Tea Time
A while back we had a tea expert come in to do a program at our library. She talked about the various teas, historic significance, health properties, and rituals; mainly focusing on the time period of the Downton Abbey television series.
There was a variety of tea foods to sample.
And for those who didn’t have a hat, there were plenty to choose from.
Time for tea and conversation. Scenes from Downton Abbey were projected on the screen behind the speaker.
The presenter brought many items to display.
I popped back out of the picture to take one last shot showing these fine friends in front of the big screen.
A few years ago the library hosted a different type of tea party, one for the younger set. Click on the below picture to see more of their tea time activities.
And once upon a time I hosted a big tea party at my home. If I could only catch up on my to-do list, I’d love to have another one. Click on this next photograph to see a few more pictures from the party.
I’m not sure what brought tea to mind this morning, but perhaps it’s because I’m listening to the audio version of The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane by Lisa See. If you check her website, there are all sorts of videos and information about her research for this intriguing book as well as special tea packages for book groups.
“You can’t get a cup of tea big enough or a book long enough to suit me.” – C. S. Lewis
- Posted in: Libraries ♦ Tea Parties
- Tagged: Downton Abbey, library programs, tea, tea party
Marcia Strykowski 
What a fun event! I love tea. 🙂
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Me, too. My favorite is green tea. 🙂
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What a marvelous tea party! I enjoyed your post so much. Your hat went perfectly with your outfit, and it looks like you were sitting beside Queen Elizabeth. Talk about posh!
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I’m actually down on my knees without a chair (sounds appropriate) and was just stopping by to chat a minute, lol. Thanks, Anne!
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After I posted the reply, I looked at the two pictures again and saw there was no chair. The whole party looked wonderful.
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Easy to miss my lack of a chair. 🙂
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What a great idea – these ladies look like they are having a wonderful time! I bet this would be a great program at our library. Thanks for sharing!
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I think advertising the event as having a connection to Downton Abbey may have brought in a bigger audience since the final season had recently ended. Then again, who doesn’t love to learn about tea. 🙂
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You look adorable in that hat! What a wonderful event, one I would love to attend. I went to a bone china tea party once, a fundraiser for The Osteoporosis Society. Tickets were sold for door prizes and I won a trip to London!!
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Oh my gosh, what a great prize! Very clever to have a bone china theme. Thanks for sharing, Darlene.
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Love your hat! I’m a tea fan too. John travels to China a lot for work and is often given tea as a gift so we get a good variety.
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It must be interesting to try the various teas. Thanks, Anabel!
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Yum! This is a post after my own heart. What a fun event! Love the connection to Downton Abbey too. Having major withdrawal on this end.
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I’m sure you’re one of many who would love to have the series continue. I don’t think anyone can hold a candle to your tea party spreads, Jama!
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I love this! What a wonderful event!
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Thanks, Michele. I wish you could pop in for tea!
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What a surprise to see ME in your blog. It WAS a great tea party and program.
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Ha ha, I almost considered asking your permission, but then figured you looked so wonderful all fancied up, and since I never name people, it might be okay…cat’s out of the bag now. 🙂
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Well–I won’t sue you this time!
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Whew, that’s a relief. 🙂
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Wonderful post, Marcia. A tea party never goes out of style.
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Very true, an age old tradition! 🙂
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This looks like a fun event Marcia!! Did your speaker recommend a specific type of tea?? And loved the link to the Lisa See site– never seen that! I’m still waiting for my turn with that book from the library. — and fun to see the Downtown clips– We went to a traveling exhibit at a local museum on the Costumes of Downton Abbey. The docent was remarkable and it made me miss the show! Always love your posts Marcia!! Would love to drop in to your library some day. xox
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The traveling exhibit you saw sounds fascinating and I certainly wish you could drop in at my library. I don’t believe the speaker had any particular tea recommendation, so subjective, all depends on taste I guess. I’m sure you’ll enjoy The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane (despite a few birth traditions that are difficult to read about).
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Always love your posts Marcia– seems they have so much to respond to! Would love having a job like yours… take care friend. xo
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P.S. Where did you find so many hats??!
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Some of us had our own, but the speaker arrived with all the ones shown on the table. A great idea on her part!
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Fun! xo
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The tea party looked like fun. I’m sorry I missed it!
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Me, too. Maybe there’ll be another one soon! 🙂
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Love tea, tea parties and hats! I use to love wearing hats and gloves to church when I was a little girl!
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Sounds like this sort of event would be right up your alley. Thanks for sharing your interest!
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Marcia! I wish i lived near your library. You all have so much fun! I love the tea, the food and especially the HATS!!!! green tea is my favorite- I also like Earl Grey, Oolong, Darjeeling, Chaga….What a lovely post!
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Thank you, Colleen. It would be wonderful if you lived nearby. I always choose green tea, too (decaf). 🙂
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Such a lovely post Marcia and you look stunning in your pretty hat. I enjoyed reading about this and the previous tea party posts. Lovely to see pictures from Downton Abbey, I do miss that programme.
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Hi Barbara! Thanks for your compliment on my hat. I attached the flowers to it along with a little white bird, more towards the back. Downton Abbey certainly has a lot of fans, your British programs are very popular here. xo
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So much fun!!!! Love it!
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Thanks for stopping by, Robin!
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Another awesome post!! Your hat is sp pretty!
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Thank you, Ashley! 🙂
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What a delightful time! Years ago, when I lived in England and also South Africa they tea time was part of the daily schedule. I thought it was very nice and also appropriate for a culture that visiting friends an official part of the day.
I wish we had that now and our lives were less busy.
It’s still fun to have these special occasions, though.
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Your memories of England and South Africa must be wonderful. I agree that a daily scheduled time for tea and friends would be a very nice break in our busy lives. Thanks for your visit, Sharon!
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Tea time at the library sounds like such fun. Look at all those treats too! Loved seeing all the pictures. 🙂
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It was a fun event. 🙂 Thanks, Stephanie!
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What fun!!! And I love the hats!!
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Aren’t the hats wonderful? Such a variety, too!
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I love this post, Marcia! While reading it, I could feel fun. I love the tea cups and the so many hats. Certainly, tea party never goes out of style. xoxo
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Oh, I’m happy you could feel the fun, Lilly. Very true, tea parties never go out of style!
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What a wonderful program idea! Such fun! And what lovely hats!
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Thank you, Rachel; nothing like a good hat! 🙂
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Your library hosts many fascinating events, Marcia. Your hat is lovely and it suits you perfectly! I love the show, too, and the fashion, and manner of speech back then. My favourite tea is osmanthus oolong, and I have one every morning. (I like green tea, too, and that’s more for the afternoon, after a light lunch, accompanied by a piece of dark chocolate and a British crime/period drama).
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Hi Claudine! Your favorite oolong tea sounds interesting; I’m not sure if I’ve ever tried that exact type. And your afternoon tea session sounds like a perfect way to greet the second half of the day. Thanks for sharing your routine with us!
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Dear Marcia – this looks like a delightful time. I have always loved hats and it was so fun seeing you wearing yours with your two friends. In the past year I have taken up drinking more tea – especially in the early evenings when it is cold here. Thanks for sharing.
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I like hats, too and I’m happy to see you’ve increased your tea drinking. From what ‘they’ say, tea is great for promoting good health. Thanks for your visit, Debbie!
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What a delightful post! You have so many wonderful programs at your library! What a fun idea to have a tea focusing on the time period of Downton Abbey. You look stunning in your hat and white gloves! There is something to be said for dressing up in your finest and sipping tea with friends out of pretty tea cups. if only we could all take time out of our busy lives to have a tea party once in awhile. 🙂
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I hope you’ll soon find time to enjoy a tea party! Thanks, Bette!
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What a delightful post, Marcia! I enjoyed the information and the colorful photos, as always. I love the photo of you with your hat. It looks like you transported right out of the “Downton Abbey” era to join the library crowd – or at least came from the filming set!
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Wouldn’t it be fun if we could be transported back and forth between eras. I’m happy you enjoyed the post, Lynn!
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What a lovely event, Marcia, and you look the part in your hat!
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I love taking part in events like these. 🙂
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I’m sure it was such an interesting event to go to. 😀
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You’ve got that right. 🙂 Thanks for stopping by Misha!
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The hats are a must. What little I know about the history of tea is fascinating. It looks like fun. 🙂
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I never realized how much went into the making of tea until reading Lisa See’s book. It would be interesting to compare various countries in their ancient tea growing methods.
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Tea growing and tea rituals. A friend of mine went to China and had tea that is only sold in China it’s considered so precious. I find it fascinating too. 🙂
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Sounds like very special tea!
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Very interesting!
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