High Tea

In April I had a wonderful birthday treat, even tho' my Birthday was back in February.

At the time, my oldest son and his partner bought me a 'High Tea and Bubbles for Two' voucher.

It was for a lovely swanky restaurant in Tauranga down by the water's edge.

N. was home for Easter uni break, so we did a mother and daughter thing and dressed up and played ladies.

I had such a lovely time! Everything was delightful except perhaps it was a little nippy once the sun went in (I draped my cold shoulder with my pristine white linen table napkin and was perfectly warm again).

I had been rather tired and forgetful recently (too much painting) and had not thought to bring my camera but I didn't want to forget a single moment, so I wrote it all down on a till slip that was in my handbag:

In case you can't read it very well, here is what I wrote:

one hour and ten minutes
choice of four free tables.
1x three-tier cake stand

three white plates
per person:
plate 1:  2 little triangles sandwiches of tuna and cream cheese
              2 little triangle sandwiches of ham, rocket and chutney
              1 little bite-sized smoked salmon quiche
plate 2:  1 tiny triangle of to-die-for lemon cheesecake
              1 chocolate eclair with real cream and real chocolate for icing
              1 rich, alcoholicky rum ball
plate 3:   a scone with cream and strawberry jam in separate small dishes
               small square of carrot cake

1 x chilled-out muzac
2 x herring gulls x 30 seconds x 5
1 daughter
1 mother
glass sparkling wine
teapot, milk jug, honey pot, teaspoon.

aprox. 400 starfish
1 tide, advancing slowly
planes (bi) x 5
1 red helicopter
1 white-faced grey heron
4 black shags and one baby, feeding.
1 wharf
1 boat
1 harbour bridge, (with traffic)
1 marina (at distance)
sunshine and fluffy clouds

I should also add:  two linen table napkins and four white paper table napkins, less the one which blew into the sea*.
               

the square of wonderful carrot-cake

* it had got rather chocolatey anyway.