That's All She Wrote

The hostesses that set tables for the Christmas Tea use a Bible verse somewhere on their table. When Lois was preparing for her Christmas Tea table, we discussed verses. Her table was a Bon Appétit/ cooking/kitchen table—darling in black and red. We both thought that an appropriate verse would be one about our service as women often use their kitchen and cooking skills to serve and show hospitality. We settled on Ephesians 6:7, Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men.
On Tuesday, Lois set her Christmas Tea table for a single moms group--most are divorced with small children. One of the young moms asked me about their table verse and I pointed out that it was on the apron on the chair. Margaret read the verse and then hooted with laughter and said, “That’s a great verse for us. Listen to this women—the Bible says that we don’t have to serve men. What a great verse for us!” Woops! Maybe we chose the wrong verse for that group!

I took a few last pictures tonight and tried to focus on where and how people display their verses and on some particularly creative tables.

Christmas Tea Joy Returns in the Morning

Okay, so it is too ambitious to set three Christmas Tea tables in one night. My first clue was when I sadly realized that one table was at the very east side of the football sized Abbington banquet room and one table was at the far west side and one table was right in the middle. Even so, enthusiasm was adequate sustanance for getting the tables set with a little help from Pam and Sandy. I was even ready early enough to go around and photograph tables with a Christmas theme—feeling like it was time to give those tables more exposure.

The real killer came in taking the tables down. My fault entirely--I sent my guests home amid pleas and offers of help. What was I thinking? A huge mistake! As soon as I hugged those neighbors and sent them on their way, I hurried east. One woman had bought the whole Table #29 for her guests. She kindly thanked me for setting the table, and for the hostess gifts. She even said that the table was beautiful but then she said, “good by”. Hmm. . . I had been prepared to accept her offer of help immediately as soon as the words were out of her mouth. Something like, “Oh that would be great! Thanks for offering. How about putting the cardinals in here. . .” But I never got the opportunity to use the gracious acceptance speech that I had rehearsed in my mind. It was simply, “good-by.” As I began cleaning up, I remembered that my husband does call me a bull in a china shop so I tried to take a bit of extra care not to break any of the borrowed items on the table. Finally packed, I hurried down to the other end just in case any of those guests wanted to help take down a table. I did not expect much clean-up effort on that table because we will use the table again tomorrow night. I just needed to clear plates, cups, and goblets. I had not planned on a mother with a darling but messy 10 month old child sitting at the table. Realizing that I would need to wash the tablecloth, I began the whole process of taking everything off of the table and packing it all for home to see what was salvageable.

After completing the third table, I was the last WBC person to leave the Abbington. Oh well, somebody has to be last. However, if there is another WBC Christmas Tea. . .I will have this blog to help jog my memory. Because you see, it is morning now, and even though there are three sets of dishes to do and three sets of napkins to wash and iron, it all seems quite doable.

My wonderful neighbors!

Bob's ServiceMaster Coworkers and Jan who graciously offered to set a table for them.

My table on the east end. Set by me but supplied by Eileen.

My west end table with an angel theme.

My neighbor, Mary, helped me fold angel napkins.

Below are lots of gorgeous Christmas theme tables:

I thought you said, “Christmas Tea”

I did. Really, most of the tables are decorated for Christmas. They are beautiful and they glisten and shine and they are practical, too, because you really can use those ideas at home to decorate for family or friends or parties.

I know, I do tend to photograph the tables without Christmas themes. I totally, totally love Christmas! I am so glad that most people decorate their tables with Christmas themes! I must admit though, the tables that tend to catch my eye are the ones that are not particularly Christmas. Also, the tables that Lois and I have been asked to help brainstorm or tweak mostly did not have a Christmas theme. I feel a special pride in seeing how those women (who sought our humble opinion) completed their tables. I never used to take pictures at all—whatever do you do with them. Now, that I am blogging, however, I can post the pictures. Whether anyone sees them is irrelevant. I still get to show them. It is a great system.

Guests from College of DuPage
Penny, Cathy, Joanne, Me, Peggy, Nancy

My Rowell family guests
Me, Anne, Judy, D'Ann, Mom

So, here are the few tables that I photographed last night. There were others, that I tried to take a picture of also but for one reason or another, I decided that they were not posting quality. (I know you are now doubting my posting quality standards which I do agree are not particularly exigent—whew, I need a double parentheses on that one so my conscious can admit I got that word from the Thesaurus. I am trying to increase my vocabulary.) All that is to say the pictures are not Christmasy and do not do the tables justice. I wish you could have been there.

Pam's Gladly Feminine table

Mary Ellen's Illini table
Bev's Ravinia Picnic table
My Amish table
Close up of an individual placesetting

Delightful, Delicious, Delovely, Devotional . . .

Christmas Tea Monday Evening
Family Night

Maribeth (in front), Kathi, Jessica, Morgan, Susan (middle row)
Patti, Toni, Lou, Me (back row)

Jessica & Morgan at our Amish table

Other favorite tables:
Cowboy

Shoes

Sheep

Pancakes

It's My Birthday--Just kidding

Do you remember waking up as a kid on your birthday? That is exactly how I felt when I woke up this morning. This is why:

• Tonight is the beginning of four nights of the WBC Christmas Tea.
• My sister, Lou, is here.
• All the lights on my Christmas tree are working.

Ain't life grand!

Yummy, Yummy. . .Chapter 3

Jessica celebrates her 8th birthday
with friends.

Their concentration paid off.
Just look at these beautiful creations!

Jessica decided that she did not need any new presents. Instead she asked the girls to bring a gift to donate to the Outreach Community Center for their Christmas Store to make Christmas affordable for low-income families. Her birthday guests brought some very nice gifts that will make other girls happy this Christmas. Jessica is looking forward to taking the gifts to the Center this week.

Yummy, Yummy. . .Chapter 2

Today we had a party with the grandchildren of Tim and Nancy Botts. Nine of the eleven children decorated gingerbread houses between bites of candy. The youngest two took naps and had no idea the fun that they were missing. For a few brief moments it got very quiet as everyone was working so dilegently. Ezra's enthusiasm was sweet and diplomatic. “Look at my pretty house! My house is pretty and your house is pretty and your house and more and more pretty houses!” I think this was a first time experience for all of the kids—maybe not decorating houses but having all of that candy within reach and being encouraged to “play” with it. It must have seemed like a child’s peek at heaven.