September Happenings

Before I begin sharing pictures from my recent England and Paris trip I thought I'd share some recent happenings so I don't get too far behind. 

We returned home from Paris on Sunday evening, September 3rd, and even though we had a wonderful time, there's no place like home!  Monday was Labor Day and we stayed home the entire day trying to catch up.  On Wednesday, a Dr.'s appointment revealed I had COVID!  I escaped it throughout the entire pandemic, but I'm convinced I got the virus on the 8-hour flight home with its recirculating air.  Unfortunately I didn't wear a mask.  I was quarantined and side-lined with a busy schedule ahead.

The Whitney Autumn & Apples tea was September 16th and I had been asked to make 25 favors. My hubby shopped for the supplies and when I started feeling better I got them made. 

I asked for the 16th off from work months ago because I scheduled a tea for the ladies at my church that day, not knowing it was going to conflict with the Whitney event.  The church favors were small jars of Dickinson's strawberry jam purchased before I left on my trip, so all I had to do when I got home was put them in organza gift bags with a little fall colored shred.

The tea's theme was Hospitality and The Table.  The food poster in the above photo was purhased at the Churchill War Rooms gift shop in London.   I used it to illustrate how blessed we are with an abundance of food to share.  Most everyone attending the tea [myself included] have never experienced food rationing as done during WWII, yet those women pulled together for 'Victory in the Kitchen' - the title of a wartime cookbook also purchased in the gift shop.

The tea poster below from the Churchill War Rooms gift shop was appropriate too.  Tea was rationed for the general public so there would be enough for the soldiers.  It was a huge comfort and morale booster for them.

54 ladies attended the tea and a good time was had by all.  Victoria's Tea Salon catered the tea for us again this year, and as always they did a wonderful job.

We had a fun hat parade with 15 participants.

The 1st place winner was this adorable teacup fascinator worn by my sweet neighbor.

I loved the school band hat worn by this teenager.

My life-long girlfriend, Sandy, and me. We've been friends since 7th grade.  

Three Generations - My girlfriend, Lori, her daughter-in-law, Lisa, and granddaughter, Courtney. There were also three other sets of three generations in attendance.  It's wonderful seeing the pleasure of Afternoon Tea passed down from generation to generation.

~ Daughter, Mother, & Aunt ~

Mother & Daughter.  I counted at least nine sets of Mother's & Daughters.  My daughter was in California visiting her daughter and granddaughters, so she wasn't there.

The devotional was centered around Amy Hannon's book, 'Gather and Give' and to illustrate that you don't have to be elegant to extend hospitality, I shared a story from Dinner With the President when President Franklin Roosevelt invited King George VI and his wife, Queen Elizabeth, to his home in Hyde Park for a picnic with an all-American hot dog cookout.  The King and Queen ate off paper plates and as the King eyed the hot dog he asked the President what he should do with it.  "Put it in your mouth and keep chewing until you finish it" President Roosevelt quipped.  The King enjoyed his hot dog so much he had a second and washed it down with a cold beverage like an ordinary human.  The New York Times was so astounded that it ran a front-page story with the headline, "King Tries Hot Dog and Asks for More." During that same visit, the Royal Couple and the Roosevelts also enjoyed tea on the White House South Lawn.

2023 Orchard Ridge Ladies' Homecoming Tea is now in the books and who knows what next year's theme will be???