Crisis Over, Put the Tea Kettle On

In times of stress and angst, my mother always prescribed a deep calming breath and a Nice Cup of Tea.  In times of big stress and angst, however, too many of those Nice Cups of Tea can send your over-caffeinated nerves a-jangling and tank your coping skills all the more.

So, how much caffeine is in a cup of regular black tea?

In part, it depends on how strongly your tea is brewed, how many tea bags or spoonfuls of tea laves in relation to how much water, and how long you let it steep before drinking.

(My grandmother used to let tea stew on the back of the stove for half the day, adding another splash of water or handful of tea leaves from time to time so the pot never ran dry. Her tea could bring a strong man to his knees.)
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A Lemon Theme in Home Decor

Cindy has a lovely lemon theme going on in her “Romantic Home” and has shared some photographs of her favourite pieces.

I’m equally charmed by her pretty white three-tiered serving dish (Cindy heaps it with realistic-looking faux lemons and limes in the summertime) — and this kitchen chalkboard, made by her father and crowned with a lemon garland.

Look at the way the tendrils of the vine pick up on that fine detail on the corners of the frame. Perfect, isn’t it?

It’s more common to see apples or strawberries for a fruit theme in home decor, here in Canada, but those happy lemons do give a bright “twist” (forgive the pun!) to a refreshing blue-and-white colour scheme…

Really, you have two main style choices in going for a lemon theme, both equally attractive but in different moods. Go bright and bold — or subtle and nostalgic —
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