Upcoming Tea Program

I am really excited that the Capital District Gourmet Meetups group will be holding its April meeting at The Good Leaf's warehouse location. I'll be offering a brief presentation about the origins and manufacture process of tea, how to differentiate different types of tea, and of course, how to brew a perfect cup of tea. There will be plenty of opportunity to sniff and taste the teas and I think it's going to be a lot of fun. The meetup will be held on April 10th at 6pm.

If you're interested in attending, contact the gourmet meetup group by clicking the link above.

Easter Sunday

I just want to let everyone know that At the Warehouse will be open Easter Sunday regular business hours, from 10-3.

Talking in the Tearoom - Tell me something good!

There's been a lot of bad stuff going on lately. I suppose that bad stuff goes on all the time, but recently, WOW! It can get kind of depressing to think about all the bads. So I decided it was time to do some "Gs". Years ago, when my son was about 8 years old and having some trouble falling asleep at night, we began an evening ritual that we called, "Gs". Right after I tucked him in, we would each share 5 "Gs". Gs were goods, gratefuls, giggles, or gifts. We enjoyed our Gs so much that we did them each night for years and years. I started it because I thought it would be good for him, and it was, but it turned out to be a transforming experience for me. I learned that even when things are really, really bad, there are always at least 5 good things to notice. My son is now 14 and would probably spontaneously combust if I were to try to tuck him in, but we still occasionally do Gs.

So with all the frightening and unsavory news we've been dealing with lately, today I decided that it was time to do Gs over teas. I asked visitors to tell me something good. And it didn't have to be something huge, for example, "I'm wearing comfortable shoes" is just as valuable a good thing as "I just won the lottery." I think that the little things might even be more important than the big things - they just don't happen everyday.

Here were some of the good things that were shared at The Good Leaf today:

"Spring is on the way - it's almost here. Yeah!"
"I won the 50-50."
"My cats"
"Bubble tea"
"Dogs bring happiness"
"It's light outside when I leave work"
"It's Palm Sunday and Easter is next week"
"Laurel is a nice lady."
"Eating really good food after sleeping for a long time. After brushing, of course."
"Little Buzz banging the gong and laughing."
"A kiss from my daughter after I shave."
"One thing I really like is my bed. I often think how comfortable I am in it, as opposed to sleeping in a cold damp cave. We've come a long way with mattress design."

One teenage boy summed it up with his response, "Life is Good." That's kind of catchy; he should consider putting that on a t-shirt.

And this might be obvious, but I think that tea is a good thing, and I'm going to have some really good tea right now. The kid was right. Life is good.

Best Tea in Albany!

You like me! You really like me!

Thank you so much Metroland readers for voting The Good Leaf the best tea in Albany!
It was a write in category, so thanks even more; your effort really means a lot. The Good Leaf's weekend home base, At the Warehouse also received several nods in this week's Metroland Readers Picks including best kept secret in the Capital District and best in-store pet (that would be our very good boy, Dutch). And it seems that Metroland readers agree with teabar visitors - I Love New York Pizza in Troy was voted best pizza.

As for me, I'm going to work toward getting better and better, starting this week as I debut my signature morning blend, Rise. I prefer to ease into my day rather than to be jolted and designed Rise to offer a really smooth start to the day. I am also offering two new herbal tisanes, Chamomile Sonata, a chamomile-citrus blend, and Inspire, a lavender-lemongrass blend with a hint of sage. And with spring upon us, Sakura - Japanese cherry green tea is back.

Thanks again!