Tea Party

I am greatly looking forward to Thursday. I am having a number of people over for tea and cake then. And there will be discussion of books we have read like The Lord of the Rings. I do hope it will be a great success. I think I shall lay in a supply of really good loose leaf tea now that I can afford the occasional indulgence. And tomorrow I shall get lemons so I can make my very favorite kind of cake on Wednesday, the lemon chiffon cake. Were I to be really ambitious there would be crispy oatmeal cookies as well, but I doubt that will happen with all the cleaning I shall have to do on Wednesday night and Thursday morning to present the graceful apartment that almost never appears other than times when guests will be coming over. I need to wash my good brown tablecloth, the one that does not show drips of tea. Though possibly tea could be served on my coffee tables for a more informal gathering.

I know this sounds hopelessly housewife-ish, but tea and friends over for it make me happy. As do nice/pretty things. When I was young I was always disappointed that boys were expected to dislike things like unicorns, rainbows, fine china, and polished silverware. Or at least to take no interest in such things. I'm glad that as an adult I can ignore such anti-domesticity. And I don't care one whit if it is stereotypical. I am going to serve tea from my black teapot into my nice white mugs and there will be lovely delicate slices of cake.