Beth Alvarez's Blog, page 35

Tea review: Private Selections Forest Fruit Blend

My husband is more of a coffee guy. I can’t have coffee, so he always feels a little guilt when he gets himself a bag of coffee and can’t share it with me. One of the last times he stopped at Kroger to grab some coffee grounds for the office, he noticed some little canisters of premium teas from Kroger’s Private Selections line. Knowing how much I love tea and how much I love fruit, he picked up an herbal blend for me to try.

Private Selections Forest Fruit blend is an extremely fruity herbal blend, with a flavor dominated by raspberry and black currant. It’s got notes from its other contributors, which include apple, hibiscus, rose, and blackberry leaf, and it brews into the most beautiful deep red-purple drink.

The blend is heavenly to smell when brewing. The first sip was incredibly tart, but it was also a robust flavor for such a small amount of tea. I used slightly less than a teaspoon for my first brew. I’d find it difficult to drink straight, but the addition of sugar help brings out the other fruit flavors. Apple becomes more noticeable, and the berry flavors are a bit more balanced when sweetened.

Adding milk to the cup resulted in a delicious dessert taste, something like a berry smoothie. But since the blend has citric acid added as a preservative, milk should be added with care–my first attempt to add it resulted in the milk curdling, which I have not had happen in a tea in ages.

Overall, I enjoyed the bold berry taste of this blend, but I don’t think it’d be something I drink on its own, sweetened or otherwise. Instead, it seems like an ideal addition to a strong black tea for a delicious berry blend, and I’ll look forward to doing just that this week.

A blogging hiatus

I started blogging in November of 2011. It was irregular at first, sometimes every few days, sometimes a few weeks apart. I eventually found a rhythm that worked for me, posting something every Tuesday.

Now, five years later, I’ll be letting go of my weekly Tuesday blog update.

In five years, I’ve covered a lot of stuff–things about my crafts and hobbies, my doll collection, photography stuff, but mostly things related to my writing. Writing about writing, instead of just writing.

My hours for writing are precious few. Never enough hours in the week to accomplish all the writing I want to get done. Considering that, I’ve decided it’s best to cut down to only posting when I have something relevant to say. Tidbits about my new projects, book cover reveals, information about the worlds I’ve created, and more things in that vein. Occasionally, maybe short stories or scenes out of my WIP novels.

The point is, I have a lot of writing to do. If I spend an hour writing a blog post, that’s an hour I could have spent writing something for a novel.

I have a new book series coming, and a couple stand-alone novels I want to work on next year. As you may have noticed, I’ve already rearranged some things on my site to make room for them. With that in mind, I need every minute to write I can get!

I’ll still be posting tea reviews occasionally, but otherwise, the things you’ll be seeing from me next will probably be related to the big announcements and bigger projects I’ll have to share in 2017.

In the meantime, you’ll be able to see occasional updates on my work on my Facebook page, so be sure to join me there!

Tea review: All in the Leaves Tie Guan Yin Oolong

I’ve wanted to bring home an oolong to try for a while, but hadn’t found any that were both appealing and affordable. I was delighted to encounter local vendor All in The Leaves selling teas at our city’s sesquicentennial festival, for more reasons than one. I love supporting local businesses, and I love indie tea companies. Having one that’s both is a treat, and that their teas are very reasonably priced per ounce is icing on the cake.

A few teas sounded incredibly appealing, but I picked just one to start with–the Tie Guan Yin Oolong.

My ounce of tea came packaged in a black airtight zipper bag, with a silica packet inside to help keep the tea dry. Brewing instructions came printed on the front of the bag, but I brewed mine a little cooler than the recommended 205 degrees. I probably won’t take that precaution next time; my tea could have stood to be a little stronger. Never having brewed oolong at home before, I wasn’t sure what to expect.

The first cup brewed fairly mild, possibly because of choosing to use a lower temperature. It was pleasant and mellow, with a fresh, grassy aroma. The flavor was strongly green, but with hints of a pleasantly woody taste. Considering the health benefits of oolong, it’s easy to picture this one being something to sip on through the day. Especially since oolong is traditionally brewed many times over.

Later cups brewed from these leaves provided the same pleasant taste, with slightly richer colors and more pronounced woody notes in the flavor. It’s not near so grassy as green teas, of course, and I found this tea to be a lovely in-between for days where I can’t decide between the fresh aromatics of green blends or the rich flavors of blacks.

As pleased as I am with this first sample, I’m looking forward to ordering more tea from this company.

Why don’t vampires have reflections?

Mirrors are much older than vampires. Early mirrors have been dated back as far as 6,000 BC, and the modern idea of a vampire is quite young by comparison, most heavily influenced by the advent of Dracula.

Mirrors themselves carry a great deal of superstition, the most common myth being that breaking a mirror will result in seven years of bad luck. This ties to a curious belief from ancient Rome, in which it was thought it took seven years for a wounded soul to renew itself. Mirrors were long believed to be a reflection of the soul, rather than the physical body, so it became a natural assumption that the undead would bear no reflections.

Of course, not everyone plays by these rules. Anne Rice popularized the idea that a vampire should have a reflection, being that they have a physical body and we now have a more scientific understanding of mirrors. This wasn’t an original notion, of course, as many ancient vampires were believed to have reflections–and mirrors were used to repel them.

In China and in some parts of Africa, it’s believed that a mirror can repel evil. In some stories, this is due to the mirror portraying their true nature. It’s possible, then, that the idea of vampires having no reflection could permeate these cultures through a vampire’s abhorrence for mirrors. (After all, if a vampire is never near a mirror, does it still have a reflection? An age old quandary.)

Though the first mention of vampires lacking reflections takes place in Bram Stoker’s Dracula, it’s a logical step to take, regarding old beliefs about souls. The Slavic people of the middle ages believed a proper burial was required, or a person’s soul would be sullied or lost. If the body is up and walking after death, like with vampires, a proper burial would be impossible. If the belief at the time dictated a reflection was a vision of a person’s soul, it stands to reason vampires would be assumed to have no reflection.

Another popular belief is that vampires have no reflection because, through history, many fine mirrors were made with silver. Stories have long held silver as having powers and an association with purity: due to silver’s anti-microbial properties, it’s been used for cleansing in both medicine and mystic rituals. The purity is why it hurts corrupt creatures, such as vampires–and also contributes to why they don’t appear in photos, as film was developed with chemicals containing silver.

Then again, an old superstition claimed that a photograph would steal a person’s soul. If they didn’t have one to begin with, as it’s believed vampires don’t, why would they appear in photographs?

Vampires, daywalkers, and the sun: A history of shadows in light

Among the few weaknesses of vampires, the sun is probably best known.

Though vampires have often been portrayed as nocturnal, sunlight causing harm to them is a fairly recent addition. In fact, most vampires prior to 1900 were relatively unhindered by the sun; Carmilla, Geraldine, Lord Ruthven and even Dracula were able to expose themselves to sunlight without harm.

It wasn’t until 1922 that vampires became wholly nocturnal. The dangers of the sun were first introduced in Nosferatu, which showed us Count Orlok’s death by sun exposure. This death was repeated for Bela Lugosi’s portrayal of Armand Tesla in The Return of the Vampire in 1943–cementing it as certain death for the undead.

Until this point, the only mythologically consistent killer of vampires was fire. In some respects, this provides a connection and justification for the hazards of sunlight. Since sunlight is, in essence, firelight, it makes sense for it to negatively affect vampires.

The ill effect of sunlight on vampires also provides a scientific connection, letting us look at porphyria–a condition that causes the afflicted to be sensitive to sunlight, sometimes to the point of skin blistering on exposure.

The birth of the wholly-nocturnal vampire gave rise to the usefulness of dhampirs–half-vampires, such as Blade–as their mortal half typically protects them from the hazards of the sun. This also creates a clamor for daywalkers in vampire stories, portraying them as something special among their own kind.

In reality, the vampire vulnerable to sunlight should be considered unusual, because daywalking was actually the norm.

Lomi’s Playground 2k Giveaway (US Only)

To celebrate the 2,000 subscriber milestone for my YouTube channel, Lomi’s Playground, I’m holding my first doll-related giveaway!

The prize package includes:

1 SID/65cm SD tee

1 pair SID/65cm SD drawstring pajama pants

1 YoSD/LittleFee tee

1 pair YoSD/LittleFee jeggings

1 pair YoSD/LittleFee leggings

1 PukiPuki/Obitsu 11cm tee

1 pair PukiPuki/Obitsu 11cm jeans/jeggings

1 bottle Lisa Pavelka Magic Glos

3 pairs 14mm unfinished resin eye bases

3 pairs 12mm unfinished resin eye bases

3 pairs 10mm unfinished resin eye bases

3 pairs 8mm unfinished resin eye bases

1 packet of 4mm black flat back beads

1 packet of 3mm black flat back beads

1 packet of 2mm black flat back beads

1 packet of mixed colored beads and shapes

1 packet of silver / white micro beads

1 packet of Bead Landing rhinestone crystals

1 wax pencil

This giveaway is open to participants who are

1) 18 years of age or older, and

2) Residents of the United States.

Meet the criteria? Enter below!

All you have to do is tell me which of my dolls you like best, by their given name, sculpt, or even just a description of what they look like.

If you aren’t familiar with my collection, you can get to know them by checking out the page about my dolls.

The winner will be drawn on October 31.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Please note that after the winner is drawn, failure to claim your prize and provide a valid U.S. mailing address by November 5, 2016, will result in a new winner being selected.

Watch your email at the end of the month to see if you’ve won!

Vampires, werewolves, and the moon

Like with bats, the vampire myth often seems to tie into lore surrounding another supernatural creature: the werewolf. The two creatures are often portrayed as enemies, if not rivals, which makes little sense in the historical context of both.

The tie between vampire and werewolf goes back farther than the modern vampire myth–before the name vampire even came into use. But though the two share many pieces of lore, one connection that’s often overlooked in the modern vampire myth is the ties that bind them to the moon.

A photo of the 2013 Supermoon, taken from my backyard

Though often forgotten, the moon has been related to vampires for as long as the stories have existed, and in a wide variety of cultures. In ancient China, it was believed that if a dead body was struck by lightning or exposed to moonlight, it could rise again as a jiangshi: a vampiric creature who slept in its coffin during the day.

Unsurprisingly, a connection between vampires and the moon–as well as between vampires and werewolves–can be traced to the folklore of the Balkan peninsula. Here, the modern vampire’s predecessor was the vrykolakas. Though the vrykolakas is still known as a vampire in Greece, its name is derived from a Slavic compound word that can be translated to werewolf.

Confusingly, the vrykolakas and werewolf are not the same creature, but in Greece, it is thought that a werewolf can become a vrykolakas after death–and a powerful one, at that.

It is also common belief that some vrykolakas are also strigoi, yet another type of vampiric monster in Slavic myth, but not all strigoi are vrykolakas. All vrykolakas are undead, and strigoi mort are undead, but most strigoi maintain a closer relationship to the idea of werewolves in that they’re often shape-shifters, becoming monsters at night.

The tie between werewolves and the moon is known to everyone, but long forgotten is the benefit of the moon for the vampire. Though folklore tells us the moon lends power to the undead in general, it’s a piece of information not often used.

One of few points where the power of the moon has crossed into modern vampire myth is in John Polidori’s The Vampyre, published in 1819–nearly eighty years before Dracula. In The Vampyre, after his apparent death, the vampiric Lord Ruthven was revived by exposure to the healing power of moonlight. Though some have followed Polidori’s cue and emphasised the additional strength of vampires beneath the full moon, it’s a piece of folklore so diminished by the ages that in another hundred years, it will likely be forgotten.

Blessed as the undead may be by the moon, it seems the werewolves get to keep that one.

Why vampires turn into bats

There are few animals as closely associated with vampires as bats. The two seem to go hand-in-hand, but in spite of what seems like a clear-cut connection, vampire bats are named after their mythological counterparts–rather than the other way around.

In fact, vampire stories were common throughout Europe long before these creatures were known, appearing in written texts as early as the 11th century, more than 400 years before European colonists set out for the vampire bat’s habitat. Out of more than 1,200 bat subspecies, only 3 are true vampire bats. Native to the Americas, vampire bats commonly feed on the blood of livestock rather than humans. So how do vampires and bats fit together?

Vampires and Creatures of the Night

Feeding on blood seems to have little bearing on whether animals are associated with vampires. Aside from the well-known American bats, there’s also the vampire finch and any number of blood-sucking insects. Though one might associate leeches with vampires, the two creatures don’t cross paths; taking the form of a leech would simply be too on-the-nose.

Instead, the common denominator tying vampires to animal forms is far more obvious: if it’s creepy-crawly or commonly associated with night, it may be a vampire. Owls, rats, spiders and snakes are obvious choices, but they aren’t alone. Other animal forms favored by vampires include dogs, cats, foxes, wolves, big cats, and moths. There are a variety of stranger forms for a theriomorphic vampire to take, of course: vampires have also been connected to pigs, birds, butterflies, and even frogs.

The singular form isn’t the only option, either. Throughout legend, it’s also noted that vampires can assume the form of clouds of dust or mist, or that of a swarm of flies. Slavic vampires aren’t even restricted to taking living forms, resulting in stories of vampire plants and even vampire farm implements filling Western society.

So why bats?

Despite being home to blood-drinking vampire bats, South America is not particularly steeped in vampire mythology. The region does, however, provide one clear connection to the modern vampire. As with many aspects of the modern vampire myth, the connection is drawn in Bram Stoker’s Dracula–offered by the character Quincey Morris.

With scientific knowledge of vampire bats growing in the 1800s, Stoker used this opportunity to nestle them into literature as something new and largely unknown. In the book, Morris provided an account of vampire bats, stemming from his adventures that led him through South America. This connection–along with Dracula’s ability to assume the form of a bat–created a bond between the two creatures that persists into virtually all modern vampire stories.

In this respect, the vampire myth became self-feeding. Vampire bats were named for the fictional monster, which then became influenced by the bats.

Ironically, prior to this connection, bats held a different role in folklore. In Romania–the heart of modern vampire myth–it was once believed that carrying the remains of a dried bat could protect you from the supernatural. Including vampires.

Tea review: Tazo Green Ginger bagged tea

Unlike the previous Tazo tea I sampled, this one came in a filter bag, though unlike the Refresh Mint–which was also in a filter bag–it had an attractive little tag declaring the flavor.

Before brewing, Tazo Green Ginger tea has a bit of a citrus fragrance, and a hint of sweetness. Though the bag advertised a taste of pear, there’s no fruit in the ingredients; just green tea, ginger, and lemongrass. Needless to say, there was no pear to be tasted. Not even an impression of it caused by the blending of other flavors.

There was, however, a sharp tea flavor. I found it went bitter very fast, but the bite went well with the strong flavor of ginger. Like mint or cinnamon, ginger is one of those things that easily overpowers anything it’s added to. It definitely rules the flavor in this cup of tea, but it’s not so strong that you can’t detect the tangy taste of the lemongrass.

Adding sugar helped bring out the flavor of the lemongrass and mute the ginger, but didn’t do much otherwise. The ginger is pleasant for fall, but overall I found this blend a little lacking in the flavor department.

Have a tea recommendation for me? Leave it in the comments below! I’m always looking for new teas to try.

The vampire ground fruit of the Balkans

Europe is a rich resource for vampire stories, and nowhere is tied as closely to vampire myths as the Balkan peninsula. Romania, in particular, is so steeped in vampiric lore that it’s become an inextricable part of their history, and the belief in vampires plays an important part in their cultural development. It makes sense they’d have some particularly unique vampire stories.

One of those is the tale of vampiric watermelons and pumpkins.

How a pumpkin or watermelon becomes a vampire depends on the region you’re visiting. The transformation may occur when the ground fruit is kept for ten days, or if it’s kept past Christmas. It may only occur after a pumpkin has been stored ripe and dry for three years.

Some claim the fruit grow to unusual sizes when they change, while others claim the only way to tell it’s become a vampire is finding blood spots in the rind. Red discoloration on the rind of a watermelon is common when the fruit is old, and similar scars can be found on pumpkins in any supermarket. Naturally, we should dispose of these ground fruits immediately, lest they attack our families.

The vampire pumpkins are known to be documented in one source; a book by Tatomir P. Vukanović, a Serbian historian which delves into the complex history of vampire lore in the region.

According to his book, The Vampire, these vampiric ground fruit come to life shortly after their change, rolling around in attempt to injure people and livestock. Unlike other vampires, disposal of the vampire ground fruit is a simple matter.

The vampire pumpkin or watermelon should be immersed in boiling water and the water poured off, after which it should be scrubbed with a broom and thrown away. With the vampire fruit disposed of, the broom used for cleansing should be burned.

While Vukanović’s book doesn’t mention what happens if the fruit is not properly disposed of, cultural context makes it safe to assume that anyone who consumes the flesh of a vampire watermelon or pumpkin would become a vampire themselves. Naturally, this means you might want to check your pumpkins for signs of vampirism this fall.

Pumpkin pie, anyone?

Save