High Tea

This time last week I was enjoying a farewell celebration with my work colleagues on the occasion of my pending retirement. A 'High Tea' at a popular local venue had been organised and it was a very pleasant time for all of us as we enjoyed each other's company.

I have known many of my friends who came along for many years and we have been through the highs and lows of life together. My workplace has often been a place of respite and support at times when life hasn't been exactly as I would have liked but they were always there for me as I was for them.

 

As we were the first to arrive I was able to take my pick of the beautiful crockery laid out on the table. As I love green and pink together that was my choice.

 

 

All of the crockery was so fine and it was such a change from the coffee mugs and mismatched plates that I usually use at home.

 

 

 

We were able to read about 'High Tea Etiquette' although I couldn't quite get the bit right about 'the pinkie finger shouldn't be extended but should rest by curving gently back towards your wrist'. Unfortunately my 'pinkie' is a tad arthritic these days. :-)

 

 

The food was delicious and the presentation was impressive.

 

 

Much chatting was done as we solved the problems of the world...

 

...while the jellies and little cakes were devoured.

 

This beautiful rose could tell a few stories if it could speak...

 

...and finally the food was eaten, we had reminisced about the past 23 years of my life spent  in the same workplace and then it was time to say goodbye.

 

Before we parted though, I was presented with a custom-made 'Wordle' which is now hanging near the front door. I didn't take a close-up photo as I didn't want to divulge the secrets of our workplace. Suffice to say that the word chocolate appears more than once in the Wordle. :-)

It was a lovely farewell and I will really miss my work colleagues but there are seasons in all our lives and, if we are fortunate and blessed with good health, we will all reach retirement age and enter into a new season of life. We won't become 'grey nomads' although the 'grey' is a definite but I do have some plans in the pipeline for the coming years.