My Secret Weapon...

"In my own hands I hold a bowl of tea; I see all of nature represented in its green color. Closing my eyes I find green mountains and pure water within my own heart. Silently sitting alone and drinking tea, I feel these become a part of me."

- Soshitsu Sen, Urasenke School of Tea

When I woke up this morning, I felt absolutely gutted. The day hadn't even started yet. I just looked around and felt completely drained. I think this happens in the midst of a big purging. Everything seems to be at its worst – splayed open, crudely tossed into piles and hopelessly without a home. The end point is just far enough that the light can't be seen at the end of the tunnel. To add fuel to the fire, all the little things that need to get done start to come into painful focus: bills, laundry, dishes, deadlines, and most obviously... the strangling mess towering all around!

On these such days, my beloved coffee is just not enough. It's too harsh, too quick, and far too routine for me. What I needed was my secret weapon! What I needed was a cup of matcha green tea!

With all the little things that need to be done, it might seem counterproductive for me to take time out for enjoying this emerald treat, but in reality – taking time for the things we love is important. It's perhaps the most important thing. Preparing the matcha was a reminder of this. Measure, sift, whisk, and indulge.

It was like opening a window to a stuffy room. The five minutes it took to prepare the bowl of tea and the ten minutes or so to really savor each sip resulted in hours of productive, efficient work. With each nutty, creamy sip, it was almost as though I was drinking down a walk in the woods with light filtering through a canopy of green. I felt energized, awake, and aware.

The kit from Matcha Source was all I needed. It includes a traditional bamboo spoon, a fine metal sifter, a tea bowl, a delicate bamboo whisk, and of course the beautiful matcha green tea. Matcha Source has a full range of utensils, bowls, and of course matcha! Their website contains helpful hints, health benefits, and inspiring recipes that I'm dying to try. It is my secret weapon to fight off the daily doldrums, get work done, and feel creative! When coffee doesn't cut it, I turn to an age old tradition as rich and rewarding as the tea is tasty!

After I finished my mini-vacation from the harsh realities piling up around me, I easily breezed through my tasks. Unlike coffee or other quick-fix pick-me-ups, matcha green tea is a balanced beverage loaded with antioxidants, amino acids, fiber, and chlorophyll. It has the same caffeinated verve as coffee, but without the jitters and shakes most people complain about. I crossed so much off my list, that I had time to whip up a bracelet. I had time enough to create – another important essential for me. I was inspired so much by the rich, earthy color of the matcha green tea powder, that I couldn't help but make my Ode to Matcha Tea.

The Ode to Matcha Green Tea bracelet is made up of coin and potato-shaped pearls from Talisman Associates Inc., serpentine and gaspeite from Bead Trust, ceramic rounds from Keith O'Connor, daisy-stamped silver from Na Bo Row, and a shibuichi toggle and fine pewter leaf link from my family at Green Girl Studios. I think the quote on the back of the link honors the message of matcha green tea perfectly: Love life.