Take time for tea
This summer has been a blur and from what I have gathered in talking to others, it hasn’t only sped by for me. Although we’ve seen a lot of friends and family, there has been very little meaningful conversation. You know how that can happen sometimes? Yeah.
When I saw that my birthday landed mid-week (today!) I knew I wanted to sit down with a few close friends and connect, preferably over tea and scones. Just unhurried conversion, no agenda, countless cups of tea and plenty of laughs. These moments are few and far between, and if we’re not intentional about creating them, can slip away entirely.
To me, teatime is a delicious ceremony of friendship that doesn’t have to be reserved for wedding showers. It’s a good excuse to make cucumber sandwiches, deviled eggs and open a couple jars of jam.
A proper high tea is delightful way to honour your guests and make them feel special; an opportunity to snip a few flowers from the garden, frost cookies and set a pretty table.
My friends and I – and Clara, who popped in from time to time to snitch a scone – indulged in a lengthy lunch on our shady deck and got caught up with each others lives. A new baby, a new pregnancy and plenty of other life changes were among our topics of conversation and I so appreciated this time in my week to listen, share and be heard. What a birthday gift!
As you head into a new school year and a new season, why not plan on making time for tea? I think you’ll find it brings a certain serenity into our hurried modern lives. At least for an afternoon.
When was the last time you hosted or attended a tea party?
Well happy brilliant birthday, so glad that you had such a special day!!!
My husband took me out to tea at a nice restaurant after I’d had a really hard, disappointing week at work. I love dressing up and taking several hours to do nothing but talk (and sip and munch). Conversations tend to get really deep for us over tea, like setting life goals and plans.
Good point, Angela. I love that.
Also, Happy Birthday!
Ha. Thank you so much!
Happy Birthday!! What a wonderful way to spend the day. I have never attended a proper tea or an improper one for that matter. I am a coffee drinker but I do like my morning tea. What is your favorite?
Marisa, I’m not too picky about my teas. I suppose I drink English Breakfast because my parents always did. 😉
Happy belated birthday! You are totally right about how wonderful a tea can be. Last one I attended was sometime last year with the ladies who live in my building. I fondly remember the warm, lively discussion. I’m just going to check my calendar and schedule another one soon, we have new neighbors and babies to welcome and get to know!
I love it, Tiana! Good for you for making time for tea. 😉
Happy birthday, Aimee…I’m glad your day was spent in such a satisfying way. You plucked my heartstrings with this post on teatime. While I have only attended high tea a few delightful times, “time for tea” was a central part of my life while growing up. My mom lived in India during her youth where tea time was the anchor in every day. In our family tea time took the form of tea (strong, with plenty of cream and sugar please!) served with toast or shortbread. Every day began with a cup of tea, and then any other teatime was on an ” as needed” basis. If someone came to the door, the tea kettle was set to boil on the stove, and even perfect strangers were introduced to the delight of tea made milky and sweet. As for me and my siblings, tea time was applied to our souls like bandaids and baby aspirin in a spoon of jam was applied to our bodies…” Had a bad day? Let’s sit and have a cup of tea.” So, thank you for opening this door to a flood of lovely memories. Happy tea time to you!
Christin, thanks for sharing. That is a beautiful story and you obviously had a pretty amazing mother!
Oh how I love this! Happy birthday!
Tea is a daily part of my life from small moments to more elaborate tea parties such as this. There is something so magical in the ceremony of tea. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you, Kimberly!
Love afternoon teas and have them regularly. Made a special stop-over in London last October for 3 days specifically to go to a couple of afternoon teas which I had not had the chance to do when in London on previous trips. You can read the story on the London teas I attended as well as several teas I have hosted in the past by going to my food blog and to the Afternoon Teas page: http://www.myislandbistrokitchen.com
Sounds lovely! I can’t imagine having time for tea with friends until all the kids are settled back in school over the next couple of weeks…but I think I will pick a morning now to schedule one 🙂
This sounds like a perfectly lovely way to spend a birthday!
I would love to have a tea and have actually had hosting one on my goals this Fall. Your beautiful pictures, the encouragement of one of my favorite authors, and the promise of good conversation are more than enough motivation! The trouble for me in hosting things, though, is finding party/tea companions whose lives aren’t too busy to plan a date and spend a slow afternoon sipping tea. I do have my fingers crossed for making it work this Fall…
I know what you mean, Lisa. Let me know how it goes.
Happy birthday!
The lovely thing about living in Britain, is that there is ALWAYS time for tea! Perhaps not quite as prettily arranged 😉 but delightful nonetheless.
Thanks for sharing.
Kimberly
Happy Birthday Aimee! What a lovely day. Back in April, a dear friend of mine took me to the St. James Tea House for a formal tea/meal for my birthday. I now hold firmly to the opinion that Tea Parties make the very best birthday parties.
Here’s to a wonderful year ahead – you deserve it!