Tea Time

Side Note: Someone forgot to tell Bickleton that yesterday was the first day of spring. It snowed.


On Saturday I went to the annual Bickleton Ladies' Tea. I was sorely tempted to pretend to forget it was happening--mostly because I had no idea what to expect from it. But not much happens in Bickleton, so it's a shame to miss anything.

I got there late, so I only saw the end of the spring fashion show. A shop in Sunnyside provided clothes and accessories and the girls from Bickleton High School were the models. There were door prizes handed out throughout the event.

We ate something with rice and unidentifiable veggies glued together with cream of chicken soup and topped with sliced almonds. There was also an orange jello fruit salad type of thing. The dessert was actually really good and pretty though. It was whipped cream, cream cheese, and raspberries mixed together and put in pretty little glasses with a raspberry and a mint leaf on top.

The theme was "Pretties, Pearls, and Posies." But also somehow it was clown themed. (The speaker was a clown--more about that next.) The napkin holders were clown noses, there were colorful balloons all over, and the centerpieces were surprisingly cute and clever. Balloons that weren't blown up had wire put inside them to shape them like petals and leaves and then made into flowers and put in arrangements in colorful planters.

The clown who spoke to us goes around the world and performs on the street after disasters (9/11, Katrina, etc.) and in hospitals and orphanages. Now I'm not one of those people who completely freak out at the sight of clowns, but they do creep me out just a little. Especially when they come up behind me and start dusting me off with a feather duster. In fact, it would creep me out if anyone did that.

The clown spoke about friendship, had a few jokes and tricks, and we all sang songs together. (Think soundtrack to "Oh Brother, Where Art Thou" and you'll know some of the songs we sang.)

It was completely out of my comfort zone, but it was a new experience. I hope that we're not still here in a year, but if we are, I will be going to the annual Bickleton Ladies' Tea again.