I am asked around this time of year if I buy presents for my close girlfriends. I reply with a smirk that no I don’t, because instead of buying each other a gift, we give the gift of spending time with each other in this very busy season. For ten years now, my girlfriends and I have a well looked forward to tradition in that we carve out a couple of precious hours one afternoon and get together for High Tea. This time of year some hotels offer a High Tea, complete with tea, small bites and dessert. It is a beautiful time of year for this, as the hotels are decked out in their holiday fare. We dress up and meet at one of these hotels and drink, eat and gab. The afternoon is just for us, no gifts at all, just the gift of friendship.
This year we had our Holiday Tea at the Pelican Hill Resort in Newport Beach. Upon entering the lobby of the resort was a magnificent Gingerbread Mountain Display created by the pastry chefs of this resort. We stopped to marvel at all the intricate detail and observe the tedious and hard work that went into creating such a gingerbread masterpiece. We entered the Great Social Room where the tea was being served. Reservations are a must. A stout old fellow wearing a red suit and hat greeted us as we entered. This guy even had a real white beard! We pulled out our phones and took pics with Ol’ Saint Nick. The room was festively decorated with a roaring fire in the fireplace. We were seated next to the window that looked over the beautiful Pacific Ocean. A menu that listed various teas was handed to us, along with a wine list. All of us ordered our tea and a glass of Prosecco to start the afternoon off. After the tea was poured, 2 exquisite tiered trays of finger foods appeared, along with a plate of scones and Devonshire cream to slather the scones with. We ate, drank, and laughed throughout the afternoon. One last tower came with bites to satisfy our sweet tooth. We were so full that some of those desserts had to come home with us!
Another Holiday Tea came to an end. All of us treasure this special gift that we give to ourselves and to our closest friends. It is the gift of time, spending it with those you care about the most.
