Karen’s Birthday Tea

I know. I know! It’s been a year.

Oh, what a year it has been.

It’s been a lot of hanging on by the fingernails, a lot of one foot in front of the other, a little bit of oh-my-gosh-I’m-never-going-to-survive-this and a smidgeon of pleasant surprises. Like the rest of the universe and working parents, I vacillate between coping and overwhelmed. Writing has been just too much – I couldn’t even form the words…

We are doing as well as can be expected under the circumstances.

We are all healthy. We are trying to find things for which to be grateful. Last month it was the most glorious autumn I’ve seen since we left Maine 20 years ago. It was perfection, and if you follow me on Facebook or Instagram, you’ve seen the photos. New England did not disappoint – it was like walking, running, riding, living inside a box of crayons, the colors were so vivid. Lately, I’ve been grateful for my Wahoo in the basement and Netflix Christmas movies. At this very moment, I’m grateful nearly every day, Gabe brings coffee to my desk upstairs in the master bedroom where I’m working four days a week.

We are grabbing joy wherever it can be found.

However, it is now NOVEMBER. You will see from my posting history; November always hits me hard. The start of the holidays has often been the start of an emotional decline that I often don’t climb out of until spring.

We can’t let that happen this year. We just can’t. I’m barely coping with Pandemic Life as it is.

As such, I’ve formulated a plan, but first, a bit of backstory.

My mom’s birthday was November 26. It always fell during Thanksgiving week, and at times, as with this year, on Thanksgiving Day. Growing up, Thanksgiving was always “her” holiday. This year she would have been 72.

She’s been gone 14 years now, and every year around this time, I get a little blue. There have always been distractions – family gatherings and dinner parties, school events and field trips. It was enough to get me through to the bit where I put twinkle lights all over everything and that tides me over, at least, till New Year’s.

But this year, there will just be the four of us. Maybe 5 if Gabe’s mom drives down for a few days, but that’s it. Staying home, staying safe, staying isolated. Staying lonely.

I needed something to look forward to.

As such, I decided to plan a party.

A birthday party for Mom. And, what else would Karen’s birthday party involve but a fancy English Afternoon Tea.? Her favorite pastime in my high school years, Anglophile that she was. She sent me away to my first home armed with china cups and saucers, tiered servers, teapots and cozies, silver tea sieves and sugar tongs.

These treasures have been neglected on the shelves of my china cabinet far too long.

I threw together an invitation on Canva, and will deliver it with an attached menu to my teenage sons later this week. I’ll let you know how it goes.

I hope that a few of you are still out there and will read this. It felt like something I needed to share.

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