Afternoon Tea

Maria and friends popped in from Red Deer and Innisfail for afternoon tea this past Saturday. We served them on antique cake plates, each laden with egg salad and cucumber-and-dill sandwiches, orange-raisin scones with our clotted cream and jam, pear with carmelized onion and brie quiche, carrot cake, mango mousse, black forest cherry cupcakes and strawberry tarts. Chai and a selection of teas were sipped from china cups, and the conversation at that table was lively!

It's not often you meet a person with whom you truly click almost immediately. Maria is one of those people for me. I met her through my job with Carswell and quickly discovered that she loves antiques and books; she's an editor and a teller of tales and a keeper of secrets; she works hard, but she plays hard too. And she is quick with a quip or a word of encouragement, depending on what the situation calls for. She surrounds herself with interesting people and takes on fascinating, sometimes quirky, projects. Oh, and she loves her husband -- just ask her about those new diamond earrings!

I think what I find most compelling about Maria is her generosity of spirit. Spending time with her challenges me to hone my skills and expand my horizons and be kind to my neighbour.

And I've thought of something that can combine all three: I'm going to visit Jeri down the street and see if we can plan a block party for a lazy Friday evening in August ...