“People ask me what I do in the winter when there’s no baseball.
I’ll tell you what I do. I stare out the window and wait for spring.”
~  Rogers Hornsby

Image Courtesy of Seaternal.com

The “whoosh” of air when the batter swings; the crisp, crack of the bat; that pop when the ball meets the catcher’s glove; the deafening roar of the crowd with the first home run. These are the glorious sounds of America’s pastime – Baseball.  And, yes, Spring Training has officially begun!

The history of spring training dates back to 1870, when the first baseball camp was held in New Orleans, featuring exhibition games between the Cincinnati Red Stockings and the Chicago White Stockings. By 1901, it was an established annual training ritual.

Each spring, National league teams (and fans) headed out of town to train and be evaluated. Florida and Arizona became the joint capitals of spring training and, in the mid-to-late 1940’s the Cactus League (in Arizona) and the Grapefruit League (in Florida) were born. Each year, eager Americans await the release of the spring training schedule, so that they can watch and cheer their favorite team.

We are avid baseball fans here at Bigelow Tea. We’re also delighted that some of Baseball’s finest are fans of Bigelow Tea! Longtime Bigelow friends Terry Francona (Manager of the Boston Red Sox) and Joe Torre (Manager of the LA Dodgers) are Green Tea aficionados, and more than that, they’re part of our Bigelow Tea family.

Enjoy this tea chat among friends featuring Joe Torre, Phil Simms and Terry Francona!

So happy spring training, and lets “Play Ball!”

Wayne Gretzky is best known for his professional hockey prowess, but the Great One also played an historic role in Olympic Hockey with several Canadian National Hockey teams; first as a star player on the 1998 Olympics Team, and then as team manager for the 2002 and 2006 Olympic squads. And it was that 2002 team, with The Great One leading the charge, which struck Olympic Gold in Salt Lake City, winning Canada’s first Olympic gold medal for Hockey in 50 years–to the day! Now Gretzky has made history again by lighting the 2010 Winter Olympic Flame in Vancouver, B.C.!

Gretzky has spent many hours, days, and years on the ice so it should be no surprise that he enjoys a brisk cup of hot Bigelow Green Tea! It was just this last December that Wayne Gretzky became Bigelow Tea’s newest spokesperson, a member of the exclusive Bigelow Tea Family of superstar competitors from the sports world, that take great pleasure in their Bigelow Tea!

Image Courtesy of Wikipedia

From his heady days as an Edmonton Oiler and four Stanley Cup championships, to his success with the Los Angeles Kings and ending his career as a proud New York Ranger, Gretzky has impressed hockey fans with his unmistakable and unique style. With his teams, he broke countless hockey records and set a new standard for the sport. As you follow the 2010 Olympic Hockey players, and all of your favorite athletes during these Winter Olympic Games, be sure to keep warm with (several) cups of Bigelow Tea, right along with the Great One!

Did you know that the federal holiday known as “Presidents Day,” celebrated on the third Monday of every February, is officially “Washington’s Birthday?” Even so, many states call their own celebration Presidents Day.

Image Courtesy of pal2pal.com

It was 1880 when the idea of adding George Washington’s date of birth to the existing holidays (New Year’s Day, July 4^th, Thanksgiving, and Christmas) was signed into law. Adding Washington’s Birthday as a federal holiday was both a popular and unprecedented idea. At first, it only applied to workers in the District of Columbia.  It wasn’t until 1885 it extended to all federal workers in the thirty-eight states.

There was an attempt in 1968 by the US Congress to officially change “Washington’s Birthday” to “President’s Day,” but this suggestion died in committee.  In any event, the day is an excellent opportunity to highlight the flavorful influence that tea has had on our American experience, back to before independence from Great Britain.

Our country is indeed richly steeped in an association with tea and tea drinking Presidents: from the colonies’ commercial ties to the East India Company, to the revolutionary Boston Tea Party, and to our tea-loving President Washington, who routinely enjoyed three cups of tea (no cream or sugar) every day.

Image of Presidential Tea Cup Courtesy of inauguralstore.com

Fast–forward though 200 years of Presidential Teas at the White House, 43 presidents, and right up to 2010, where the 44^th President Barack Obama chooses tea over coffee…at Bigelow Tea, we guess that if drinking tea is not a prerequisite for being President of the United States, it certainly doesn’t hurt.

Why not continue the now distinctly American tradition and enjoy an extra cup today for the Holiday…and for some fun, take this short President’s Day quiz in honor of our founding fathers.

On behalf of my family and all of the employees at Bigelow Tea, I’d like to express our warmest congratulations to Wayne Gretzky on the honor of lighting the 2010 Winter Olympic Flame in Vancouver, B.C.

We are proud of Wayne as a representative of the Bigelow brand and his lifelong accomplishments in hockey. He is a true ambassador in so many aspects of his life and we are honored to call him a good friend!

Cindi Bigelow, President

Image of Catherine Taney-Norman Courtesy of pics.wsj.com

We are so excited at Bigelow Tea about the 2010 Winter Olympics! While we don’t like playing favorites, once we found out that speed skater Catherine Raney-Norman and downhill skier Julia Mancuso are devoted tea-drinkers, we knew we would be keeping a closer eye on them.

Raney-Norman is already a three-time Olympian who debuted in 1998 at the Nagano Olympics at the age of seventeen. She was born in the Midwest but now lives in the snowy mountains of Utah with her husband.

Image of Julia Mancuso Courtesy of rizzosports.com

On a recent trip home she noted on her web site that she was sure to pick up some of her favorite beverage, cinnamon tea! She’s certainly not alone in her preference for the spicy beverage!

Gold Medal winning downhill skier Julia Mancuso loves to travel (when she’s not busy climbing Mount Kilimanjaro to raise funds for humanitarian organizations). And being a true tea fan, she also enjoys her tea abroad!  She spent some time in London over the holidays and couldn’t pass up the opportunity for some traditional tea time:

It was a great day…we went to an old estate to have afternoon tea!

My favorite thing to do in England!

Maybe these Olympians know that a cup of tea will chase away the winter blues…but wait, maybe speed skaters and downhill skiers don’t get  the winter blues, especially in an Olympic year?!

Had somewhat of a surprise visit yesterday from Terry Francona, the manager of the Red Sox. We have been working with Terry for the last several years and I have been blessed to be with him a few times. This time I was able to spend a couple hours with him at our company. He got the full tour of our plant, met all our employees, saw our manufacturing process and our blending process…he was so excited to learn how to make a teabag! He actually is a little bit of an “operations geek.” He watches programs on manufacturing and finds it fascinating (who knew!).

But besides seeing how we operate, he was so gracious and generous with his time in chatting with our employees. Our employees were smiling from ear to ear as he signed photos, notes, whatever as well as stood for pictures with anyone that wanted one (which was just about everyone!). He never gave me the feeling “he had to go” even though he was driving down to Spring Training when he left our company. He is a class act in every sense.

Yes, the Bigelow family is very fortunate in our partnerships. We could have not have found a better spokesman for our company, not only does he love our green tea but as everyone knows he is a true gentleman. A professional, a gentleman, a huge heart and a fantastic manager….we are blessed to call him part of our family!

Cindi Bigelow

Thanks to The Who for the image

Never mind the chips, salsa and beer. The refreshment of choice during Super Bowl XLIV should have been Bigelow Tea—at least during halftime!  That’s when The Who, one of the greatest rock groups ever, performed their dynamic live set in Miami, as part of the most-watched television program in history!

If you were one of the 106.5 million viewers who saw the New Orleans Saints defeat the Indianapolis Colts, you probably enjoyed seeing Pete Townshend & Roger Daltrey rock the arena with a medley of their classics, like “Pinball Wizard” and “Won’t Get Fooled Again.”  (And you might be doubly thrilled to know you can play their medley yourself on Rock Band right now!)

But for all their instantly-recognizable classics, The Who are still cranking out new tunes as well — including their recent song Tea & Theatre, which begins with the question, “Will you have some tea…with me?”

Yes we will!

Decide for yourself what the lyrics in Tea & Theatre are about (watch an acoustic version here), but featuring a tea reference in lyrics does follow a long tradition in music. Perhaps The Who’s legendary singer Roger Daltrey and songwriter/guitarist Pete Townshend, the two original members remaining in the iconic group, love tea because they’re from England, which enjoys the world’s highest per capita tea consumption.

The Who’s album Endless Wire, released in 2006, includes the poignant Tea & Theatre, which was often played as the final song of their concerts during the album tour:

The Who in London, 1965 (Thanks to The Who for the image)

Image Courtesy of Wikipedia

“Before we walk from the stage
Will you have some tea
Will you have some tea
At the Theatre with me?”

Inducted into the Rock n’ Roll Hall Of Fame in 1990, The Who continue a long list of blockbuster Super Bowl halftime performers, including Prince, the Rolling Stones and Paul McCartney.  And if they inspire a few football fans to warm up with a hot cup of tea, they’re our personal MVPs!

Picture of Punxsutawney Phil Courtesy of Groundhog.org

As we begin to tire of winter (enough, already!) we also wait anxiously for the answer to a crucial question: “Will there be six more weeks of winter or will we soon be singing Spring Fever?” Well, we at Bigelow Tea can’t answer that question, so we’ll defer to the professionals – Punxsutawney Phil and his like-minded brethren.

Each year on February 2^nd, Phil (and his geographic network of groundhogs in the United States and Canada) ventures out of his burrow.  If he sees his shadow, he scurries back into hibernation for another six weeks; if however, the lovable four-legged muse fails to see his shadow, he will leave his burrow, indicating that spring will soon be sprung!

Groundhog Day is celebrated with gusto in many locations, especially in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania – which, fittingly, was the set location for the 1993 movie Groundhog Day, starring Bill Murray. Each year in Punxsutawney, crowds of people gather before sunrise to begin their annual all-day celebration featuring county fair themed events, food, libations and dancing.

Image Courtesy of Donnan.com

The Groundhog Day tradition dates back to 19^th century Pennsylvania and the influx of German immigrants, whose European weather lore and customs were adopted. The annual celebration is also reminiscent of the medieval Catholic holiday of Candlemas.

Today, communities across the country have named their official groundhogs. Sadly, in Bigelow Tea’s home state, Connecticut Chuckles VI (a.k.a. Arnie) died last year at the ripe old age of 12. However, the title has been passed on to Molly, heretofore known as Connecticut Chuckles VII.

Happy Groundhog Day! And be sure that that when you come in from the cold, that you put the kettle on and enjoy some tea!

You might recognize Demi Lovato from the TV movie, Camp Rock, or maybe the series, Sonny with a Chance, and if not, here at Bigelow Tea we’re pretty sure that your kids do!

Thanks to aceshowbiz.com for the Image

Starting her career in showbiz at six-years-old, the seventeen-year-old star has certainly accomplished a great deal: besides movies and TV she also has two studio albums under her belt, the first of which, Don’t Forget, debuted at number 2 on the Billboard 200 charts!

In addition to her genuine talent, Lovato’s care for the environment is something that you would appreciate having the little ones emulate, having taken part in the environmentally friendly initiative,

Disney’s Friends for Change. We also welcome her love of tea and simple pleasures!  Check out a recent mention on her Twitter profile:

“Wishing I was in bed with soup and tea watching movies all day”

We agree Demi, what a way to spend a quiet day!  However, we’re pretty sure the world has some bigger plans in store for you.  Better get that tea to go!

Thanks to zimbio.com for the Image

Best known for her hilarious and yet totally inappropriate character Karen Walker on the former hit TV series Will & Grace,  Bigelow Tea knows that behind-the-scenes Megan Mullally leads an extremely healthy lifestyle.

Mullally reports to drinking  herbal teas and water exclusively, and credits tea with helping her maintain a fresh, youthful appearance. She explains that a diet of healthier food and drink has contributed to much higher energy levels, which she puts to great use with her Broadway appearances.

An established stage star, cast in hits like Grease and How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, Mullally is working on her latest stage performance, Karen: the Musical.  Set to open sometime in fall 2010, the musical will revive the beloved character Karen Walker. That’s a revival we can’t wait to see; Will you join us?