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The October event for the Crown Divas was Afternoon Tea. It is an elegant affair and one of our favorites. The dress code is semi formal attire. We wear dresses knee-length or tea-length made with fabrics like lace, chiffon, or satin. Shawls and sequin wraps may also be worn. Let us not forget hats. We don't have to wear red hats to this event but hats are required. Tea hats can be very pretty. Some hats are wide brim with f lowers and bows others are made with fabrics like silk lace and veils. Fascinator tea hats are also appropriate. The ambiance when you enter an afternoon tea room is beautiful. The decor is f loral tablecloths, pitchers with f lowers, and decorative tea pots and tea cups. Three different types of teas are served. The food is eaten with your fingers. First is the savories and sandwiches, then scones, then sweets. There is much etiquette in traditional afternoon tea. Rhonda, our gracious hostess, has visited England many times and has a collection of paintings and antique furniture. Each item has an interesting story of its own. It was an afternoon of dressing fancy, meeting interesting people, and learning about a different culture. We ended our event with the usual hugs and smiles. ~ Irma Romero, (626) 733-3019, Irmabsromero@gmail.com 48 FOUR SEASONS BREEZE | DECEMBER 2024 Crown Divas Four Seasons e Christmas Letter Well, it's that time of year again. It's time to go crazy at the mall or online and spend too much money on your grandchildren. It's time to dig out the artificial tree and, after several trials putting it together, swallow your pride and reluctantly ask for help. It's time to dust off the ornaments and call in your younger friends to help decorate the tree because, after your latest fall, you have been forbidden to climb the ladder. It's time to make lists and check them twice to ensure you haven't forgotten to write to anyone you forgot to send cards to last year. If you don't send something, they'll assume you've died. But I don't send cards anymore. I send a Christmas letter. I'm of two minds about the Christmas letter because I often get them these days. I guess they're a handy way to catch up on what folks have been doing the previous year, but many seem to be used for bragging about what the family has been accomplishing. Especially the children and grandchildren. That's wonderful, but sometimes boring, especially if one does not know personally the children and grandchildren of the folks who wrote the letter. On the other hand, the Christmas letter can be a handy tool, and I have employed it myself for the last six years we've been here. As most of our friends and relatives are either in Northern California or New York, it's a way to connect with them, if for no other reason than to let them know I'm still alive. I do add information about my children and their dogs. Unfortunately, there is not much, because my children somehow failed to reproduce. This means the boring parts of my Christmas letters are much shorter than most, but that's another story. And I hear from many of the recipients every spring (as it usually takes me until spring to compose my Christmas letter). They write, call, or text me to tell me how much they enjoyed my Christmas letter the previous year. Of course, they could be lying. I know I do when I thank them for their wonderful Christmas letters. What the heck? It's all part of the Joy. Have a great holiday season, whatever you celebrate, and as Tiny Tim would say, "God bless us, everyone!" ~ Mary Lynn Archibald, mlarchibald@mac.com Writers Club