Tea Time Spotlight

Today I got the first Par Avion tea club packet which was these 3 samples and cost 4.95 for shipping. I will be honest, that seems a bit high for the amount of tea you receive. Each month after that, if you choose to get it, the tea will be 19.95.
I was instantly excited by the flavors though, Root beer float, Chocolate Chai, and Carrot Cake. I brewed the root beer float in my perfect tea maker following the directions on the packet. With a tablespoon of Agave and iced it. It smells just like root beer! The flavor is good and does have a nice root beer flavor.  I am excited to try the carrot cake next. I think, hot as a latte it will be great!
All in all, I want to see what comes in the next full shipment before I decide about this tea club, pricewise. But I am enjoying my iced rootbeer float tea.

Learning to quilt

On Instagram, you can see all kinds of beautiful quilts, it seems quilting is becoming popular again. There is something so cozy and homey feeling about a quilt on a bed, no matter what time of year.
  I decided  to make one myself and found the hexi quilts that are english paper pieced interesting. I am making a 2 1/2" hexi that I plan to stitch into a light/medium/dark diagonal stripe pattern.
  Right now though, it is well over 100° each day. So along with the many reasons I am excited  about fall now I have my quilt. There is something so relaxing about fixing a cup of tea, finding a good TV show or podcast to watch and just cranking out little hexi blocks.

Strange readings

Last week Bailey and I cleaned out closets and purged bookshleves for a yard sale. I came across the book The Witches of Worm by Zilpha Keatley Snyder. I remember being both scared and fascinated by the author  around the age of 12. I did not remember reading this book by her, so I couldn't  let it go into the junk were we getting rid of without a trip down  memory  lane.
This was DARK, I mean D-A-R-K for a book written for 9 to 13 year olds! This was the story of a neglected, jealous young girl named Jessica who finds a kitten,but not just any kitten. A witches cat. The story that unfolds is moral  and depressing.
I did not enjoy this one at all, but the writing was very well done. I found myself wondering more about the author, since  this was a memory  trip for me.
Now, onto what I started next. Blood Lite by a multitude  of famous horror genre authors, I am just 3 stories in so far. I remeber being excited about this when it came out and being shocked at the poor reviews I saw on Booktube. So far, I have to agree though. Not loving it as much as I had hoped. We will see.

Tithe by Holly Black

This morning as I drank my coffee I finished  Tithe by Holly Black. I don't  know how I feel about this book, it is so dark. The worlds are so raw and grusome.  That being said, this book was very well written. You found yourself in those worlds,afraid and waiting to see what was next to come. I am sure that I will read the next book.
This one is about sixteen  year old Kaye who knows faeries are real, not the stuff of faerie tales, and how in a short time, her life is changed forever.

Looking forward to spring,

  We decided to try our hardest to grow an organic, non GMO garden this year. This will be a new experience for us. Tim and I have the garden spot tilled and have started adding composted duck and chicken poo to the soil.
  Today we put together a prefab green house to start seeds in. Bailey came out and filled seedling trays with the compost mix while I planted tomato seeds. Lets hope this is a success after all the hard work!
  I really do believe this is the best veggies my family can possible get. I love our little homestead!

Next big YA book turned movie...I hope.

Pulseit.com gives you the ability to read free books from time to time. I has some time to kill at the office yesterday while waiting on others so I could lock up. I started Unwind by Neal Shusterman. This book is one of many Dystopians, trust me, I do know.
 It's the story of a world after a war fought over the importance of worth of life.Where every life is given a chance to prove its worth by the age of 18.If the person hasn't done that, they are unwound or harvested for parts.
 This book hooked me like no other in a long time. The stories of Conner, Risa and Lev are all interesting on their own. A slacker, a good-but not exceptional musician and a tithe (or sacrifice) all on the path to being unwound and how they grow so much after the death sentence. Great read!
 Now to grab up Unstrung!

Trying to be more health thoughtful

As I come,soon, to the end of a year of "the paleo lifestyle" I am sure of two things. One, I am on the right path for me and as anyone who is sure of something, I see how this thing could benfit others. But, it is HARD to talk to people about food without them feeling like you are judging them. Two, Eating whole foods is a darn near impossible feat in America today.
If you Pin rabbit recipes or how to cook Tongue to your food Pinterest , you get comment s like "gross" or " I could never..." But your ok with the merciless way meats and vegetables are grown and processed for your store shelves? The chemicals in the ingredients list that you have no idea what they are. It's scary stuff , it's time we wake up. "Food" is not safe. Don't believe me. Try it my way one month , document your health and mindset throughout the month and prove me wrong. If that's too extreme, cut sugar or grains for one month and tell me if anything has changed for the better or worse. As for me, it hasn't been an easy year, I have eaten things I knew were not good for me. ( heck, even today!) But I am thankful for the next year (or even the rest of today) to try again .  XOXO Ashley