Bits & Pieces

I was reading the Wittingshire blog yesterday and I was so happy to see the delightful post about Steve Irwin. So many bloggers had written less than positive thoughts about his life, mostly due to his well known antics.

I was a Steve Irwin fan. His shows were entertaining, clean, and educational. Other than the scene with him feeding a "croc" with his infant son in his hands, he was known as a wonderful husband and father. Actually, it looked like something my own husband would do when he was younger....honest. Not that we had any crocs but he has always had a different view than me on what is safe and what isn't. So I hold no grudges against Steve. As soon as I heard about his death, I wondered if he was ready to meet his Maker...sigh.



I don't know how it is where you live but it is looking a lot like fall here. I mean really...fall. It has been raining leaves. We also heard some thumps on the roof over the weekend. After looking at each other and wondering if we had some mad squirrels outside, we figured out it had to be black walnuts falling from the tree. Fall really does mean "fall" when you live at the edge of a forest.


I didn't have to teach until the second hour (of three hours) this morning. Since it wasn't far to Barnes & Noble, I decided to peruse British decorating magazines and have a cup of tea. The tea is inexpensive (so to speak) at the Starbucks in Barnes & Noble. I tried the Pomegranate Oolong, which was wonderful. (I already spent my Pumpkin Spice Latté budget for the month!)

They are once again selling the Harney and Sons tea canisters for buy-two-get-one-free. This time they are making the same offer for their travel size canisters as well. I'm pretty sure this sale is nationwide. I know each time they've been on sale here, my daughter's B&N had the same offer.

I love the Harney and Sons teas. They are the whole leaf tea but placed within a special, large tea bag. Each bag makes two cups of tea (I use it for one small pot). Many tea rooms use this tea, it really is good. My favorite has always been the Winter White Earl Grey tea. Barnes & Noble does not carry the entire line of the Harney and Sons teas but they do carry a good selection.

Added Note: The teas sold at Barnes & Noble are the HT teas of Harney and Sons. The first HT tea I bought was the Chinese Flower, a green tea. I've also tried the Peach Ginger Twist and it's very good. They should start carrying their Holiday Blend soon, which is perfect for cold Winter days. Today I purchased two of the Winter White Earl Grey small tins and I picked the small tin of Chinese Flower as my free tea. The names are so delightful. Imagine someone asking you what tea you're drinking and you tell them, Chinese Flower.