no worries, **the hostess** is still alive!+introducing the new **tea mates**

Image from: http://www.theage.com.au/news/diet/get-a-natural-sugar-high/2007/10/16/1192300736338.html

TEA TIME!!!

Tea for the day: mango black tea from Trader Joe's Speciality Teas--very very refreshing and I just LOVE the scent! Besides the black tea leaves and the natural mango flavor which contributes to most of the scent, each tea bag also contains blackberry leaves and hibiscus and calendula petals...**deeply sniffs her tea and sips it and says: "....ahhh...!!"** What **tea** would you like to be served this time??

My God...once again, it has been a while since I've last posted. Honestly, my schedule wasn't as busy as last time, but I wasn't feeling too emotionally well during the summer and thus had a complete block of ideas and inspiration for posts and tea time with you, my lovely **tea mates** and **tea guests**...hopefully your **tea times** with me have been missed lol.

*Sighs* but no worries my brothers and sisters...I'm now slowly feeling better and hopefully you'll see me post more often (especially since I just started my 6 month internship and hence no more distractions from homework, quizzes, papers, or exams...except that I may feel too exhausted after I return to my apartment each day during the weekdays!).

It seems that I've gained more readers during my absence and only recently seemed to have lost one. Aside from the latter (and I don't blame her for leaving the **tea house**...she must've felt too lonely without me sipping **tea** with her! As mentioned...I am quite a slacker as a **hostess** lol...hopefully, as I become into a better blogger, that will change), I think that is a great sign! That is why, among the many rituals of the **Tea House**, they must be welcomed and introduced, in fact, this is actually the main reason why I decided to post this particular entry! Thus, I'd like to introduce you to the following new **Tea Mates** (only those who have blogs or websites of their own or Blogger profiles have links to them. Also, I haven't sent a personal message to those of you who are following me through the NetworkedBlogs app on Facebook as I didn't want to seem too intrusive):

• Alcolea
• Hello Relaxation
• Imola
• Celtic traveler
• Amy
• Lila Kuznetsova
• Less Barbara 
• Misbah El Muttaqin
• Greggy Kavambaya
• Zeenat Merchant-Syal
• Shahzaib Bajwa
• Mubeen Riaz
• Hassan Ismail
• Farah Khan
• Facebook User

Now before I leave, I'd like to give you a heads-up about what the upcoming posts may look like. Expect me to share a short story and a bit of poetry written by me (and I'd love you to share your own writing or any piece of art or photography as well, please let me know if you'd like to do so! And no...it doesn't really have to have anything to do with **tea**!! Will post more on terms & conditions of that soon...), an update on my knitting, and a compensation for the missed "inspiration of the month" posts with some additional ones as well lol! (In case you don't have the slightest idea of what those "inspirations" may be, please do take a look at here, here, here, and here. In general though, each inspiration consists of one of my favorite quotations and my thoughts on it). 

P.S. to Carnations: expect me to reply to all your wonderful comments on my blog entries soon lol!
P.S. to Hassan Ismail: expect me to reply to your awesome message!

From your **Tea Mate**,

Reema B. :-)