December 30, 2019. Ancaster, Ontario. A Ladies Tea.

On Christmas Day, Alana gave me a hand written, beatifically decorated Christmas card. Inside the card was a lovely invitation to tea. The special tea was for the ladies of the family, to be held on Dec. 30, at Wendy's home. This tea party was Alanas gift to us. Diane picked Irene and me up. When I arrived at the tea, I was escorted immediately to the dining table. I was so entranced with the table that I stood admiring it for ages. It looked exactly like a high tea at the Empress Hotel in Victoria. The table was full of beautiful china and wonderful delicacies. Everything we could ever want at a high tea was on the table, including the three tier plates. We had clotted cream, strawberry preserves, little sandwiches, cheese and cracker tray, olives, apple butter, home made scones.and more. Wendy used all my Mothers china, which always pleases me. The table looked beautiful but we soon attacked the goodies, which were delicious, all made by Alana. At the table were the six ladies: Irene, Diane, Alana, Katey, Wendy and me. We had a grand time and was an unusual gift, which we all appreciated. At the same time, my brother Dave took the men out to lunch to a restaurant in Burlington overlooking Lake Ontario. Unfortunately, Ken was ill so Dave took Norm and Brock. The restaurant is a favorite of mine because Dave and Irene took Ken and me to the same restaurant several years ago. While you sit at lunch, the freighters move along the lake. Their timing was perfect. They arrived back to the tea house just in time for Irene and I to drive home with Dave and Diane to head home with Norm. The men enjoyed their lunch. But I bet they did not have as much joy as we had sitting around the lovely table, sipping tea from fancy cups and nibbling all the goodies prepared for us by Alana. It was a meal set for Queens and a most welcome gift.