In my tea reflections I stated that “For everything there is a Season.” This was to be our last tea and it was AMAZING. The support and love were quite tangible.

This year a lovely quilter, Susan, who worked in the Walnut Hill School book store donated a full sized quilt. Susan said that she saw the daffodil material and felt she just had to make it. We raffled it and it brought in a large amount of money. There was also a hand made doll by Chrisje for “Name the Doll” and a basket to raffle. Sheila and Melissa did a wonderful job of keeping everything organized. Pauline, another friend from WHS, took care of the stall containing many more items.

My sister Sarah would wait each year for emails and updates about the tea but decided that she really wanted to come from New Zealand for the last tea take part in person. Sarah made her famous Scottish Fudge and also brought many more NZ necklaces. This year I enclosed the incredible story. My sister-in-law Christina, from Scotland made a lovely tartan apron. Fiona, also from Scotland, made her Lavender sachets. She was a cancer survivor. As more people shared of their own struggles all the stories of hope were being stitched together in my mind into another quilt of love.

The Silent Auction was magnificent this year and we were organized with tabulated bidding sheets with pens and clipboards. Not only did Kim O organize the Auction but was constantly donating baskets and products which I would describe and make tags for. It was amazing that when people heard about the Auction they would donate. One of the parents at the school we worked at gave honey from their bee farm and made the basis of All Things Honey. Tickets to The Nutcracker. A crochet quilt from a friend of a friend in Texas. Hand knitted baby clothes knitted by Ruth – a lady in her eighties- from Cape Cod. A baby quilt and basket from a workmate at the hospital. Amazing.

It was so awesome to see so many baskets take shape bit by bit. An example was that I was buying a card from a local vendor at a Farmers Market and got talking. When she heard of the tea she gave me her card and told me to call her and she would donate. A school friend from Scotland knitted an Anniversary shawl from 2ply wool. It fitted threw a ring as it was so fine. Another student from Walnut Hill School was the son of the director of Riverdance and they donated products from their new production Heartbeat of Home. Melissa’s Aunt Sandy made gorgeous “ribbon cushions” one of which went in a “Take Some Time with the Green” basket. She also crochet a blue throw. Liz continued to bless the Auction with her beautiful, creative baskets. Two – every year! There were many more but too many to feature. Amazing.