According to daysoftheyear.com today is National Iced Tea Day. And according to news.yahoo.com it is also National Mourn for Your Money Day and National Ballpoint Pen Day. Apparently the current Tax Payment Act passed on this day in 1943 and also in 1943 the Biro brothers took out a patent on the first ballpoint pen.
All of this got me thinking about which tea and pens are worth your money. Writers tend to do their best work with some sort of beverage close at hand on their desk. Coffee is the thing that gets my morning humming but by afternoon, at least most days, I’ve switched to tea. I am a huge fan of mint in all its forms but Celestial Seasonings Peppermint is amongst 
my favorites. It is refreshing hot or cold, summer or winter. I also adore Upton Tea Company’s South African Rooibos. When I am on a tight deadline, I worry I will short out my electric kettle from overuse brewing up endless cups of either of those favorites.
With a cup of tea in one hand, the other is still free to hold a pen and with so many choices out there it can take a good bit of time to find the one that makes the words just flow. While I am not a fan of ballpoint pens, I happen to have a passion for purple and am constantly on the lookout for pens that offer inks in that color despite the fact it will,in fact, cause me to write purple prose.
Last Christmas, my youngest child gifted me a set of purple gel pens from Pentel. The Ener Gel Liquid Gel Ink pen is my go to pen. The ink is smooth and quick-drying and the color is deep enough to be easy on the eyes while still maintaining the playfulness that is purple. At NH Writers Day, sponsored by the NH Writers’ Project this past April, I met three other writers who happened to be using the exact same pen. It appears to be taking the NH writing community by storm!
And I would be totally remiss not to mention my love of the True Writer Fountain Pen from Levenger. Although I was a little apprehensive concerning the practicality of a fountain pen in everyday modern life, I was delighted with mine once I gave into the urge and indulged my romantic side. I ordered the pen with a medium nib and a box of ink cartridges in 
Regal, a deep purple hue. This pen makes writing even the most dreaded of to do lists a bright spot in the day.
Do you have a favorite tea or pen? Do you have a favorite way to mourn your money?
What amazing Days! I also love purple, Jessie, and am going to be on the lookout for those gel pens. A smoothly flowing ink is so important to writing. I’m fond of the Uniball Vision pen in micro and bought a whole box recently so I never run out and so I always have a new one to take to book signings. I also have a nice fountain pen but don’t use it often.
Tea? Don’t drink it much these days, but there’s nothing more refreshing than a glass of sun tea made with a couple of those peppermint bags you like and maybe a Red Zinger thrown in.
I am also a gel pen fan. Smoothly flowing ink at least creates the illusion of smoothly flowing words.
I also do coffee in the morning, but have to switch to non-caffeinated drinks in the afternoon–including herbal teas. Otherwise, I am up all night. Not good for writing!
I love purple gel pens, coffee AND tea! I used to be a little of control with the coffee, but ever since I discovered Dr. Ming Wu’s 100-year-old black tea from China, that’s what I use to fuel my days (and my writing sessions) – with the occasional cup of coffee when I need the extra jolt 🙂