We’re about a month away from summer Solstice – just four more weeks of light returning to its pinnacle. Where does the time go? It seems like only yesterday we were still wrapped in blankets in the early hours of morning, waiting for the sun to rise. Now, we rise with the dawning light and revel in the longer, warmer days of late spring.

One of the great gifts of this time of year is the food we get from our gardens – the last of the winter greens, coupled with the first spring peas, herbs, and early vegetables. Flowers are abundant all over the yard these days, tempting and calling the insects in to sip, taste, rest, and savor their gifts. With temperatures in the 90’s during the past week, I felt compelled to take advantage of our bounty of peppermint and lavender and make a refreshing, cooling tea today.

Harvesting and preparing tea from fresh herbs from the garden is always a treat. It gives me an opportunity to thank the plants for their growth and nourishment and to mindfully harvest, trim, clean, chop and steep the tea. Each step in the process is a connection to the elements – the sun and soil, water and wind – that nurture the plants and me. Savoring the beauty of the colors, the smell of the mint and lavender, the taste of hibiscus and mint in a refreshing cool drink on a hot, hot day lifts my spirits and cools my body like standing under a waterfall rainbow.

What kind of tea refreshes you these days?