Tea Parties Because Mother Connie Sez

The little hand painted tea set shown here attended a great many tea parties...

When Mother Connie was a very tiny child tea parties were a staple.  Mommy provided the perfect setting and tasty treats for two as we celebrated life around the tea table.

This tradition continued over many decades...While Mommy made her home with The Normanator and me we had impromptu tea parties.  Sometimes we'd invite imaginary guests; we had ladies from church; we even had a Teddy Bear Extravaganza, where stuffed animals were "served" with us.  When Mommy's age and health brought her to a nursing facility that only reinforced the tea partying.

Arrangements were made for use of the facility's formal dining room.  Special guests were our #1 daughter and any guests Mommy cared to invite.  The time that worked best for the visiting daughter was evening, so it was decided this tea party would be a "Come In Your Jammies" affair.  Those nursing home folks are tucked in around 7:30 in some places, after all!

We arrived, picnic basket in tow:  there was a thermos of  hot tea, Mommy's own sugar bowl and creamer, her silver utensils, and pieces of her good china.  Also included were napkins and tablecloth from her linen drawer. Of course, the centerpiece was her very own teapot.   Mommy ooohed and aaahed as the treasures were lifted from the basket and arranged on the dining table.  Her guest, also her roommate, was wide eyed.  She declared she had never seen such beautiful things.

The memory of what we served escapes me after all these years.  I do remember the sense of wonder that filled that dining room with three generations of ladies and the guest who felt so honored that she could be a part of this event.  Just thinking back, it makes me smile.

We had our jammies on, as mentioned earlier.  And our robes.  As the party was going on Mommy asked if I'd bring something from her room.  I traipsed down the hall toward Mommy's room and heard someone call out, "Harriet?  Mrs. Pieper?  Do you want your pills now?"  Because of our matching nightwear a nurse had mistaken me for my mother! 

You may have heard all of us laughing when I related this case of false identity to the party goers!    

This party went so swimmingly that we re-booked the room for a follow up affair.  This time we'd have afternoon tea, replete with all the accoutrements of the pajama tea party but we'd meet in the formal dining room after everyone's nap time.  AND WE WOULD WEAR HATS.

This was the event that was attended by residents of the home and I invited some of my peeps.  We all looked pretty snazzy in our hats, sipping tea from  those 1950s  era china teacups.  

I asked Elsie if she were enjoying herself.  Elsie was the room mate who was so wide eyed at the first party.  Elsie straightened up on her dining room chair and her wide brimmed hat shifted as she spoke.  "OH, YES.  I've never been in a room this fancy before!"  

As we enjoyed our spread, we couldn't help noticing that other residents and staff made a great many trips by our dining room...they just "happened" to peek in as they passed.  We also noticed they were grinning at what they saw. 

Do YOU have a tea party story to share?  Mother Connie would love to hear about it...that's what the comment box is all about!

~Connie Baum 
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AH-hh...Foot Massage!

Oh, wouldn't this feel wonderful right now?

A foot reflexology session would feel heavenly today.  Foot reflexology was the first thing I learned before committing to doing Massage Therapy back in the day.  Now my #1 daughter is proficient and certified in the art of it but she lives half a continent away...

I have learned to use a bar of soap as I relax in a tub of hot water to work the same points and gain comfort from that.  My shiny  make that RADIANT--friend, Wendi, even gave me a lovely sugared oil to smear on my feet and that is divine but sometimes a person just needs someone else to pamper them and fuss over them.

That was one of the greatest sources of satisfaction when I spent my days in the massage room.  To offer soothing comfort and pain relief for sore, achy, injured and aging bodies was immensely gratifying to me.

Now that I have evolved into this stage of my life I look for other ways to get that sort of "high" from life.  One of my pursuits is to enjoy Tuesday morning breakfasts where the Seniors gather each week.  There is a good bit of camaraderie there and some great friendships are blooming around the breakfast table.  Not only that--the food is as good as the freely flowing coffee and the price is right:  $1.25 for the meal and $.25 to tip the cook!

Other mood elevators for me include Book Lovers Club and the new book club at the Assisted Living Facility.  Those sweet ladies in both groups have taught me so many things about books, life, hobbies, friendships, and food that sometimes I must pinch myself to be sure it's not just a dream!

Bloggers from all around the globe delight my heart, too.  I feel connected to men and women who share my varied interests from nearly every state in the union and in countries I have never visited!  Facebook connects us, as it connects me with friends and acquaintances from locations where I've lived or other personal history.  When I see status updates from people I went to school with or family members who live afar, I feel the warmth of a connection, even if it is virtual!

Toastmasters, International has a special place in my heart;  even though I am no longer attending meetings, I continue to nurture connections with those who are active and participating in club life somewhere.

Still, there is no good substitute for a good foot reflexology session!  

Do YOU yearn for a foot or body massage, too?  If so,  you know exactly what this is all about!  Here's hoping someone in your life is there to pamper YOU. 

~Connie Baum  

 The FTC wants you to know there are links in this post.  Should they be clicked, resulting in sales, your humble blogger would be fairly compensated.  Please do your due diligence when conducting affairs online or offline.  Always do business with those you trust implicitly.

 

Mother Connie Sez, "Are You Being Served?"

There is a Britcom by the name, "Are You Being Served?"--this is not that.

Mother Connie has been AWOL for far too long.  First it was this, then  it was that, which kept her away.  At times there was nothing to rant or rave about.  Sometimes she was too busy or too far under par or-she hates to admit this-SHE WAS LAZY.

She and The Normanator  had a long, loud discussion about what would happen on Martin Luther King Day.  Mother Connie INSISTED there would be no mail and no banking.  The Normanator was adamant that life would go on as if it were any other Monday.

She won a cooky over that, just as soon as we saw the sign on the bank, announcing that they'd be CLOSED on Monday, January 21.

Now, what the bank employees do on their time off is none of my business.  But I need to consider what I'll be doing.  It is suggested by the Powers That Be (Who ARE those powers,  anyway?) that people use that day for service to others.

Hm...there are so many ways to be of service it's dizzying:

Might I volunteer at the Action Center and help prepare food for the Seniors?

Should I go to the nursing home and help with recreation?  **Nope.  They are under quarantine because of illness there. 

How about calling some of my elderly acquaintances and ask if they need help with their cleaning? 

What if I offered to bring a meal to one of my older peeps OR invited them to eat with us? 

Do they need help at school? 

Does my shiny friend need help with her children? 

Maybe one of my elderly pals needs help trimming their nails?  .

Might  the Librarian need help? ** Well, she might, but the Library will be closed that day; she'll probably be sleeping in and shopping!

Here's the thing:  If you know of some way Mother Connie can be of service on Monday, January 21, 2013, just put a comment in the comment box and she will seriously consider your idea.

By the way, what are YOUR plans for service on that day? We'd love to hear your plans; just put them into the comment box.  THANK YOU.

Connie Baum
The FTC wants you to know there are links in this post.  Should they be clicked, resulting in sales, your humble blogger would be fairly compensated.  Please do your due diligence when conducting affairs online or offline.  Always do business with those you trust implicitly.