Welcome to the Shire

Our favorite rescue dog, Ratchet, has been living the good life in Spring Lake Park, Minnesota with Gwen Beberg’s parents.

He’s been having the time of his life. He’s discovered squirrels, snow, doorbells, frisbees, his reflection in the mirror - typical puppy stuff. He knows to bark to be let out for his *business* and he can retrieve his toys by name. Smart pup! He’s also been to the vet (that included neutering). He’s a happy boy!

Gwen Beberg is expected to arrive home in January. I hope we see another update of the happy reunion.

Such nice happy thoughts I have when I think of Ratchet. Maybe we’ll get to read the book????

Not exactly what you think. Enjoy.

Just keep watching.

Sheer genius and a lot of work too!

These are excellent teas and great gifts for tea lovers. Even some coffee addicts (like me) appreciate teas from Teavana.

They have lots of great tea. White, oolong, rooibos. Great tea accessories too.

My favorites:

Monkey-Picked Oolong. Pricey at $25 for two ounces, but worth it. You get whole, unbroken, oolong tea leaves. There is an old Chinese legend of monks that trained monkeys to pick Oolong tea leaves from the inaccessible heights in the high mountains of China.

Peach Momotaro Artisan Tea. Hand-tied, peach scented tea composed of delicate white tea leaves and blooms beautifully into a chrysanthemum and jasmine bouquet upon steeping. Very cool to watch.

Queen of Babylon®. White tea blended with pomegranate seeds, sour cherries, sweet carrot bits, apple and pineapple pieces.

If you’re going to make it a gift, consider getting the tea along with a tea pot or Teamaker.

A glass teapot. Great for watching the jasmine tea pearls bloom. Oooh I want one of these!

Cast Iron Tea Pot. Handmade in Japan of solid cast iron with a fully enameled inside and a stainless steel basket for your tea leaves. I want one of these too!

The Teavana Perfect Teamaker. A nifty gadget to brew tea. Just add loose tea, hot water and steep. Drain the tea by placing it onto your favorite mug. (We’ve got several of these.)

You can order online, or find a store near you. For me, the nearest one is at The Commons in Bridgewater, New Jersey.

Oh, and if you visit a store, you can sample some of the tea that’s been brewed.