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Entrepreneurship:  oh my goodness .. tea parties!  |
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CabinCreek-Kentucky
True Blue Farmgirl
8529 Posts
Frannie
Green County
Kentucky
USA
8529 Posts |
 Posted - Oct 17 2005 : 6:30:16 PM
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i accidentally found all these responses to my tea party post .. should i 'check here' to subscribe to this topic'? is that how i get notification? and how do i 'unsubscribe' to a topic too? what is html and why does mine say 'off' (seems there is no option to turn it on .. and do i need to turn it on?
now .. about those tea parties! i could talk FOREVER about them .. but here's the beginning of the short version:
when i retired from working for the U.S. Department of Justice in Washington, D.C. .. all my friends asked what i was going to do 'with the rest of my life' .. and my immediate response was: PLAY!
well, i thought about what i enjoyed .. what was fun .. and since we lived 'off the beaten track' (but close to both annapolis and baltimore maryland .. i still didn't know anyone who didn't work .. but knew there were many women who were stay at home moms or were retired. now .. rather than stand at the end of my long driveway with a big sign that read: "I'M LONELY .. PLEASE COME PLAY WITH ME" .. hmmmmmm .. didn't want any 'truckers' stopping by! I knew i loved friends, parties, and being 'creative' (both decorating for holidays and seasons and making crafts). And I've always been told that i am a 'good storyteller' ..
i thought about teaching for fun at local crafts stores .. but after going to a few classes .. they were mostly boring .. everyone had to find all kinds of 'stuff' to make an item .. hardly anyone ever talked to each other .. there were no yummy munchies .. and when the store closed at 9:00 p.m. .. everyone had to leave whether or not their 'craft' was finished. they were well attended (so i knew the 'need' was there .. but i also knew that there just had to be other women who wanted to gather with gurlfrenz for a fun and creative evening!
we had a wonderfully, huge home set back in the woods along a river .. and i am an 'antique-a-holic' .. so i've been collecting 'wonderfuls' for over 30 years .. (ha! i actually got a call one time from a woman asking me if i knew where the 'doll museum' was in my town .. lordy! i got so excited .. a DOLL MUSEUM!!!! oh my goodness, i have just got to find it! she then said that the museum served 'tea' .. and it dawned on me and i just laughed and said: "oh lordy .. you're talking about my HOME!"
i would choose a 'craft' to make (usually by holiday or season .. or if it was a 'group' of women that came .. like schoolteachers or a church group, i'd gear the craft to their interests) .. i would gather everything needed and wrap all the supplies REALLY WONDERFULLY ATTRACTIVE .. also according to 'theme' (i could go on forever on this topic .. i swear .. my friends all tell me to write a book .. i sure wish i had taken photos at every tea party i ever gave .. and i honestly gave hundreds! (that includes the "Yesteryear's Children" historical tea parties that was a spin off because the moms started bringing their daughters to see the hundreds of dolls, antique toys, games, chilidren's antique furniture clothes, doll houses .. etc. etc. etc. etc. (and about a hundred more etc'ers!) that i had collected and decorated my home with.
the mom's said .. this is a time for just us women .. WOMEN'S COMFORTS ... SOOOOOOO .. knowing that today's little girls are tomorrow's women .. and I wanted to share with them how special our 'history' is .. i started historical tea parties for little girls too (little boys were certainly welcome .. and in the ten years i had these tea parties .. only ONE little boy ever came).
Well, with the 'craft' and supplies chosen and purchased and 'wrapped' .. i got to figuring out wonderful ways to display the 'yummies' table .. and oh my .. i did get creative with this!
I used to love to watch the faces of the women (and the children) when they would walk through the door and see the table setting! I am a lousy cook .. so i depended on a friend or two .. and good bakeries to supply foods (however, i have a pretty good way to 'present' even the simplest types of foods (including peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for the kids) .. the table was always loaded with lots of munchies and TEA!
When the guests all arrived, first we would do a little 'welcome' to Crooked Tree Hollow (the name of our home) .. and i am a very strong believer that everyone should have their 'fifteen seconds of fame' ... (and it was of utmost importance to me that before the evening was over, every woman there felt a kindred sisterhood to every other woman there) .. i would choose a fun 'question' and have everyone introduce themselves and answer the question .. such as at a valentine's tea .. i would ask: tell us about your first (or most memorable) kiss. I will never forget the time i did this with a group of older women .. most did not know each other .. the ladies would smile and giggle and reach deep into their memories and share their stories. At this party, an 85 year old woman told of the deep and passionate (and YES! that is the word she used .. to describe her very first kiss) ... she had everyone enthralled .. and the women wanted more details ... did the romance continue (it did not) .. if she knew where he was today .. (she did not) .. where did she receive this special kiss (in a nearby town) ... then she mentioned his name .. and another lady started laughing so hard we all thought she would pee her pants! And she announced: THAT is my HUSBAND!
At another tea party .. we were making 'sweet remembrances' .. little stichery pillows .. with the name of someone we love. A young woman who had never been to my home before .. said she wanted to use her sister's name .. but wasn't sure if she should use her full name or nick name .. i asked her what "she" called her sister when they were children .. she just smiled and embroidered her sister's childhood name .. as everyone was finishing their project and we were readying for our 'tea party' .. i noticed this young woman had embroidered a name and both a birth and death date (which was just two months ago from the tea party date). I just looked at her .. tears filled her eyes and i hugged her .. by that time, the other girls had noticed her 'sampler' too .. and here was this large group of 'sisters' all hugging her. She then softly and calmly told us the story of how her precious sister always came to her house for Friday night dinner .. and usually took her two sons home with her for the night. On this particular 'fated night' .. her sons had plans for early Saturday morning and did not go with her .. they hugged and kissed her goodnight and waved as she got in her car to drive off. Within moments, there was a very loud CRASH .. they rushed to the front door and saw at the end of their street where a large tractor trailer truck and slammed into her, destroying her car and killing her.
This sweet woman just came into our lives that one evening and told us that she believed we were all angels there to bless her when she needed it most. We never saw her again .. but we each remember that evening and i believe she will carry us in her heart forever.
AND THAT MY DEAR FRIENDS .. IS WHAT 'TEA PARTIES' ARE REALLY ALL ABOUT!
Well, kiddos .. like i said .. i could go on forever .. and this is just a short chapter in my Tea Party life .. I will write more soon .. but now .. it's getting late and i have to go snuggle my handsome honey hunk husband hank.
xo, frannie |
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Clare
True Blue Farmgirl
2173 Posts
NC WA State
USA
2173 Posts |
Posted - Oct 17 2005 : 6:39:23 PM
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Frannie, Please read this post. It will answer all your questions.
http://www.maryjanesfarm.org/snitz/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=1025ions.
May the sun bring you new energy by day, may the moon softly restore you by night, may the rain wash away your worries, may the breeze blow new strength into your being, may you walk gently through the world and know its beauty all the days of your life. ~~Apache Blessing
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Utahfarmgirl
True Blue Farmgirl
1940 Posts
Portland
Oregon
USA
1940 Posts |
Posted - Oct 18 2005 : 4:32:03 PM
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Wow, Frannie, what wonderful stories!! Ya gots me in tears already! Thanks for sharing.
Patricia
Happy Wishes! |
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westfork woman
True Blue Farmgirl
554 Posts
Kennie Lyn
Emmett
Idaho
USA
554 Posts |
Posted - Oct 19 2005 : 09:38:06 AM
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Thank you Frannie, for sharing the idea and the stories. Our teas are very popular, we just never thought about making it a business. There are so many women who seem to be starved for fellowship with other women, its a good idea.
Greetings from the morning side of the hill. |
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Entrepreneurship: oh my goodness .. tea parties! |
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oh my goodness .. tea parties!
