.
Day 17 – Green Mango Peach green tea – the journey through teas this season just confirmed for me I do not care for green tea. I really wanted to, but I’m opting to save this for a green tea aficionado at work.
Day 18 – Masala Chai – sweetened with brown sugar, vanilla, and sweetened condensed milk – Chai tea was one of the first teas I enjoyed when I started drinking tea. It is still a favorite way to relax and decompress after a busy day shopping or working!
Day 19 – Sweet Orange Spice black tea – sweetened with honey – holidays in a cup. The cinnamon and clove was bright and fragrant. I’m not a crazy spice girl, but at the holidays, this was a real treat to improve my spirits.
Day 20 – White Ginger Pear white tea – sweetened with sugar – enjoyed the hint of pear, but I can’t get past the ginger….
Day 21 – White Ambrosia white tea – sweetened with sugar. The package says coconut and vanilla…I need to go to a tropical isle where it’s warm and sip on this by the lapping waves on the beach! It’s a gentle tea, pleasant and not overpowering.
Day 22 – Peach Brûlée- sweetened with brown sugar and sweetened condensed milk. Peaches and Cream…what could be better? It’s peach cobbler in a cup with a hint of tea.
Day 23 – Chamomile Citron – sweetened with brown sugar. Smooth and calming. Nice way to end the evening while wrapping presents.
Day 24 – Harvest Apple Spice herbal tea – sweetened with brown sugar. Smells like a spiced up apple pie as it brewed. Tastes like a warm apple pie…and I love apple pie!!! Great way to finish off my advent calendar of teas.
I hope you enjoyed reading my taste journey. Now the year is coming to a close and new adventures will soon be upon us. Have a wonderful 2023!
A slow spiral back down after working so hard.
At least it was not an immediate ballooning.
The past 18 months have not been easy.
Dimming my light, cocooning into myself.
My phone became my escape, also my jail.
Work demands shifted, adding stress.
No longer wanting to stroll outside,
The goal dimmed and faded from sight.
The drive vaporized as reality set in.
Can I refocus and rediscover the path?
Will the creaks and groans disappear,
And clothes fit better once more?
Not a New Year’s resolution though,
Those never really stick, do they?
I need to do something though,
Something to rediscover my light,
And fight these pains that came along.
Wish me luck!
Streamers and confetti littered the floor.
Distant music throbbed in the background.
Bodies draped across chairs.
Make-up stained faces, smeared lipstick,
Dark eyes in shades of blue, purple and black.
Champagne glasses with barely a sip left.
She snuggled up to him after looking around.
A sly grin spread across her face.
Surprisingly, her face was still fresh,
Just her lips, plump pink, pressed to his cheek.
“Want to join me for the after party?”
She giggled and stood up, holding his hand.
He grinned and followed her to the balcony.
A brisk wind swept her hair as they embraced,
He guided her in a dance, then they kissed.
“Happy New Year!” He whispered in her ear.
And what a good year it will be, 2023.
Christmas is upon us and I’m not ready.
My frenzies of wrapping, ribbons and bows,
Has still not happened despite efforts.
Carefully selected gifts for family,
Substituted with a bevy of gift cards,
Still generous, but not my normal way.
Decorations were slow to go up,
And nowhere as full as I usually do.
Travel for a week interrupted my flow,
But before that, other strains and pain reigned.
The season’s light usually brings cheer
But for some reason, it alludes this year.
My heart isn’t in it, with days to go.
Christmas, I hope you find me soon.
A knock from the door echoed about,
Quiet tapping crescendos to a moderate banging
Slowly we crept the door open and soon see
Sweet cherub faces giggling and smiling.
They break out into a spirited song
In four part harmony of children’s voices
“Up on the house top….” And they continued.
We laughed and joined in with them,
They grinned and kept on singing too.
It was a touch of holiday cheer
On a warm Florida winter day.
That’s the first time I’ve ever been caroled!!
Filling my dreams full of hope;
Your smile inches from mine;
Hearts beating wildly, we embrace.
I could feel your warmth surround me;
Your cheek gently brushing against me.
How tempted I am to run to you,
If only it were time
and your arms were open.
Good night, sleep well, hold me tight;
Hope I’ll see you in my dreams tonight.
Today I paused
for a man I never knew.
I mourned his passing as
my eyes filled with tears.
My heart broke with the news;
He lost his battle against himself;
Suicide and now gone too soon.
I admired his talent, his skill;
It’s another reminder how
Someone can seem to have it all
And still be fighting a war so fierce.
Dawn Renee Writes 