A product of Melrose High School in the heart of Orange Mound, L. Cool earned her unique nickname playing basketball. Because of her moves on the court, friends assigned the handle Lisa Cool, which morphed into L. Cool.L. Cool dreamed of playing basketball beyond high school, but a knee injury shattered that dream. After high school, Cool gave birth to a daughter. She attended two semesters of college, then dropped out. Much of her time was spent getting high.“I used get high right her
Posted on January 20, 2021
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The current Covid-19 pandemic has assaulted our city not unlike the devastating Yellow Fever epidemic of 1878. The epidemic of 1878 was the fifth of six epidemics beginning in 1828, but by far the worst. In January 143 years ago, Yellow Fever had amassed 17,000 cases in our metro area compared to nearly 70,000 cases of Covid-19 since the beginning of the pandemic. However, there were far more deaths from Yellow Fever - up to 5000 in Memphis in the 3rd wave of t
Posted on January 06, 2021
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Rosalyn is often asked how she is able to light up the House with her ever-present, shining smile. It is not easy to always appear happy, but especially when one knows Rosalyn’s story of tragedy and struggle.“My mother always told me never look like what you’ve been through,” says Rosalyn. “Just smile and you’ll feel better. Plus, it makes you look younger,” she laughs.Born and raised in Orange Mound, Rosalyn dreamed of being an actress, but her moth
Posted on November 19, 2020
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Metaphorical and actual storms have swept through our country in 2020 and impacted us all. In Orange Mound, it’s stormy weather all the time for a single mom. Poor choices made, trajectory miscalculated, hopes dashed, fate cast, all add up to hard challenges in less than desirable living locales here. The hope for economic stability for a young single mom in our neighborhood is depressing. Forty percent of female-led households live at or below the poverty line. The media
Posted on November 03, 2020
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The raging storms may round us beat/A shelter in the time of storm/We'll never leave our safe retreat /A shelter in the time of storm. But for the fact that these words were written more than one hundred years before Danyelle was born, the composer, Vernon Charlesworth, could have been writing about her life.“God just kept telling me to hold on and keep the faith and continue to do your work here in this world,” Danyelle says describing how she had persevered thro
Posted on October 14, 2020
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Last Monday, one of our employees discovered that her voting rights had been re-instated. She brought her Voter Registration Card to show it off to us, and she flashed it around like a $500.00 bill. There was whooping and hollering and rejoicing throughout The House. It was as if the 1920 Women’s Suffrage Movement had marched right through our kitchen. One-third of our employees at My Cup of Tea have never voted because they have been dragging the shame and baggage of a
Posted on September 29, 2020
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Deborah is an accomplished seamstress at My Cup of Tea. Meticulous stitching and eye-catching patterns characterize Deborah’s masterpieces. Tea cozies, aprons, tea towels and her latest creation, hot and cold therapy wraps, were perfected through years of training that began in the seventh grade and continued three hours per day through high school.“When I was in high school, I wanted to be a fashion designer,” says Deborah, “But life’s changes brought me to a sta
Posted on September 08, 2020
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Love your neighbor… and your neighbor’s children.“There should be no other limit to exercising kindness to my neighbor than the end of my resources.” -John CalvinA huge swath of Orange Mound is currently sorting out the tensions of virtual school with laptops, Internet connectivity and child care, all while breadwinning. Small businesses in Orange Mound are sorting through the CARES Act (Coronavirus, Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act) in order to squeeze a breat
Posted on August 22, 2020
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Some of our customers and supporters already know Bretta from her short video clips, Tea Tips. But like all of the women who work at My Cup of Tea, Bretta is a complex and extraordinary woman with a story to tell.
Posted on August 06, 2020
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Morning routines can set the tone for the rest of your day. By creating a relaxing morning routine, you can have time for all of your favorite things while still being productive, including morning strolls, warm tea, and more.
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Strong arms, shrewdness, and nurturing ways are prized virtues of the woman esteemed in Proverbs 31. I have always thought the quintessential virtuous woman is tireless, teaches in the church nursery and is in two Bible studies, one of which she leads. I conjure that she shows good stewardship when she respectfully sends her family’s outgrown clothes dry cleaned on wire hangers to the convenient clothes closet for poor people. In my mind, I am confident she and he
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The terms COVID-19 and National Iced Tea Day probably have never been uttered in the same sentence until now. Yet, in 2020, it won’t surprise anyone that two seemingly unrelated things have collided to bring about a “new normal”. On Wednesday, June 10th, National Iced Tea Day, My Cup of Tea will begin shipping its products for free to any customer in the Memphis Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA).“Concerns about COVID-19 have made it more difficult for our customers to
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