Hello!
It’s been awhile. My apologies for the radio silence. We are the proud parents of a happy 3 ½ month old baby boy. It turns out the late stages of pregnancy and first few months after birth coincide with a multitudes of lifestyle changes. Sadly, my blogging took a back seat to the many things we have filled our life with since I last spent some time here with y’all.
I’m no stranger to challenges, but kids are hard. This whole thing has been hard. However, it’s awesome and a bit magical. I spent most of my adult life choosing not to procreate. To be frank, I did not want to take on the responsibility that I’m now inundated with. Bringing another life into this world is one of the hardest things anyone can do in life, and if it isn’t, my apologies but you aren’t doing it right.
Now that we’ve had some time to adjust to life with our tiny lad, I think I can come back to these blogs. My desire to compartmentalize my life is turning out to be a nuisance. My ability to get things done has plummeted now that a baby holds the master clock and demands his needs be met promptly, in spite of my current actions. No matter how important they may be, my son trumps that.
I knew there would be a change, but I didn’t realize how drastic it would be. Why wouldn’t it? You now have a living, breathing creature that is entirely dependent on you for survival. I don’t even do breast feeding, so I can only imagine the experience my wife is having in tandem. As I type this my wife is trying to read my son a story, but he has decided to kick and scream instead. C’est la vie. No book right now.
Tea blog! Yes, sorry, this child consumes my thoughts, but you came here for tea.
So, we’ve covered many different things. It’s been quite the journey since the first blog and I thank you if you’ve been here reading since then. If you are curious. You can check out all the past Below the Toadstool blog post on our website.
To be honest, I don’t remember the last time we spoke and I’m trying to think of what I can discuss, that isn’t about babies.
Growing? Can we talk about growth?
Our tea is unique and flavorful because we use ingredients that are grown well. All of our tea is certified organic and we work very hard to source high quality produce that is grown in a way that maximizes flavor and nutrients. The flavor even comes from higher levels of antioxidants and compounds found in the ingredients we use.
The raspberries we use in Tiki Tea are abundant in flavor. In a good season there are two crops of berries per season. We anxiously await the season and purchase as many berries as we can from local markets as well as going to pick them from our friend’s homestead. Elaine’s berries are generations old and she uses organic practices to prevent pests and fertilize. In order for the fruit to develop the ketones necessary to provide the distinct “raspberry” flavor, you need an abundance of quality raw materials.
Water, Soil, Air. These compounds are what flavor all of your food. If you want your berries to be tart, your soil needs to be more acidic. If you have coastal breezes, the air wafting over a berry patch will contain microbes and molecules from thousands of miles away, adding depth to the flavor of the crop. We have a spring fed well to water our garden. The water comes out cool and clean all year long. Excluding annual rainfall, we are able to restrict foreign contaminants that may be absorbed through the water by a plant. That ensures we are not inducing an agent into the equation that may affect the overall flavor. Think PFAS.
I’m watching this child grow like a weed, and we know that if you plant things. They will grow. Yet not all creatures are grown the same. Our boy is breathing the same air, drinking the same water, and stepping on the same land where our food is grown. Just as I can assure you of the quality of our product, I can know that this child of ours will benefit from our life out in the trees, breathing the good air, and drinking deep from the cool waters as we walk down the path of life.
Stay bumpy my friends, and I will work to be back with you again soon!