You may remember last year I started something called A Common Thread. I didn’t do much with it, not because I didn’t want to, but more because I wasn’t sure which way to take it. I thought I would just leave it and let the right idea of what it should be come to me. Well, it has. My original idea for ACT was that it was going to b like the six degrees of separation, but more personal. I mean, it’s kinda neat to be connected to Kevin Bacon, but it doesn’t really do anything for me to know how. Yes, I know it’s not just about Kevin Bacon :-). Anyway, my thought is to be connected to you – either directly or through common interests. If you’re reading this we already have a direct connection – knitting – and this blog allows me to express that connection in a tangible way. But what about the other connections that we share or share with others (even Kevin)? I think we can connect a lot of things and a lot of people without even trying. That’s what this post is about. I’d like to connect all of you to a friend of mine.
Her name is Trudy Ann, and she makes the best Masala Chai tea I have ever had – and maybe you as well. She has a website at this Link – TRUDY ANN – and here is a very short “commercial” about her tea. It’s not really a commercial, but it’s kinda cool.
So you might be asking what does Masala Chai tea have to do with knitting. Well, to begin with, and most importantly, they are both very relaxing and social. When you visit Trudy Ann to have a cup of tea, it’s not like going to your local coffee shop and getting a cup to go. She is truly one of the warmest, nicest people I have ever met, and she will instantly take you into her home and show you the same hospitality that she would her dearest friends. Aside from the fact that I find knitting and sipping a cup of tea to be two of the best things in life, doing them together with Trudy Ann makes it even that much better. When I went over she showed me the entire process of making the tea (from scratch) with authentic ingredients. Ingredients she has searched long and hard for and even has imported directly from India and other parts of the world. The tea is exquisite, and talking with Trudy Ann while drinking it and knitting (Trudy Ann knits and crochets as well) seems like something we were meant to do in life.
Trudy Ann has become a very fast friend of mine, and has introduced me to her husband, her two sons, and her dog. She has even taught me how to play Chinese checkers – much to her dismay as we are now even at 2 games a piece ad she never loses ;-). The last time I went over I spent the afternoon and Trudy Ann and I cooked a curried beef stew, and tried to make a green smoothie. Unfortunately the blender wasn’t working so we had to do it in a food processor and it wasn’t as liquified as it should have been. It was still delicious and I have since learned that the blender is fixed and functioning properly again!
Trudy Ann sells her tea on her website, so even if you can’t make it over to her house, you can visit the site and get an authentic taste of what real masala chai tea tastes like. Since you know me, you now know her and are now connected through A Common Thread. Should you decide to get some of her tea, please let her know that I sent you and give her a hello and some hugzzz for me. If you’re local, you absolutely must visit her – she’s on Vennables just off the Drive – and take a break from the hustle and bustle of the day to enjoy a cup of tea and some knitting and conversation. You’ll be glad you did, I guarantee it!
Hugzzz 😎