Maddy Barone Send Message

I still have a few bags of this. I had an AWFUL day at work. I have tomorrow and Friday off so I was cramming to get everything done today. I had a schedule of what had to get done and when I would do it. It was completely do-able. I even made sure I had time in my schedule for the unexpected things that tend to crop up. But it was one dumpster fire after another. Of the 20 items on my list I completed three. I left (35 minutes late) and decided to have tea. I don’t drink alcohol, but days like me make me think I should.

This tea popped out at me. It has a mild, pleasing flavor. I wouldn’t mind getting more, but this was a one time purchase at TJ Maxx, so I will enjoy what I have left. Here’s to a 4 days weekend! Those other 17 items will just have to wait until Monday.

It’s almost time for Advent Calendars! I have my Bird & Blend herbal one ready to go!

This one remains one of my all time fave black teas. I had my flu, pneumonia and Covid vaccines yesterday and I felt just fine until around 3 pm. Then, I was struck by a headache, sore throat and general malaise. It’s mild but definitely there. I had to work late so I decided to make a cup of this.

Man, I forgot how smooth and rich it is! So delicious. I see Whispering Pines has the Imperial North Winds on sale right now. I am really tempted to grab a couple of ounces of it to see how it compares to this one. I still have about an ounce left. But that won’t last long.

This is a great straight black tea! I made a pot yesterday right after supper and had a cup. I didn’t finish the pot because I was exhausted and went to bed early, But darned if I was going to pour it out! I put it in the fridge and I finished it cold this afternoon. It was delicious cold too.

I don’t know why I am so tired all the time. Well, yes, I do. It must be the lingering result of the radiation I had the first two weeks of October. But it’s been 3 weeks! We have our annual church business meeting when we vote on the 2024 budget and the appointees to various positions in the church. I am too tired to attend. I emailed my votes in an hour ago. I’m sure I will feel better soon. I see my regular doctor for my annual physical next wednesday. If I am not over this fatigue by then I will bring it up.

One good thing about being so tired? I can drink regular black tea in the evening without worrying about the caffeine level!

We’re getting snow here in North Dakota so I thought I would brew up something summery. This one is certainly not bad. I’ve had it for a few years though and I think maybe some flavor has faded. I was hoping for that juicy, sweet explosion of flavor I get when I bite into a peach. I was disappointed because I didn’t get that.

However, the flavor though mild was pleasant. Just a tad artificially sweet, but not bad.

I decided to have this one last night. I am still struggling with the fatigue but I am forcing myself to stick it out all day at work this week because my counterpart is on planned PTO. At first I was going to make a black tea to stay awake, but then I thought “Why? If I want to go to bed at 6:30 pm, I can!” So I reached for an herbal tea.

I need to drink down more tea so I can excuse buying more. Something about cold rainy days makes me want to shop for tea. This isn’t a favorite, but I’ll be darned if I will throw it away. The flavor it so mild it is almost non existent for someone without a sense of smell. I wonder what would happen if I added a bit of a chai blend to it? Hmm… maybe I will try that soon.

I am done with radiation. The doc is 98% sure he killed those two cancer lesions dead. More scans every 3 months for at least 3 years to be sure to detect any return early. To celebrate I stopped at Sweet Dreams Confections on the way home and bought two raspberry truffles and some expensive gourmet hot chocolate. They also carry some Republic of Tea canisters and some English Tea Shop gift boxes. I did not buy any tea, because, really, I need to drink what I have!

Blech. That $3.99 cup of hot chocolate did not agree with me. Made a cup of this instead. I think I gave this a rating of 70 before, but I am raising it tonight. This tea is very nice. It’s flavor profile is not bold, but tonight it was just the thing.

Last Sunday the high was 95. But finally, FINALLY, we have autumn weather. It is 48 degrees and drizzly, so perfect weather for a spicy tea.

This remains one of my faves. On Monday I started radiation for the cancer spots in my lung. I’ve been battling cancer since 2020 so radiation isn’t new for me. last time it took 15 treatments before the extreme fatigue kicked in but this time after treatment #2 I was swimming around in a fog and falling asleep by afternoon break time. This time is only 5 treatments. I guess my body didn’t want to procrastinate.

This tea is absolutely lovely. And going through radiation is the perfect excuse to be utterly lazy. Naps a wonderful things.

I had this one last night. It really was very light on flavor. I did get a mild burn at the end of the sip from the ginger. My nose is completely clogged these days. It rained all day yesterday and it is supposed to rain all day today. I want real fall. You know, sweatshirt weather. Deep blue skies, air temps of 62, and a light breeze. Instead we have humid days in the low 80s and rain. Ugh. Here in North Dakota we have 4.5 months of summer, 5 months of winter, and then fall and spring get a few weeks each.

Steepster isn’t posting reviews right now, so maybe this one will never post, If it does, I will say this tea is nice, but not spectacular and certainly not something I would try to find more of.

This really doesn’t have a lot of flavor. It was on sale and my tummy is frequently uneasy so I thought I would try it as an after supper cup. Nope. Not my thing.

I tried this one again last night. I liked it better. Maybe there was less hibiscus in it this cup than the last, but the sourness came across muted, more like a pleasant tang. I had planned to add a bit of sugar but I didn’t need it. I have no plans to re-order this one, but if the rest of the bag is like this cup I will certainly be able to drink it.