Tea at the Unicorn Wine Guild

While the COVID pandemic was a time of sudden change in society, just as 9-11 was, it did bring advances to internet meetings. Many people are now familiar with and use platforms such as Zoom, Teams, and FaceTime. Have you ever considered hosting an afternoon tea via one of these platforms? It can be just to “catch up” with friends, a committee meeting, a celebration of a special event, or a planning meeting for a future event such as a bridal shower, family reunion, or fundraiser for a club or society.

As the host, you would send attendees an invitation to join, specifying the time and including the link. You could also send a package to the attendees a couple of weeks in advance with tea and a treat – chocolates, a packet of cookies (store-bought or homemade), or other food item that ships well, if you so desire, or they can supply their own refreshments. You can go really fancy and send napkins, plates (paper or otherwise), even teacups, and sugar cubes. This would be more for a celebration of a milestone or holiday. Imagine the joy of receiving such a gift and the gift of time with friends. In today’s busy society, the gift of just spending time together, whether in person or through distance communication, is precious.

I am an avid “reader.” I put that in quotes because I am also an avid “listener” of audiobooks. I complete at least 75 books a year. That’s a lot for someone who has two full-time jobs and does volunteer work. I also belong to a book club and enjoy my time with my “book friends.” I have also recently fallen “victim” to the “books by postal letter” trend. I will see how that goes.

One way to combine love of books with love of tea is to have a “Literary” Tea. You can host a simple tea for your book club or other friends. Some cozy mysteries include recipes as part of the culinary theme. You can prepare one of the recipes and match it with tea. It doesn’t have to be a full-fledged three-tier tray formal event – unless you want to do that. The table can be decorated with a centerpiece of books wrapped with a ribbon bow and a sprig of silk flowers, or wrapped like a gift with hints written on it, and then given to attendees. A mystery date with a book, some call it. Discussion topics could include the favorite book read in the last two months, a discussion of the book club book, and a favorite sidekick in a mystery. You can make it as fancy or as informal as you want. Exchange books, or have each attendee make a dish from one of those cozy mysteries and make a full meal of it. The ideas are endless. The idea is to have time with friends and enjoy a good cuppa. Enjoy!