By A.C. Cargill

Another year is approaching its end, along with some great tea adventures. And what a year it was! New tea blends have titillated tea drinkers’ tastebuds. New tea blogs, with postings from really serious tea professionals as well as tea enjoyers, have opened up tea horizons to the whole world. New teapots, tea mugs, teacups and saucers have been created by artisans just to brighten up your tea time. New tea books, chock full of tea knowledge from some really smart people who know about tea (the real tea made from the Camellia Sinensis plant), fill bookshelves, ready at a moment’s notice to answer every tea drinker’s questions. New Twitter pals have found each other to connect over virtual teacups and share their fascination with this versatile beverage.

Enough of that maudlin looking backward stuff. There’s a whole new year ahead and tons of new teas to try. So, it’s time to make some New Year’s Tea Time Resolutions!

A few resolution suggestions (I had a strong cuppa Assam while coming up with this):

• To buy at least one new teapot and use it at a tea party with friends so they can share the thrill of pouring tea through a teapot elephant’s trunk, or the chimney of a house-shaped teapot, or an Art Deco design teapot.
• To try a new tea every month, paying close heed to the qualities of the tea — the aroma and color of the dry tea, the aroma and color of the tea “liquor” brewed to its peak (the “golden pour”), the taste as it first embraces your tongue, spreads out to ping! every tastebud, and then moves around the interior of your mouth.
• To explore new ways to enjoy tea — hot, chilled, and even used in food recipes.
• To learn more about teas through online sites and tea books.
• To discover a new tea room and/or store near where you live and visit it at least once a month.
• To make a list of your favorite tea Websites and visit them at least once a month, commenting on them if you can (it helps them know you’re reading them).
• To hold a tea party once or twice a year with your friends, basing it on a whimsical theme such as celebrating Spring flowers or your favorite sports team acquiring a new player that will lead them to the championship.

I’m sure you’ll think of many more things you can resolve to do related to tea in the year to come. Think about it over a nice “cuppa,” hot or chilled. Need a mental boost to get the ideas flowing? Green tea is supposed to be especially good for the brain. Have a cupful and see if your neurons don’t start popping like Fourth of July fireworks. I’ve also heard that munching on a nice pastry like croissants, especially if they are warm from the oven and generously spread with butter and jam, stimulate your creative juices. (Then again, that could just be a myth spread by the croissant fairies!)

Don’t forget, during all this resolving, to watch the clock strike midnight on New Year’s Eve and drink a tea toast to your tea adventures ahead in 2010. Enjoy!

Live the “tea life” in 2010! Find out more on A.C.’s blog!