Our High Tea in May...

(c) Savoring the Sweet Life

At the High Tea, women invite their friends and relations to enjoy this special event. The Tea always sells out the first day tickets go on sale and there’s a waiting list. As in past years, the men were generous enough to serve as waiters and food organizers, including our rector, Chris Chase (pictured right)!

These photos are all used with permission from the photographers from Savoring the Sweet Life who attended the feast. 


Last week we shared a story from Jennifer Burgess about the china used at her table. Today, we share another story. Stay tuned for more in the September tidings.

(c) Savoring the Sweet Life

From Michelle Dicks: 

My maternal grandparents, Theresa and Marshall, were married for fifty years.  They loved to entertain and cook.  Grandma was born and raised in New Orleans, and would cook all of the Creole specialties in abundance; nothing was better than going to grandma’s house to eat!  

For some gatherings, they used their china, which grandpa carefully maintained. After grandpa died in 1991, grandma moved into a condo.  I was away at college for the move, but grandma had “Auntie” Nani pack all of the china into sturdy boxes and put my name on them.  Grandma told Nani that one day I would have my own house and would enjoy it.  The boxes took up half of a closet in grandma’s condo, and in all the years she lived there, she never opened them. Grandma died in the fall of 2006. A month after I purchased my townhouse in 2007, Nani’s husband made a special trip from LA to deliver the china. 

Michelle's table
(c) Savoring the Sweet Life

Last year, when I heard Good Sam needed table hostesses for the annual Women’s High Tea, I decided to host a table and use grandma’s china.  Before I started, I said a lot of prayers, asking God to draw my grandparents close to me, and to help me avoid dropping anything because I had to traverse stairs and travertine to get to the dishwasher, which thankfully has a special china setting.  

The experience was unforgettable; I laughed and cried and felt an enormous sense of connection to them.  This year I had a similar experience preparing for the tea.  I am so thankful to my grandparents – my gutsy, gumption-filled Southern grandma and my kindhearted, calm and resilient grandpa – for leaving such a legacy for me for enjoy, and to share with others.