Sharing a Cup of Christmas Tea

Today at our firm's luncheon I had the pleasure of sharing a favorite book from the Seasons Readings list in my previous post - A Cup of Christmas Tea by Tom Hegg. The book, actually a lengthy poem, is poignant and touching in itself. But rather than just standing behind a podium to simply read the story I wanted to "set the scene" as a way of illustrating the images for a true dramatic reading. It has been fun the last few weeks deciding how to go about that, to choose the props, and to figure out how to get everything from my house to the University Club, located on the top floor of one of our high-rise downtown buildings. With the help of my son and his best friend we transported by pickup truck the top hutch section of my 100+ year old Hoosier cabinet as well as a solid wood shuttered tri-fold screen. I followed them in my car, bringing a Victorian style floor lamp, a "retro" CD/cassette/turntable cabinet, the costume pieces for a friend who would be playing the part of the elderly aunt, my Cup of Christmas Tea set, the basic figures and creche' from my Fontanini nativity set, and TWO large boxes of things to decorate the hutch and the table beneath it. The boys and I managed to get everything into the dining room in one trip up the utility elevator and I got to work putting it all together using my sketch drawn during a practice run at home the night before. The result was a magical scene representing the elderly Aunt's living room and giving the suggestion of an entrance from her kitchen - all decked out for an old-fashioned Christmas! (someone was supposed to be taking pictures throughout the luncheon - I hope to have some to put in a later post.) To enhance the sights with some smells of Christmas there were candied oranges, a bowl of large clove-studded navel oranges, sachets of apple-cinnamon scent tucked in among holly and pine, and candles with the aroma of a fresh cut fir tree. Soft intro piano music played, my friend took her place behind the screen, and I began the reading. With the last lines of the poem, who should emerge from behind the screen but an apron-clad "elderly aunt" with white hair, bifocals on nose, hobbling bent over a cane and carrying a pot of tea. At the forefront of the staged area were two chairs with a small round table between them which held two cups on saucers and a bowl of homemade sugar cookies. As "the aunt" toddled toward the table and chairs, I spoke the final stanza and we acted out the scene to bring the words to life - "The triple beat of two feet and a cane came down the hall. The rattle of the china in the hutch against the wall. She poured two cups. She smiled, and then she handed one to me... And then, we settled back and had a cup of Christmas tea." Toasting each other and then the audience, we then took our bows to a standing ovation of applause - there were even some moist eyes in the house as people remembered Christmases from their childhood. Every minute of the preparation and hard work was worth it at that point! I really hope others will buy a copy of this wonderful little book, take a quiet moment to absorb the message, and find someone with whom they can share a little time - and a cup of Christmas tea. Be blessed!