New Beginnings. New Year.

Happy New Year to all.

It's been a wild ride around here this Fall. We've dealt with kids with stomach bugs, pneumonia, and RSV which included a hospitalization; an October storm that resulted in a six day power outage; and having a deer run into our car on the way home from a book signing. On the positive (because there sure had better be some!) I met some amazing new tea friends, attended World Tea East, and had my first book reach bookstores.

In honor of the changing of years I wanted to engage in a little end of year nostalgia while offering some thoughts on the year ahead. So, here I present my Top 11 Hits of 2011.


Top 11 Hits of 2011
1. The Release of "A Tea Reader"
This was certainly one of the highlights of my professional life. Seeing my book in print, reading reviews, and talking to people who have read it is more amazing than I could have anticipated. We had so much fun at the launch party in Concord and I was delighted that both illustrators, Stephanie Sewhuk-Thomas and Kate Finnegan, were able to come. Hartley Johnson from Mark T. Wendell shared some great tea and we enjoyed treats from Concord Teacakes and Nashoba Brook Bakery. It was really special to have my kids there watching along with lots of other friends and family members. Other special readings and book events took place at Harney Soho, Clipper Merchant Tea House, the Old Town Museum, Dobra Tea, H3O Women's Ministry, Westford Museum, and The Cozy Tea Cart. You can find pictures of the events on our Facebook page and on the book website.

2. Helping to raise the profile of tea
Among the other rewards of having "A Tea Reader" reach bookstores and teashops, is that it provided a great way to promote tea. Certainly I was honored to see wonderful reviews of the book in tea publications like "Tea: A Magazine," "Tea Time," and many tea blogs. I was particularly gratified, though, to have the book selected for review in non-tea spots like Shelf Awareness, Publishers Weekly, and Monica Bhide's A Life of Spice blog. The year was topped off with the publication of an article for which I was interviewed in USA Today. The print version even included a picture of the book.

3. Meeting essayists and bringing others togetherThis is my last book-related item on the list, but it's a special one. What was interesting about this project was that much of the work of this book was done online. My conversations with essayists were mostly via email. The book's publication gave me the chance to finally meet some essayists and I expect to continue to meet others in the months and years to come. I kept a single copy of the book and I am having essayists and artists sign it as I meet up with them. I now have the signatures of both illustrators and six of the writers. The other thing that pleased me was seeing that some of the essayists had the chance to meet one another out at the Northwest Tea Festival.

4. Attending World Tea East
I had the chance to attend New York Coffee & Tea Fest a few years ago and an early iteration of World Tea East, but this was my first big trade show. World Tea East in Philadelphia was a fabulous time. I met some old and new blogger friends, got to do some writing work for World Tea News, attended some interesting workshops, tried new teas and products, and enjoyed two fun dinner with tea friends (one with brand new tea friends and one with some of my tea mentors.) You can find posts about the event here and the people here. My long promised post on products is still stuck in my brain.

5. Meeting John Harney and Norwood Pratt and reconnecting with Jane Pettigrew
Of course we all have those people in our professional fields who we admire. Two of my very early tea teachers were Jane Pettigrew and James Norwood Pratt. I read their books over and over and I always felt that they provided me with both knowledge and inspiration. I was delighted to have the chance to correspond with both of them and to have both as contributors to the book. I was lucky enough to talk with Jane on the phone and to travel to London to attend her Tea Masterclass in 2010. Now, here in 2011 I was able to see her again at World Tea East and to present her with a signed copy of the book. Philadelphia also afforded me the chance to finally meet Norwood Pratt in person and to hear him speak. I was not disappointed. He was kind and generous with his words and encouragement. It was a true pleasure. The unexpected meeting of the event was having the chance to talk with John Harney, founder of Harney & Sons, who was being awarded the Cha Jing Lifetime Achievement Award. He was funny and warm and we have since had several conversations, including the first of several interviews we've planned. I am honored to have the chance to meet and thank these special mentors in person.

6. Joining Teatra.de and Twitter and "meeting" some great new bloggers
I have been blogging for awhile and have been fortunate to connect with some other writers whom I admire and learn from continually, especially those members of the Association of Tea Bloggers. This year brought me to a new group, Teatra.de, where I had the chance to republish my blog and to find a very different blog community. I found the "Beasts of Brewdom," a group of guys from across the globe who share their "manly" approach to tea, their irreverent takes on life, and their tremendous senses of humor. I also came upon some other bloggers who have renewed my energy for blogging and inspired me to think seriously about what a blog can really do.

7. STI Training
My trip to World Tea East also gave me the chance to take the first steps toward a professional goal of mine - Specialty Tea Institute certification. My Philadelphia adventures in September gave me the chance to complete Level 1 and Level 2 of the training. It was a great chance to review information about tea production, tea styles, and to practice cupping skills.

8. ITCC
This year I became a member of the International Tea Cuppers Club and participated in one of their cupping programs - First Flush Darjeeling. Organized by Dan Robertson, ITCC gives you the chance to taste a number of teas (8-10) of the same type so you can begin to see some of the variety within a specific type. It gave me a much better sense of First Flush Darjeelings and I also discovered the tremendous quality of product provided by Lochan Teas. It was great to compare my tasting notes with those of others and I'm looking forward to the upcoming Assam session.

9. Favorite new tea companies of 2011: Lochan Tea, Wild Tea Qi, Boston Tea Company, Persimmon Tree
This is a slightly dangerous category. I hate to call out "favorites" for fear of forgetting others, but I do want to mention some of my favorite finds of this year. I already mentioned Lochan Teas above. Wild Tea Qi has made me reconsider my ongoing fear of pu'erh. I received samples from Boston Tea Company and I have to confess that my expectations were a little low. I receive so many samples of flavored teas that are lacking so I brewed the first pot only hoping for a reasonable cup. I was really shocked with how well balanced the flavors were and what a nuanced tea they had created. I worked my way through several samples, continuing to have excellent pots of tea. While I don't drink a lot of flavored teas these days, Boston Tea Company is a company that I would turn to when I'm in that mood. Persimmon Tree Tea Company is the other company that has won my heart. They provided me with several samples that I can only describe as cravable. I can't get them out of my mind. Even now my heart sings just thinking of them. Their Coconut Creme and Mandarin Silk Oolong were unbelievable and I assure you that they will stay stocked in my tea cabinet.

10. Four year blogging anniversary
This is the year that my blog turned four. No longer a baby it is finding that it needed to stretch its legs a little. It spent the year in a growth spurt and is about to settle in to its own personality and spirit. Many of the bloggers who launched when I did have shuttered their blogs and I had moments where I also considered it. Instead I am now excited to see where it heads next.

11. My writing grows
Finally, I enjoyed growing my writing business in 2011. In addition to the book I took on a number of writing assignments for magazines and online publications. I spent much of the year writing steadily for World Tea News and I hope to be contributing again later in 2012. I began to reach out to companies to establish some consistent copywriting work. I was able to write for "Tea Time," "Fresh Cup," and "Living Without," this year and I look forward to pitching and earning new assignments in the months to come.

So those are the highlights of my 2011 in tea. Coming soon will be my "12 Hopes for 2012."