• Home
  • About
  • Books
  • Events
  • Photo Gallery
  • Blog
  • Contact

A Joyful Noise

Tea House on Los Rios

Holiday Tea with my friend Sara

December 21, 2015 by Melodye Shore

The tea house is filled with the homey smells of fresh-baked scones, cut flowers, and holiday goodies. Ornaments hang like jewels from the ceiling, intertwined with plaid ribbons and twinkling lights. Sara’s wearing her Winter Princess gown, and why not? It’s our very first holiday tea, and we’re celebrating in style.

P1220630

Sara chooses the TreeHouse luncheon, strawberry tea, and a heart-shaped scone. I opt for the quiche and vanilla tea.

Our server places two teapots and strainers on our table, suggests we might want to read our tea leaves when we’re done.

P1220682

Sara spoons a generous amount of sugar into her teacup, adds liberal swirls of cream. She tells me she’s tasted sugar cubes, once or twice. So yummy! “At my grandma’s house,” she adds.

“My Nana used to plop them into her English Breakfast tea,” I say; and though I’m flooded with nostalgia, I’m smiling at the effervescence of this day.

Our server returns to the table, refreshes our water glasses. “Those flowers are 100% edible,” she reminds us. Sara takes a nibble, promptly steals repositions my camellia.

P1220642

We eat our fill, and then visit the adobe houses and shops along Los Rios, the oldest neighborhood street in California. I follow Sara’s lead…

P1220740

Turns out, Santa’s elves have an affinity for gardening. Seems they also love birds, same as us.

P1220773

Such a coincidence, too, that this watering can looks very much like a teapot.

P1220796

Ho! Ho! Ho! The Grinch nailed a wreath to his front gate–because, you know, Santa’s watching.

P1220815

Sara’s transfixed by the “love dove”  on this merchant’s porch, but I’m drawn to the rusted birdcage that stands empty. Save for its rusted patina, it looks identical to the one in which my Nana kept Curly, her pet canary.

P1220741

We admire a local artisan’s wares: kitchen utensils, bracelets, and jewelry, exquisitely carved and then polished to a high sheen.

P1220752

A caboose rumbles down the railroad tracks, chasing its engine, and Christmas tunes blare from hidden speakers. Sara’s humming to herself, and so am I. There’s an easy harmony between us.

P1220820

We savor our special outing, capture its magic in a gazing ball….

P1220732

And as quick as you can say “Cinderella,” Sara’s traded her princess gown for play clothes!

“Now,” says my little elf on the shelf, “it’s time to bake Christmas cookies!”

P1220836

To be continued…

Posted in: california, Christmas, Home, Orange County California, Sara, Tea House on Los Rios Tagged: christmas, joy, joyful noise, Los Rios, orange county, san juan capistrano, sara, tea house on los rios

Topics

ab 2165 beach billy graham birds can i get a witness christmas dear bully family archives flowers freckles garden gardening harbor seals hope hummingbird hummingbird hatchlings hummingbird nest 2015 hummingbirds jeannine atkins joy joyful noise laguna beach land of medicine buddha memoir memoir writing monarch butterfly nana nancy drew new year's eve ocean orange county peace photography poetry rosa resolution rose sara seals tent revival thankful thursday thanksgiving the author's tent throwback thursday wordless wednesday writing

Recent Posts

  • International Day of the Seal
  • My uncouth neighbors: A murder of crows
  • Smitten with Kittens, by Florence and Wendell Minor
  • Happy Valentine’s Day!
  • Happy New Year, 2022
  • The Badlands
  • TINY BIRD: A Hummingbird’s Amazing Journey

Archives

Copyright © 2025 .

Omega WordPress Theme by ThemeHall