CHRISTMAS TEA

 "The art of tea is a spiritual force for us to share..."
         -Alexandra Stoddard, (Tea Celebrations; the way to Serenity)

 Teatime. Especially Christmas company tea, was always special when I was growing up. My mother would save  her December seamstress pay, in an envelope, to dole out money to buy  ingredients. She  would  make goodies  for  tea. For good friends who came by. She enjoyed doing it every year. To celebrate Christmas. 

The good china. The antique Royal Crown Derby Blue Mikado  gleamed under Christmas lights. My mother would him and haw over it, polish it with a tea towel and arrange the dishes "just so" on the table. 

 "Tea! thou soft, thou sober, sage and venerable liquid , to whose glorious insipidity, I owe the happiest moments of my life....."
                                      --Colley Cibber

 Whatever she had, the best linens,some torn from years of use, patched and darned to look new again, would be used on the table. Candles saved from years gone by,  a bit of glitter scattered here and there over the table to make it festive. Christmas ornaments arranged just so, nestled by the candles.

 One year, I was sure that an uncle and aunt were coming for tea. If they came for evening tea, then there would be extra treats. I told  my mother they were coming by. So my mother set out the table in its finery and piled on the goodies.She worked all day at the food. My job was to set the table with the blue Mikado and slice fruitcake.

 Smoked oysters, slimy  in oil , set beside melting brie cheese, tiny sandwiches made with cress, cucumber, smoked salmon and parsley. Petit fours drenched in pink/ white icing, huge slabs of fruitcake ( ah yes my mother's brown fruitcake smelling of booze and gobs of cherries)......

 Shortbread dipped in sugar with balls of candied peel on top with silver dragees. Those fat mincemeat tarts scalding from the oven were in competition to the meat pies. So hot their innards spilled forth like a dam breaking when stabbed by a fork. 

 Blonde Russian tea cakes,strawberries made of sugar and fondant. Snickerdoodles, spiced and crackling, piled hungrily with powdery crescent cookies smacking with nuts.

 Tiny scones made in the shape of hearts, smothered with  whipped cream. Homemade raspberry preserves plopped over, with soft butter curls, just waiting to be devoured.

 Then came the chocolate......white cream cranberry bark, Peanut Butter bark ( now I call it Tiger Butter),Truffles rolled with coconut frosting, dipped in dark chocolate ......

 And the tea. Poured into the tea pot with great ceremony, sugar and cream at ready. Hot. Ready. Waiting....

 We waited an hour. We waited another hour. At least it felt like an hour. No aunt and uncle. Tea cold. Tea refurbished. more steam. 

 My mother decided we might as well try some of the goodies. No sense in letting them all go to waste. Yum to the chocolate, the sandwiches, the scones. Yuck to the oysters...My mother , very thrifty and careful, put everything away.

The next night I told my mother that my aunt and uncle were DEFINITELY coming over that night. So she put out all the goodies again. What were left. We waited with bated breath. Waited some more. Hmmmm. No aunt and Uncle. They must have forgotten. 

 Shame to let it all go to waste. So once again we nibbled at scones , meat pies , mincemeat and fondant strawberries. The sandwiches were all gone by this time, My mother very carefully put away what was left. The fridge was looking empty .

Next day, my mother finally phoned my aunt and uncle. Turns out they didn't know they were expected for tea. Golly. I was SURE they were coming, I protested. This time they agreed to  come over.And they did. On time. I was waiting in my room when they came. Well, I had been SENT to my room. to wait. Through the closed door I could hear them arrive. Soon there would be treats.....yum.

 When I was finally asked to come to the table, I looked for that glorious spread of tea. All that was left were the slimy oysters, runny brie cheese and a few shortbread. We'd eaten it all.Such was our special Christmas Tea that year.......(And  I was washing dishes for a long time after that........)

 "Drink your tea slowly and reverently, as if it is the axis on which the world revolves.." -Thich Nhat Hanh

Photographs 2018