Last Thursday, my good Friend Marsha invited me and another friend over for Tea. I knew it would be a grand thing from the moment I hung up the phone because Marsha used to own the premier Tea Room in our area and she never does anything "half way."
Many us loved to go to "The Hope Chest" as it was appropriately named, not only for the High Teas that she served...but also for the occasional opportunity to "get away from it all....."
At The Hope Chest you were able to find a spot of quiet where you could not only relax from the craziness going on just beyond the doors, but you could also enjoy her lovely "Cream Tea" that she served daily. It was a "self treat" that I miss to this day.
Sadly, she needed to close her beloved Tea Room after so many years of blessing the entire community with her great food and hospitality. Her husband had just recently passed away and she needed to take some time away and rightly so.I knew that Marsha would fix this "Tea" up "nicely" for Tricia and Myself, and I was NOT a bit disappointed when I went to the back door of her lovely home and she had a cute wooden sign hanging on the doorknob that stated......
"Enter in, Tea being served."
So I let myself in......Marsha was no where to be found at the moment, but I did see this.......
And this.....
Then out came Marsha, "The Tea Baroness."
She had been in the back of the house doing some odd task.
This was the table set up.Tricia arrived shortly thereafter as well and we began our journey of "Tea, Eating, and Consorting".....I say "Consorting" because we had so much to talk about in regards to "possibly opening a new tea room and such".....I will keep it all a secret for now.
The "Treasure Trove of Tea"
I called Marsha the "Tea Baroness" earlier because she really does hold a Royal Title in Tea I feel. She knows SO much about it all, flavors, types, textures, tastes, brewing techniques, etc.
She is a wealth of tea knowledge.
Right before Marsha shut her shop doors....she was called upon by Dillard's here in town and "contracted" to do a very special "Tea" in honor of Lord Wedgewood the "Ambassador" for the famous "Wedgewood" China and Pottery lines of products.
He was making many rounds of visits in America at that time and just happened to hit our city of Baton Rouge, as well.
For those of you who are not familier with who I am talking about, let me give you this brief bio on him.
Lord Piers Anthony Weymouth Wedgwood of Barlaston is the 13th descendant of Josiah Wedgwood, the original founder of the "Wedgewood" company.
That day of the Dillard's event Marsha, and three other ladies ran off to take care of those festivities while back at the shop.....my friend Diane and I along with another lady, ran two teas back at the shop for another 21 women at the same time.
Talk about a crazy day!
The very fun thing is.....and we laughed about this Thursday at Tea.
It was that "Lord Wedgewood, told Marsha something that day at Dillard's that we all already knew."
He said to her that day, "That she made the BEST tasting Cucumber Sandwiches, he had ever had in his lifetime."
That my friends was one mighty fine "kudos" from a cucumber sandwich connoisseur.
Wouldn't you say so as well?
I like to think that perchance Lord Wedgewood "fancied" Marsha's "Tea delicacies" and was indulging her.
Possibly to take her back to England to make him cucumber sandwich's.
Very GOOD ones.
~Note~:
Today is Marsha's Birthday.....you may leave her your well wishes here if you like and I will make sure she sees them.
The child in this photo looks JUST LIKE MARSHA....she has the "same red hair and exact same hairstyle" as well!IT could have been Marsha as a little girl. HA! HA!
Be blessed Marsha, my friend!
