Today’s word count: 2,456
Total word count: 30,382
After a rocky and unproductive early afternoon, I made scones, did some yoga, and proceeded to whack out words. Yeah, baby. Thank goodness Ceri was here, otherwise I’d’ve given up somewhere around two and probably gone back to bed.
I love my husband — I truly do. He’s a cornerstone in my life. I can snarl at him when I’m grumpy and trying to concentrate on writing, and he takes it. I make him tea with lemon and honey when he’s sick and sorry for himself, and he drinks it.
This morning, however, I woke up with his cold. The same cold we’ve been passing back and forth for almost two months now.
A tip for cold-sufferers: a tea made of eucalyptus and thyme is refreshing, and quite pleasant. It has a faintly clove-like taste, slightly menthol. I’m taking a cup every few hours. Let’s see if it works.
Now I’m off to buy him ROTK on DVD, because I still love him, even though he gave me the cold again. He deserves it; he’s been miserable for a week now. Besides, I need more vitamin C tablets.
According to a coffee quiz, my personality type is classified as “Peppermint Cappuccino: You’re fun, outgoing, and you love to try anything new. However, you tend to have strong opinions on what you like. You are a total girly girly at heart – and prefer your coffee with good conversation. You’re the type that seems complex to outsiders, but in reality, you are easy to please.”
Well, I’m amused. I’m not so sure about the trying anything new, and I actually prefer to drink my coffee alone, usually with a book. The quiz actually had decent questions though – certainly better than the writing quiz a couple of weeks ago – with answers I could choose because they were right, as opposed to selecting the one I disliked the least.
In order to achieve balance in all things, I looked for a tea quiz, and found two. The first one, which told me that I was “hot herbal tea: a spa for the soul,” wasn’t very deep. The second one would have been better if the author hadn’t expressed his/her own preferences in the questions, but it’s well-rounded, and even offers the option of rating the importance of the answer. The author indicates in the preamble that “Note- Black teas should only be made with boiling water, mostly. Green teas should never, ever be made with boiling water. For green tea, about 180 F is a good temperature to go by, mostly. If green tea is infused with boiling water, the tea will taste bitter and flat, and you will have wasted your money”, which is some of the best advice I’ve seen included in any quiz.
The answers are better than most quizzes, and they are twenty-five of them provided in a ranked order as per your quiz answers. I’m posting the first half of my answers to educate you about different teas. (They needed a bit of editing, like the quiz does, but the basic info is good):
1. Jasmine Green, intoxicatingly fragrant green tea I drink this already.
2. “Constant Comment”, wonderful black tea with orange rind and cloves I drink this too – t! introduced it to me years ago, and the irony of the name is just too good to pass up.
3. Dragon Well, rare Chinese green tea, quite refreshing This is actually already on my list of teas to try.
4. Genmaicha, green tea with toasted rice, a traditional japanese creation I love Genmaicha!
5. Earl Grey, black tea with oil of bergamot oranges, a classic blend Well, duh.
6. Pu-erh, highly aged China black tea, has an earthy, woody aroma, a bit of an acquired taste This is a new one to me.
7. Silver Needles, very very rare white tea, delicate, extremely light flavor, like hot water with a mere suggestion of tea in it Also new – sounds like I’d love it. And what a beautiful name!
8. Darjeeling, a lighter- bodied black tea, famous for its first and second flushes Again with the well, duh.
9. Ceylon, traditional black tea from Sri Lanka, very full, well-balanced tea Once in a while.
10. Chamomile (herbal blend), medicinal taste, good before bed I hated this until recently.
11. Lapsang Souchong, chinese black tea smoked over pine embers Mmmm – but I have to be in the mood for it.
Not bad. And the quiz serves a purpose, rather than just entertainment.
Today’s Word Total: 3,256
Total Word Count: 19,679
Yes, that’s a quarter of the manuscript officially complete. Not bad for a day’s work. (Okay, it was three hours, but don’t tell.)
I feel rather accomplished. There is chocolate in my future.
Fresh spring strawberries — food of the gods.
Breakfast should not taste this good.
A phrase such as “tea strong enough to trot a mouse on” is absolutely delicious. I positively adore Caroline Stevermer’s writing style.
A mouse would drown in my tea post-haste, I’m afraid.
Six years ago, when I gave my energetic cats a bedtime treat of a sprinkle of kibble with a spoonful of warm St. John’s Wort tea dribbled over it, I was alternately laughed at and accused of drugging my cats so I could sleep.
CatFancy magazine recommends chamomile to soothe your feline pals into a relaxed evening, allowing you a night of rest.
Nyah.