The autumn colors are more muted now. The bright yellows and reds have given way to mellow honeys and russets. Some trees are nearly naked with only the most tenacious leaves still clinging to their branches. With so much beauty surrounding us it is important to take moment to appreciate these little things in life. During this season of change as we all wait and watch, financial markets and the future seem to quiver like willows on a fault line.

Tea and perhaps teatime is as needed now as it ever was. The soothing brew and a refreshing mini meal can have wondrous effects when we simple humans need to restore, calm our selves and regroup. People need little treats, priceless yet affordable things that mean so much. Dependable things to sooth us as we face the unknown. Munching a favorite cookie, chatting with a good friend, sharing a joke over a pot of some sublime high mountain oolong perhaps - all good medicine, indeed.

Turning to tea in times of crisis or celebration has been practiced in other, more developed cultures for a long, long time. What greater gift can we give ourselves and to each other than to take time to brew these solace- giving leaves, release their magic and savor each sip? Perhaps with each sip a tiny bit of woe is released forever to the infinity of the universe. Cheers to you and yours. We raise our teacups and wish you soothing moments and best wishes for better times ahead.