The weather may not exactly tell us its spring at times, but the Sunshine Ladies of Redeemer United Methodist Church sure know it is.

Plans are again being made for spring tea, and this year the theme is to be a “Garden Tea Party.” What fun.

Gwen Wakeman is the chair and Phyllis Wahlquist is in charge of entertainment. Harriet Muhrlein will organize the food program. I like doing the menus and always volunteer to help prepare the goodies. And yes, I get to taste everything.

The ladies are inviting attendees to wear fancy garden hats and flowered dresses, if they have them. Or one can create their own fantasy, as simple or as elaborate as one would like. Among the ladies there will be competition to see who will come up with the most unusual or beautiful creation.

The tea will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday, May 22. Each hostess will use her own place setting of china and tableware. The group likes to give the feeling of an elegant tea room. Daniel Robinson, landscape architect for Elanden Gardens in Gorst, will give a demonstration on Bonsai. Tickets are still $10 each, so you need to get your tickets as soon as you can. For information or tickets call Gwen Wakeman at (360) 779-3281. A portion of proceeds will go to the Kingston Food Bank and other community needs.

Tea has a long and interesting history besides being a renowned worldwide hot or cold libation.

The tale began in 2737 B.C. in the Han Dynasty, of China, when emperor Shennong was on an outing in with his entourage. The group stopped by a roadside for the emperor to rest and drink some water. The servants boiled the water for purity while the emperor rested under a tree. Some leaves blew into the hot water. The emperor drank the fragrant liquid, liked its taste, and spread the beverage through China.

Now we often think of England and the ritual of afternoon tea. I enjoyed a delicious “high tea” in the old Dorchester Hotel, near Hyde Park, in London some years ago. It was a royal treat.

Thinking about garden parties, teas and hats, it reminded me of the 1930’s and 40’s styles of fancy chapeaux worn by the stars. Every town had millinery shops where you could buy the newest styles.

I even have a picture from the 1920s of my mother wearing a cloche hat over her red marceled-bobbed hair. Mom was a “flapper” as they called the young ladies during that era. Mother with her red hair resembled the silent film favorite, Clara Bow.

In the 1950s I wore what I called my Lucy hats after the “I love Lucy” series with Lucile Ball, a trendsetter of the time.

Oh, my friends, those were the days!