Christmas Tea

We invited J & J over for tea this afternoon....... a simple tea turned into an elaborate dessert buffet, so I made sure not to eat lunch before tea-time. Chocolate brownies, cinnamon-cherry coffee cake, apple-cheese rolls, and cranberry-orange scones.

I used my handmade little ribbon-bags for place card holders, each filled with gold-foil wrapped chocolates and a Christmas trivia card. On top of the bright green tablecloth, I sprinkled sparkly glittery red stars. Between all those stars, and more Christmas trivia card scattered on the table, plus the trays of desserts, and a few Santas in the center, it looked like elves had been here to turn the dining room table into a sweet DisneyLand of sugar and spice and everything nice.

J does what our friend R always used to do..... before she sits down at our dining room table, she looks at every little thing and how it's arranged, oohing and aahing over the little details and wondering how I can keep coming up with different ideas each time. I keep saying it's easy, which it is, at least for me. I just like all the fussing over the table, and I know everyone appreciates it... plus when the table looks extra-festive, then your friends feel extra-festive and a simple thing like a tea becomes a celebration, whether it's a holiday or not.

It's all in the details...... and the little details are miracles in themselves. Every moment is a miracle.


We're missing Gracie as it gets closer to Christmas. We're not talking about it much, but I have Gracie's picture with Santa in the dining room.... I gave that to my husband for Christmas one year. The local PetsMart had a Santa there one weekend, so I brought Gracie to have her photo taken with Santa. She loved it..... you could see it in her eyes, and she was smiling that big doggie-smile of hers. All the way to the store, with Gracie in the backseat of the car, I kept telling her You're having a picture taken with Santa so we can give it to daddy for Christmas. We spoke to that dog as if we were speaking to a child. And I swear, sometimes I believe she knew exactly what we were saying.

When we got to PetsMart that day, Gracie was so well-behaved..... she sat next to me as we waited on the line. Other dogs were growling and pulling at their leashes... Gracie sat there next to me, eyes straight ahead... she was watching all the cats and dogs with Santa. When it was her turn, she walked right up there, sat down next to Santa and smiled, smiled, smiled. One picture was all it took, and it was perfect.

It was the perfect gift for my husband that year. Gracie was the perfect dog. We truly miss that perfect Gracie.