A Proper English Tea

Ingrid, above, sharing South African tea memories, and below, Stephanie demonstrating the proper way to make and serve the tea

My adventures as a teacher and artist include looking for special new experiences, and sometimes those experiences are as close as a dear friend's home.  Ingrid, a lovely South African friend, and Stephanie, a perfectly delightful English friend, put their heads and hearts together to treat a large group of women from my church to a proper English tea experience today.  

We not only enjoyed delicious tea and  crustless sandwiches, scones with jam and clotted cream, and sweet cakes, we got to hear Ingrid read about the history of tea  from a book called "If Teacups Could Talk" and Stephanie demonstrate  proper tea procedure.  Perhaps the best part was delighting in their accents.  None of us Minnesohhhtans were certain whether to say "Pass the Scohhhnes, please" or "Pahs the scawns, please."  

Ingrid's home was set up with various lovely spots for us to sit and visit and lift our pinkies as we sipped our sweet, hot tea and nibbled the delicacies.  You don't have to visit art museums to see art and beauty.  You can experience them in tradition, in tastes and smells and the sounds of laughter, and in the faces of lovely women gathered with grateful hearts.