Croquet Anyone?

I seem to have a memory of playing croquet.  Perhaps it is just an image I made up because I wanted to wear a lacy white dress, a wide brimmed hat, fingerless lace gloves, and languidly fascinate handsome boys in linen suits.
Rather like this...

An invitation to a tea party this week, made part of that vision come true.  I did indeed play croquet.  However, my hat was red, and there were no boys in white linen suits.  Only a gathering of women of all ages and one intrepid gentleman that liked wearing something a little different than their every day attire, using linens and real china, and drinking tea served from a silver tea set.

Marlene and Joan had little experience with hosting high teas, but live next to my daughter Brittany who has had a lot of practice at the tutelage of her Auntie Roz.  So Brittany pitched in to help.

Set in the lovely north valley garden of these two nuns, Joan and Marlene, we embarked on rounds of rowdy croquet guided by Marlene, a Franciscan Sister who had indeed played a lot of croquet as a girl.  She purchased her croquet set at a thrift shop for $5. 

Marlene is  turquoise dress explaining the rules

The rules seemed fluid at best, but no one minded except perhaps the fiercely competitive other Sister, Joan.

Joan in black hat watching the action

This ninety year old wowed us with her hard accurate hits!

Marlene, laughing too hard to get up after tripping over a wicket.

 

This ninety-year old in the lady-like blue dress was really a tiger on the field!

There were elegant moments of course.  Lovely hats....

 Well appointed tables...

 Flowers, fountains, and statues...

Our Lady of the Bees

Our Lady of Guadalupe

Our Lady of the East at the center of a spiral walk.

 And a few guests not invited for tea...

Bees helping themselves at the Hummingbird Feeder

 My thanks to everyone, especially Sisters Joan and Marlene (and my daughter Brittany) for a wonderful afternoon of high tea.

Apologies for not photographing the goodies.  I was too busy enjoying them!  For those of you dieting that may be a very good thing!

Sister Joan Brown is the Executive Director of New Mexico Interfaith Power and Light and works tirelessly to help faith communities address global warming in concrete ways.  Click here to listen an interview with her.