Character building can happen any day, even the day before a major milestone birthday. It will test both your character and your personal level of zen.
If you have some time and attention, I will share how I passed the test. Spoiler alert: there are multiple pots of hot tea included.
(Good day, Good Tea People! What’s steeping? I’m infusing some Iron Goddess of Mercy oolong tea and reflecting over my birthday festivities. Thank YOU for reading, following and subscribing to Straight From the Leaf. Let’s settle in over a good cuppa and connect.)
Where’s My Phone?
Tea is simple: hot water and leaves. — Verna L. Hamilton
It was a rainy Sunday morning and it was a perfect day for a tea adventure. We had confirmed reservations with Elwood for its weekend tea service. Someone else was celebrating me for my birthday weekend. All I had to do was relax and enjoy the experience.
That Sunday morning I did not whisk my daily bowl of matcha nor did I spend 30-45 minutes in meditation. Please don’t be shocked: tea is meditation. That’s another series of posts.
(Good Tea People, have you ever noticed how different you feel after pausing and drinking a cup of tea? I prefer drinking multiple infusions of oolong gongfu style because it enhances the overall loose leaf experience. Oops, let me focus. My next infusion is poured, so let’s return to the post-in-progress).
I anticipated going to Elwood Restaurant at 1007 Frankford Avenue for its weekend tea service. For this unapologetic tea aficionado to drink tea beforehand would be prejudicing my palate.
We arrived and were warmly greeted by Chef Adam Diltz and his assistant.
First impression: the simple and elegant table setting was immaculate. It deserved to be captured. Wait… where’s my phone?
Choosing My Focus
Our intent was to relax and to enjoy. My leaving an important device potentially in someone else’s moving car the day before my birthday was unplanned.
After alerting the driver and getting no response, I decided that we would enjoy the exquisite tea feast prepared for us. After all, the atmosphere had my great company singing and sharing stories.
Chef Adam Diltz’s tea interpretation included apple butter, venison scrapple and other Pennsylvania Dutch Country specialties. Every morsel was delicious enough to let go of whatever concerned me prior to stepping inside.
Cups Up Conclusions
It’s true: a good cup of tea provides strength to face the challenges we encounter while living. As it turned out, Elwood is a perfect place for Good Tea People to enjoy an actual tea service on weekends between 11:00 am and 2:00 pm.
Thank YOU, Chef Adam, for the honey ice cream and the pot of Jasmine Yin Hao green tea. I look forward to returning soon and often.
Great news: the driver and I eventually connected, the phone was found, and I received my phone before the day ended.
Was I tested? Yes.
Did I pass? Yes.
I’m so thankful to know that with a good cup of tea, many things become possible. Cups up to noticing all the good around us!
#DrinkTea #TeaAdventures #ElwoodRestaurantFishtown
