The Happiness Project :: Kindness and a Cup of Tea

My favorite Yogi Tea is back! Mmmm…the Berry Detox blend. It’s good for your liver and your kidneys. (And sometimes I need to think about my liver and my kidneys, because…well…as you know, I overdo things every now and then.) It wasn’t that big a deal when they dropped my flavor – I’m not a huge tea drinker. There are other varieties that’ll do just fine in a pinch, but I’m happy to see it on the shelf again.

If you’re unfamiliar with Yogi Tea, every packet has a happy little affirmation printed on the hangy-tag. Some of the sayings don’t say that much to me. Some do. Like this one. “Kindness is the only tool you need.” That’s a very nice sentiment, isn’t it? And it might fly in a place like…I dunno, someplace else. But down here in Texas...? Well, any good Texan’ll tell ya the only tool you really need is a reliable gun…and maybe a pitcher of margaritas. Everybody’s pretty kind down here and I’m pretty sure it’s because everybody knows everybody’s packin’. Except, of course, when they’re in the bar drinking margaritas. Because you can’t bring your gun to the bar. You can bring it to church. You can bring it to the grocery store. But you can’t bring it to the bar.

So cheers! And Happy Tuesday! And go join Leigh vs. Laundry’s Happiness Project or I’ll shoot! (just kidding...maybe) Or maybe I’ll pour ya a nice cold margarita on the rocks, because that’s how they’re supposed to be served. (much more likely) And then I’ll brew you some tea to help restore the health of your liver. Because I’m kind like that.

Sublime Kindness

I needed some chocolate today. And I'm not using the word need lightly here. I'm not talking about needing it like an addict needs her junk, I'm talking about needing it like a mama who's just realized she used the last diaper 2 hours ago. We're talking serious need, people...serious need.

Well, getting the chocolate wasn't supposed to be a problem. There's a fine little chocolatier right down the street from me. Sublime Chocolate. Mmmmmmm...good stuff. I was excited to go there. They've had a shop on the other side of town for a couple of years now, but I'd read recently that they'd opened a shop on my side of town. Perfect! Sublime, even. So, Buddy Boy and I hightailed it over there...only to find a sign on the door that read "Opening Next Week". WHAT?!?!?!?! NOOOOOOOOoooooooo!!!! (I swear they could hear me screaming in Lubbock - which is far from here, trust me.)

While my son & I made the sad slow walk back to the car, he mentioned to me that he saw someone inside. "Maybe they have some chocolate, Mommy." Well that's all the encouragement I needed, so we crossed the street again and knocked on the door. A workman came out. I told him my story - that I needed one small piece of chocolate. He got the owner, the owner immediately got on the phone, called his kitchen on the other side of town and we were back in business. It took 15 minutes to get to the other store. There was a sign on the door. "Close for Spring Break", and a smiling lady on the other side waving me in. The door wasn't locked. They were waiting for me. I walked out with not one but a dozen beautiful, exotic chocolates. Confections like Lavender, Peppermint Tea, Honey Caramel w/Hawaiian Red Salt and Curried Coconut.

The folks at Sublime will probably never understand what their small act of kindness meant to me, but suffice it to say it meant a lot.  Sublime ships their incredible creations all over the US. So if you need something truly special, from a truly special kind of business, please keep them in mind. I'd love to repay a little of their kindness. Oh, and if you need me to do any taste-testing for you, don't hesitate to ask.

By the way, it's Follow Friday.  Join the fun, wont you?