Tea Time

As a child, I would often observe the girls my age hold simulated tea parties during play time. Despite an early inclination toward classically feminine activities, the concept of a tea party never interested me. For starters, I am not a tea drinker. (Much to my culinary disadvantage, I have always preferred to take caffeine in chilled, sweetened forms.) I also tended to be a picky eater for a long time. The classic tea fare seemed unappetizing, and did not inspire me to seek out such an event.

But recently, the ladies group at my church hosted our inaugural Sunday afternoon Spring Tea as a fundraiser/fun-raiser. Coming after the conclusion of a seemingly interminable winter, the event generated a lot of internal and external interest. We were ultimately blessed with several dozen registrants, including a recently retired work colleague (who brought a group with her), and one of my neighbors. I had originally planned to serve as volunteer, but the prospect of such wonderful company eventually inspired me to register as a guest.

For my attire, I selected a lined, blue and white taffeta spring dress that has previously served as my Easter attire — with pearls, sparkly blue nail polish, and a fun new pink and black polka-dot hat I ordered that was delivered (literally) five minutes before I was ready to leave. I carpooled to the event with my neighbor, where upon arrival in the parking lot I met my colleague and her group, who had also just arrived. After brief introductions, we all entered the club together. We found smiling faces, inviting décor, and lovely table settings waiting for us inside. I blended in very nicely among the guests, most of whom were likewise wearing their Sunday best.

The event was organized through a private caterer, and she hosted tea in the Irish style. (No, we did not slip any whiskey into the kettle!) This included three teas served in succession — one to begin the event, another for the main fare, and a final one served with dessert. Our hostess knew her tea inside and out, and she provided detailed and useful information about tea in general, and the kinds of tea that she served.

Shortly after pouring our first cup, the food began to arrive. We began with blueberry scones with lemon curd, followed by egg salad mini-bagels, chicken salad croissants, and toasted and buttered cinnamon raisin bread topped with cheese and green apple slices. Then came the classic cucumber sandwiches, and finally an assortment of homemade desserts that we ladies had baked, including a homemade glazed lemon cake that was my contribution. As a tea novice, I was pleasantly surprised to have enjoyed every item! (I must confess that I still needed to add sweetener to my tea.)

As with most feminine activities — where the quality of the journey is often a greater priority than the ultimate destination — the overall care and presentation was equally as important as the fare itself. We were served handmade food with real ingredients in proper portions, which allowed for leisurely dining and socialization. This was a truly humane way to enjoy a meal with one another. I found it vastly preferable to hastily warming up something for an efficient dining experience. While not every meal needs to be so refined and elaborate (even in music, one can appreciate both Mozart and Metallica), this approach definitely has its benefits.

And when it came to socializing, I found this to be the best part of the experience. I truly savored spending the afternoon with my colleague outside of work, along with her friends; they are all seasoned tea aficionados, and made many favorable comments on the event. It was my neighbor’s introduction to our group events, and she thoroughly enjoyed herself. One of the newer members of our group was in attendance, and I was able to spend some quality time chatting with her. I had helped to coordinate the floral display for her wedding a few years earlier, so it was a wonderful opportunity get to know her better in a less hectic and more leisurely setting.

Since this was of course a fundraiser, the event included a tea-themed raffle basket and a 50/50 cash drawing, which helped to defray some of the costs for our Kentucky Derby event the following month. (Hey, it wouldn’t have been an Irish tea without a little gambling, right?) And there was a fancy hat contest — in which your present columnist emerged as the victor on the third ballot, by public acclaim of the room! I was extremely flattered, and very happily took home a generous gift card to a major retailer, which more than offset the cost of the hat itself.

The hat contest winner!

More importantly, I was so pleased to have contributed to and participated in an event that by all accounts provided a relaxing, pleasant and fulfilling afternoon for so many people, myself included. It was wonderful to have an occasion to dress one’s best — real clothes, jewelry, heels and accessories — and be reminded what it means to be truly social. While I certainly enjoyed being dressed up for my own sake, it simultaneously showed respect for my audience, when they could see that I valued their time to make such an effort.

We all agreed this will become an annual event for us. As for me, whatever lingering prejudices I had against tea culture (probably a residual case of classic Irish anglophobia) evaporated in light of personal experience. I suppose I never knew what I was missing. Well, there’s one more reason in my book why girls really do have more fun.

So although I still prefer caffeine in cold form, I can now freely confess to being a tea lover. Better late than never!

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Category: Transgender Fun & Entertainment