January tea

 Second Saturday of the month - it's time for another tea party.  This is such a joy for me.  I love using my nice china, and linens.  I love baking ladylike dainties.  Setting a pretty table and keeping the cups filled, listening to the music of all these happy, intelligent, talented, warm-hearted women enjoying one another fills me with such joy. Cleaning up afterwards, sending leftovers home to the kids and husbands, washing and drying cups and saucers, matching them up and putting them away - it's a kind of a prayer for me.  It's thanks and worship and praise all in one.

I love matching eccentric cups, plates napkins and glasses together.  And tea-cozies?  I have two baskets full of tea-cozies.   And more planned. Sewn and knitted tea-cozies are wonderful!

And oh how I love my hand-painted china!

 Linda and Linda wound up sitting together, both wearing purple tops with green collars.


The theme for today's tea was citrus.  A lemon-yellow tablecloth with lime,lemon, and tangerine napkins.  Lemon blossom cupcakes, coconut macaroons with lime glaze, chocolate thumbprint cookies with orange marmalade, and roast chicken wings with pineapple glaze.  Beth brought orange soda bread with clove/honey/butter.  We drank English Breakfast tea, and coffee; limeade and cranberry/apple juice.





There were 13 of us, and I could still get around the table with the teapot!  I love having the table in the big room and the tv in the smaller room.  With the second table set up at the end, I can seat as many as 16.  Woo hoo!