Tea

Inside Westminster Abbey, eight 20-foot-tall live trees lined the center aisle during the wedding of Kate Middleton and Prince William. The trees transformed the space, doing what even the most elaborate floral arrangement could not — providing a natural, living sense of permanence and an air of drama. The move was unexpected, unpretentious and bold. A potted tree on your patio or deck can have the same effect. While not every tree is well-suited for a container, there are a surprising number of options, ranging from crape myrtles to hollies.

The real scandal is why the IRS approved for tax-exempt status organizations that were plainly political and not "social welfare" organizations, as section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code requires ("Taxing the tea party," May 14). The GOP's phony outrage obscures the fact that not a single application from the tea party-affiliated organizations for tax exempt status was denied. They probably should have been. Mark Davis, Baltimore

I feel The Sun and its readers need to know that the rally planned by former Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. is sponsored by corporate special interests. Americans for Prosperity is a corporate funded "hit squad" whose purpose is to fund millions of dollars towards preserving profit margins for insurance companies and other corporate interests. They also run Patients United Now. Their agenda is to keep the status quo for corporations. They appeal to the ignorance and fears of the so-called tea baggers.

Well, this is a fine mess. After years of moaning about various "conspiracies" against them, conservative activists finally have a real (i.e., not manufactured by Fox or inflated by Rush Limbaugh) piece of evidence to take before the court of public opinion. Meaning, of course, last week's revelation that the Internal Revenue Service has been giving extra scrutiny to groups with the words "tea party" or "patriot" in their names. Extra scrutiny from the IRS is about as welcome as extra scrutiny from the proctologist, so one can hardly blame conservative groups for complaining, as they've done since last year.

Move over, soy milk and wheat-grass juice. The elixir of the moment is a fermented tea promoted for health benefits ranging from improved digestion to cancer prevention. Called kombucha, it is a drink with a dual identity. There's the commercial version that comes in pretty pastels and fetches upward of $3 a bottle at natural foods stores. And there's the brown, pennies-per-serving home-brew, made with a scary-looking blob of bacteria. Whether store-bought or homemade, the drink has grown popular with fans of "probiotic" foods, which contain live bacteria cultures.

On a sweltering day in 1904 a tea huckster, India Tea Commissioner Richard Blechynden, was having a hard time convincing visitors to the St. Louis World's Fair to sample his hot tea. So he put the tea in large bottles, flipped them upside down and let the tea flow through iced lead pipes. Iced tea, minus the lead pipes, has, according to the Tea Association of the United States of America, been a part of American summer ever since. Teavolve Address --1705 Eastern Ave. Phone --410-327-4832 Hours --10 a.m.-8 p.m. Tuesday- Sunday I picked a blended black tea, sweet orange and honey, from the impressive selection of loose teas.

Pinkies up! St. Stephen's Traditional Episcopal Church in Timonium is hosting its 12th annual British Garden Party and Fete on Saturday, May 4 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is free, even though it costs St. Stephen's nearly  $4,000 each year to present this "bit of Jolly Olde England," as the church bills it. "It's really a gift to the community," the Rev. Guy Hawtin said. "It's not really a money-making venture - the goal is to break even. One year we cleared $50 profit.

Books-A-Million in the Laurel Shopping Center, 351 Montrose Ave., will offer traditional British tea and biscuits with author Mary Hart Perry on Saturday, Sept. 15, from noon to 2 p.m. Perry, a Maryland author who teaches the Extreme Novelist course at the Writer's Center in Bethesda, is the author of more than 40 novels under several pseudonyms.

Manna Cafe in downtown Sykesville will hold a Freedom Celebration Tea at 1 p.m. July 28 to benefit the Armed Forces Foundation. The tea is being held as a show of support for the military. The tea will feature a menu of American tradition and color, said cafe owner Pamela Graham. Tickets are $30. Information: 410-795-5977. Bank of Hanover joins CCDC Bank of Hanover has joined the Carroll County Development Corporation, a community financial development corporation dedicated to improving the economic conditions of the people of Carroll County.

It's time again for tea. Epiphany Episcopal Church is transforming its vestibule and meeting rooms into a parlor for ladies and gentlemen who enjoy eating finger sandwiches and sipping hot tea, with pinkies extended.The English Country Tea will include scones, sandwiches, trifle and an assortment of teas.Visitors say the twice-a-year gathering provides an opportunity to catch up with neighbors and old friends.The event will run from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at the church at 1419 Odenton Road.

Loyal readers of this page are likely aware that we have not been great supporters of the tea party movement. Too often, we have found those anti-tax crusaders who call themselves tea party patriots are simply rebranded John Birch Society members of an earlier time with all the extremist anti-civil rights, anti-immigration, and anti-United Nations rhetoric that comes with it. But the latest disclosure - gleaned from a draft inspector general's report...

New Brunswick, N.J. Spring Date Night at the George Street Playhouse The work is basically done for you. Just get the tickets, and your date night is all planned. Two glasses of wine and a box of chocolates from Thomas Sweet will top off your evening after a performance of "Venus in Fur," a sultry comedy based off of the romance novel by Leopold von Sacher-Masoch. Just relax and enjoy this romantic evening. To make it a weekend getaway, book a room at the Heldrich, a hotel in downtown New Brunswick (theheldrich.com)

Pinkies up! St. Stephen's Traditional Episcopal Church in Timonium is hosting its 12th annual British Garden Party and Fete on Saturday, May 4 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is free, even though it costs St. Stephen's nearly  $4,000 each year to present this "bit of Jolly Olde England," as the church bills it. "It's really a gift to the community," the Rev. Guy Hawtin said. "It's not really a money-making venture - the goal is to break even. One year we cleared $50 profit.

They came. They sniffed. They smiled. They sipped. They left - still smiling. That pretty much describes the behavior of guests at last weekend's Spring Has Sprung Tea and Garden Tour at Gramercy Mansion in Stevenson. The nearly 50 participants were split into two groups and each alternately toured the Tudor-style mansion circa 1902 and its gardens at 1400 Greenspring Valley Road. In between their tours, they all sat down together for high tea, which included, along with the tea, served on fine china, four courses of scones with Devon cream, hors d'oeuvres, finger sandwiches, truffles and petite fours.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell will not be facing a challenge from actress Ashley Judd when he runs for re-election next year. Though he may be happy to have avoided the physical comparison -- she, after all, played Marilyn Monroe in a movie, while he looks like an ancient sea turtle dressed in a $1,000 suit -- the Kentucky Republican may miss having such an attractive target for his attack machine. Mr. McConnell is not all that popular back home. Democrats, of course, can't stand him, and tea party Republicans may like him even less.

Orioles manager Buck Showalter hasn't announced the winner of the team's No. 5 starter competition, but this week's pitching schedule, which was announced Saturday, would indicate that right-hander Jake Arrieta appears to be in line for the spot. Arrieta, who was initially slated to start Tuesday's game against the Twins in Fort Myers, will now pitch in a minor league game at Twin Lakes Park on the same day. Pitching prospect Kevin Gausman will now start against the Twins. Over the past few weeks, Showalter has sent most of his entrenched starters to minor league games so that they won't be overexposed facing a bevy of AL East opponents and the Twins, who is the Orioles' home opener opponent.

Epiphany Episcopal Church invites you to a country church tea. A full English tea will include scones, an assortment of tea sandwiches, trifle and a variety of teas.The tea will be served from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. Saturday. The cost is $5.50 per person. The church is on Morgan Road, just off Route 175, at the Bank of Glen Burnie in Odenton.*Cub Scout Pack 663, family members and guests recently gathered for the pack's annual Blue and Gold banquet. The Ladies Auxiliary of American Legion Post 276 provided a chicken dinner and local businesses the door prizes.

I have been plagued with nummular eczema for years. It does not respond to Benadryl, prednisone or any kind of topical cortisone ointment. I read in your column about some doctors in Japan who had people with eczema drink oolong tea to help their symptoms. So the last time I had an outbreak, I tried oolong tea, and the results were amazing. Within 24 hours, the itching and inflammation were gone. It took a couple of days, but the lesions disappeared and didn't leave scars. Why does oolong tea work so well?

The Annual AMC Valentine Tea was held Friday, Feb. 15 at Tea by Two in Bel Air with a sellout crowd. Speaker Bob Rich from Saxon's Diamond Centers was entertaining and most informative as he shared samples of diamonds in various colors. Did you know that there are blue, yellow, brown and black diamonds? Oohs and aahs were heard throughout the tea room as samples were passed around for all to see. The Pandora Bracelet, donated by Saxon's, was a tantalizing auction item. The delicious menu for high tea was delicious and varied with lots of chocolate and fabulous teas all served in the charming atmosphere of classic table settings and decorations.

These groups meet regularly. Sunday Afternoon Tea at Historic Oakland - Feb. 24, 3:30-5 p.m., Historic Oakland, 5430 Vantage Point Road, Columbia. Two-course repast will be served. $25 per person. Registration required. 410-730-4801 or http://www.historic-oakland.com . BBW and Admirers Maryland Chapter event - March 2, 2-6 p.m. There are more than 100 board games and card games in the game room at the Family Game store. After the game store, there will be free time for shopping the stores.