I wanted to post some of the tea party memories I have of my mom, on this day of mothers, but I'm having trouble choosing. It's hard not to get steeped in the memories, with all the accompanying bittersweet sadness of missing her. To keep this from becoming a novel, I will try to just touch lightly on a few of the best ones. I'll do a little a hummingbird flitting, savoring the barest taste of these rich flowers and then moving on to the next.
One year, mom requested as her special Mother's Day gift, to be taken to afternoon tea somewhere special. We found that one of the swank hotels here in town served "high tea" every Sunday and so we went, dressed in our finest. We weren't at ease in that enormous setting - tea was served at low tables surrounded by couches and overstuffed chairs in the middle of a kind of foyer or lobby that led from entrance to pool. The ceilings were tall and the columns and decor were very elegant, but it was big and cold and echoey, and we felt sort of exposed and visible. I think we all would have liked it better in a cozy room, with a little less grandeur, but we struggled to enjoy ourselves anyway. The nibbles were good, and we each got to choose our own flavor of tea which was served in its own tea pot and poured out for us by the serving wench. So we called her, putting on our worst British accents and holding our pinkies out stiff, pretending to be upper crust and trying to make each other laugh to shake off the awkward feeling of the place.
Another year, another Mother's Day treat, we found a place that was more to our taste. It was a little tea house / antique shop, called something like The Antique Rose. It became of our favorite places. The atmosphere was very cozy and comfortable, a sort of country cottage feel, and adding to the ambience, the waitresses dressed in 19th century clothes. They served wonderful scones, and a lemon curd that was to die for.
After tea, we would usually browse through the antique shop and wish we had the money to buy this or that. One year, mom bought me a tea tray I had been coveting. She waited until I had left, and went back in and bought it for me and surprised me with it. It's the tray in the photo here. The tea set in the photo was hers. I found it at a little shop and bought it for her as a birthday present one year. When she died, I brought the dishes here, but this is the first time I've had them out since then.
The cream of these memories is probably the teddy bear tea party. Many years ago, when my nieces were still young, mom planned a series of "theme" parties. For this one, each of us brought a bear, dressed up in ribbons or doll clothes, and they joined us around our little table in tiny chairs of their own. I had a miniature tea set mom had given me, and so each bear had their own little cup. It was grand. I don't know where my mom got the idea for the teddy bear tea party. Probably from one of her many books. If I find it in my scouring, I'll post it here and give credit.
I regret - more than I can say - that I have no photos of the party, and our silliness. Let that be a lesson to me. Take photos of your loved ones, and of special moments, take all the photos you can! Sometimes pictures in your head are not enough, especially when the person is gone.
But she's not really gone. Today, I'll be cooking and baking and remembering, and I feel mom's spirit hanging about me. I felt her leaning over my shoulder this morning as I was grinding beans for my coffee. She always loved the smell of coffee. I felt her sitting nearby as I arranged her cups and things on the tray to take this photo. I remember you mom, and I raise my cup to you, in remembrance of the Tea Party Lady you were, and all the tea party memories we made.
Seems you really have a great time with your mom, know what? I also have a great memories on the tea party that i gave for my mom this Mother's day were so happy. Thanks for sharing I enjoyed reading your post.
-krisha-
Posted by: buy lipton tea | May 12, 2009 at 05:38 PM