lifeinflux

What can I say? I love a good tea party. And what offers up a better excuse than getting together a bunch of terrific Moms who homeschool, their daughters, and my daughter to host a midday tea at a little gem right here in Palo Alto better known as Tea Time!! On the menu were lovely bite-sized sandwiches made including Mandarin oranges and cream cheese, egg salad with fresh dill, smoked salmon with cream cheese topped with caviar, smoked Gouda cheese w/ fresh tomatoes, chicken-apple-pecan salad and bay shrimp salad topped with avocado. English crumpets with preserves and fresh fruit were served along with petit fours, scones (fresh from the oven!), miniature cupcakes and gorgeous mounds of Devonshire cream, lemon curd and whipped butter. Four teas were served including Tin Kuan Yin Fancy (Oolong), Makaibari (Darjeeling), Hao-Ya B (Black), and a decaf White pomegranate tea for the young ladies at the table. The presentation was amazing and I have to give the ladies at Tea Time a lot of credit. They ensured our tea cups were filled, kept the milk and honey and lemon replenished, checked in to ensure we were doing well and provided a gorgeous presentation worthy of high tea in any English manor house. Two and a half hours of delightful conversation ensued as we sipped and ate our fill.

Not only was the high tea a real treat, and something I rarely indulge in (even though having a proper tea is one of my most favorite things to do), meeting some lovely moms who think outside the box, and who don’t rely on the requisite scholastic boxes to define our children and their successes, and discussing the challenges and benefits of homeschooling with them was the real treat. I hope many more lovely afternoons are spent with these women, their children and the rest of their families as we build a supportive community for ourselves and our kids. What a nice way to spend a Saturday!