I don't quite remember when I fell in love with tea but I do remember the most special moments of me drinking tea. I was eighteen years old and I went to live with my biological mother for four months. I had just met her months earlier and it was awkward for both of us. She and her ex-husband lived a very quiet life in Boulder, Colorado. He was a professor at one of the universities and she was a housewife. After years of drug addiction and being in and out of jail, she deserved the break. I was homeless so she and her husband agreed to let me come live with them. Each evening my mother and I would find a spot in the living room with a cup of tea and a book.

Now, years later, I'm a self proclaimed tea expert. I start each day with a wonderful English Breakfast tea to get me going. As the day progresses, who knows what wonderful tea I will crown queen. But for sure, I have at least three cups of tea a day. And yes, when I can, I have tea everyday at about 3:00 P. M. I love to invite my friends over for tea and cupcakes and so far everyone thinks it’s a delightful experience. I am always in search of the best blend of tea. Yes, I’m a tea snob, I prefer loose tea but I do like some bags also. I have learned not to judge a book by it’s cover. Some bags can be quite nice. And yes again, any Diva knows, what you drink your tea out of is very important.

Tea for me is a way of life. It's wellness for the mind body and spirit. Here, I will explore every expect of tea possible, with a high concentration on wellness. I will review the best teas, the best places to have tea, the best ways to brew tea, the best tea accessories, what tea goes best with what foods, and the list goes on and on. I plan to share my passion for tea with you. And I've been told, nothing I do is ever boring so be prepared to go on this tea journey with me.





RLT Collection Tea Ball Frosted Clear Beads!

Mint Medley by The Persimmon Tree Tea Company

About This Tea:

Until recently I had never drank Peppermint Tea made with loose leaves. And Honestly, I will probably never go back. The freshness of loose Peppermint Tea cannot be denied. When I open the can of Mint Medley, From The Persimmon Tree Tea Company, I feel as if I stepped into a garden of peppermint leaves. It is a perfect blend of organic peppermint and spearmint leaves grown in the US.

Mint Medley has become a favorite and I find myself reaching for this tea tin almost everyday. It is great for on-going nausea. The health benefits and endless. It relieves muscle aches, headaches, migraines, stress. And now that it feels like someone is sitting on my chest and I have a mean cough, I'm sure it will help to relieve some of this congestion in my chest. Mint Medley has been in my tea cup more than any tea as of late. It has really helped with my winter cough, congestion related to this bout of pneumonia. You can read my full review on The Persimmon Tree Tea Company Mint Teas.


RLT Collection AIDS Awareness Tea Ball!




Welcome to my world of books! As an pre-teen books changed my world. I fell in love with the writers of the Harlem Renaissance period and the more I read the more I wanted to read. The fiction of this period was powerful and empowering all at the same time. It spoke to my own degradation and gave me hope for a better tomorrow. It gave me purpose for my own life and the courage to fight the good fight and never surrender.

I love to read! Inside a book I escape into someone else's life. There is something wonderful about turning to the next page of a wonderful story. Something intoxicating about the smell of the book and the story it brings to life. Reading brings me joy, and these days with my health in the balance, I find solace in my books.

I spent hours in my bedroom sequestered with the door closed reading the classics from the Harlem Renaissance, Hughes, Larsen, Hurston, Wright and Baldwin. Books became my escape and my salvation. The fiction of this period was powerful and empowering all at the same time. It gave me purpose for my own life and the courage to fight the good fight and never surrender.

Reading is the one thing that the pain of my life could never take away from me. It was the thing that helped to make it better. And even today, living with AIDS, books continue to be the safest place for me. It’s the one thing that belongs to me that AIDS cannot take away from me.The RLTReads book club will be books that I choose. It’s me sharing a part of me with you that has nothing to do with AIDS. It’s actually in spite of AIDS.

The RLTReads book club will be books that I choose. It’s me sharing a part of me with you that has nothing to do with AIDS. It’s actually in spite of AIDS. I have read hundreds of books from many different genres and I will pick the best of my reads over the years. I warn you, it will not be exclusively white or black, male or female, fiction or non fiction, it will be all of them.

I’m so excited and I’m grateful to everyone who wants to be a part of this venture. We already have 110 Book Club Members. You can email me @ RLTReads@raelewisthornton.com. The Twitter hashtag is #RLTReads. We can make this book club as wonderful as we want to make it. Who says that Oprah has to have the only ownership to a wonderful book club?

This Month We are Reading In My Fathers House by E Lynn Harris


Read along and join our discussion July 19th at 7 pm CST







For more Tea with Rae "Vlogs" Click here to visit her youtube channel

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Appreciating The Right Now! Part Two!

There is something to be said about appreciating the right now, from smelling the roses to watching the snowflakes fall from the sky. Yes, I know I wrote a blog yesterday about just that, but did you really hear me? You know often times when I write it's something that God has put in my spirit to give to you; But what I give to you is also for me. I work hard at practicing what I preach, I do. I must also admit practicing is sometimes hard.

I struggled all day yesterday, I just didn't feel good. It took me all day to write that one blog, Appreciating The Right Now. For Real, it didn't get posted until like 4:15 or something. Yes, I felt accomplished that I had written it given how I was feeling, but you know the overachiever in me was not happy that I didn't at least get another Holiday Gift Suggestion out.

As time ticked, It took everything I had to get off my sofa with Sophie and pull myself together for this Social Media Event, Cadillac Rock I always say that I don't want AIDS to take away all the goodness from my life, so I Pulled my Diva together and made my way.

I understood that my pain level was at a 10, put staying home wasn't going to change my pain level. While on the one level, you must appreciate the goodness in the right now, on the other, you can't get stuck in the pain of the right now, especially those things you cannot change.

Let me tell you, I'm so glad I pressed my way. Yep! I'm equally as glad that I didn't allow my today-this day, affect my yesterday. The fact that I'm on my way to the hospital this morning to get a minor medical procedure would have stopped some people from going to the event missing the blessing of the right now.


The fact is this, getting this picc line today was not going to change, so why allow it to affect what was happening yesterday? We get so caught up anticipating the pain, that it takes on a life of it's on.  There was no medical reason that I couldn't go, the only thing that would have stopped me was the sickness in my mind that  holds you hostage and steals your joy. The Bible says, "As a man thinketh so is he." You must fight the demon in your head.

There is so much life past your pain, but first you must create space in your life for them both. If the pain is here to stay, you must not let it have all of you.

Dwana, One of the Organizers of Social Rev Up!
This event was a blast!  You know many times bloggers get invited out by brands or to events sponsored by brands to hear about their products and it's the same ole bore.

The thing that I liked about the Social Rev Up-Cadillac Rock Event was the sharing of information. Connie didn't just talk about GM, she gave bloggers some sound advice to help us grow our blog. Also, I met so  many new bloggers, had some great food, tons of laughs while learning all about GM advanced technology.

I didn't know the popularity of the Escalade. It's the truck to the stars. Who knew? Yes, I'm slow, I barely know the stars. I'm glad my BFF Luke keeps me somewhat informed. Everyone was making their way to the Escalade, after hearing all the facts, but I went straight to the Cadillac SRX. OMG this is one beautiful vehicle. What can I say other than, I know why my grandmother only drove a Cadillac.  I can see her now, dressed to the nine's on Sunday morning on her way to church, sliding into her Caddie.

The thing is, while the body is undeniably fabulous, the technology is much more advanced than in my grandmother days. GM has come a long way. They are making vehicle's to compete in the 21st century. Not bad for a company that met its grave, dug itself out with zeal and are fighting for their life with that best of the best. Yeah Baby! Cadillac Rocks!!

Any who, I had sooooo much fun at Social Rev Up second event! There is something to be said for appreciating the right now. All that laugher, tweeting, good fun and food did wonders for my spirit. I even made this video... Got my words all jumbled up... but it was fun making it...  I'm happy this morning as I make my way to the hospital.



Appreciating The Right Now Moment's Part One...


Post Script: Please Keep Me in Your Prayers As I Begin This Round of IV Medication! #IcannotdoitAlone





at 6:24 AM
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