You’re invited to a virtual tea time!  I’d call it by its real name – PARTY – but in the wisdom of our politicians in this country, the name has been corrupted and I don’t feel like a bunch of landings on this page because people are looking for “the” tea party instead of “a” tea party.

So.  Welcome!  I’ve been wanting to do a tea for a while with all of you.  This will be fun!

What kind of tea would you like?  I have a plain black tea, grown in India, called Tiger Hill.  There’s also a caffeinated chocolate tea that’s not too chocolaty and has no added sweetener to make it sugary.  Or would you prefer decaf such as a blueberry rooibos or sea salt caramel?  No, no sugar added to either of them although they do have some natural sweetness.

And I have some chocolate to go with your tea.  No, sorry, no cookies today.  I didn’t get around to it.  I have almond toffee, truffles, or dark chocolate covered marshmallows.  One of each?  Yes, that’s what I’m having too.  As an aside, my love for those dark chocolate marshmallows goes way back, which I wrote up here.

Were you planning on reading while you slowly sip your tea or did you want to visit?  I know it’s a bit harder to visit over the Internet, but that’s what we do when we leave comments for each other and chat back and forth.

If you want to read, do something fun!  Some inspirational websites are Marc and Angel Hack Life, The Happiness Project or The Daily Motivator.  If you don’t like the topic at the top, search down the sides for links to other posts.  Or get yourself a Sherlock Holmes pastiche on your Kindle / Nook.  Per Google, a pastiche is “an artistic work in a style that imitates that of another work, artist, or period”.  In this case, the authors are imitating Dr. John Watson and some of them do a really good job of it too.  They are mostly short stories and you can easily finish one or two during your tea break.  I particularly liked the ones by Hugh Ashton, although June Thomson and Steven Ehrman are very good also.

One last item – why don’t you keep a pen and paper at the table with you?  If you’re anything like me, at some point your mind will start running off with everything you forgot to do, call, or take care of.  If this happens, note them down so you can release them from your mind and relax for a few minutes.  And turn off the phone while you’re at it.  That’s your first note – remember to turn the phone back on.

So get your tea, a small sweet treat, and something to read.  Blow on your tea to cool it, then start sipping.  Read a few sentences, take a few more sips.  Repeat.  Every few sips, take a nibble of your treat.  Just sit and relax.  Enjoy the taste of the tea and the taste of your treat.  Ahhhhh. . . isn’t that good?  Do you need to close your eyes for a few minutes and relax even more?  Please do so.  In fact, do so and think some happy thoughts.  But drink a little more tea before you close your eyes.

Now reflect.

Think fondly of the last thing you laughed at or smiled at.  Yes, the dogs are always a good choice for finding laughter.

What are you proud of at this  moment?  Proudest of this year?  Don’t worry if you can’t answer this.  You’re here to relax and have fun for a few minutes.  Move on to one of the other questions instead.

What is going right for you at this time in your life?  There’s always something to be grateful for, even if it’s small.

What are you looking forward to?

Remember, if your mind is running amuck, write it down so you remember it later.  Then let it go.

So sit, nibble, read, and relax.

Do it until your tea is gone, the house is exploding (imploding?) or you have to get back to life.

Taking a break is a great way for me to nurture my creativity.  I hope you enjoyed your break as well!

Now aren’t you in a better mood?

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To see everything I’m doing with my 31 Days of Nurturing My Creativity, click here.

To see what others are doing with their 31 Days project, click here.

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31 Days Tea Topaz Labs Write 31 Days 31 Days almond toffee blueberry bliss tea blueberry rooibos tea chocolate chocolate covered marshmallows Gretchen Rubin Marc and Angel Hack Life nurturing creativity Ralph Marston sea salted caramel tea shadows tea The Daily Motivator The Happiness Project Tiger Hill tea Topaz Labs Topaz Labs Effects truffles Write 31 Days write31days