I’ve had a lot of strange experiences, but I think yesterday was one of the most surreal ones… ..
Let me explain…. it started a few weeks ago when I got chatting with a woman who’s house I pass when I go for one of my usual walks around the village.. she’s friendly and we talk mostly of gardening, but not in any great depth, she knows I’m an artist…. and then two weeks ago she mentioned that someone she knows, who I don’t know… had asked if she knew ‘anyone interesting’ to ask for a tea party at her house…and the woman thought of me, which surprised me since I don’t know her that well…. and she went on to explain it would be this week, and the day in question.. so I agreed, not knowing exactly what it would entail, since I only had the first name of the woman whose house I would be going to, and the address of the house, which was in the same village we both live in..
I met my new friend, on the day in question at the time specified by her, and we walked to her friends house, and I was introduced to her, and the two other women who were also there and knew the other two women well, we were ushered into the formal dining room where there were places set for us, and a delicious homemade cake, and biscuits, and other savoury nibbles, hot tea was brought in china mugs, and we chatted…and bearing in mind that I had never met the hostess, or the other two women there, and only knew the first woman a little bit, I found the afternoon was spent chatting about all sorts of things… I had expected to talk about my art and being a professional artist, and did when I was asked, but also talked about keeping chickens, and growing fruit and vegetables, (which I used to do some years ago) I talked about painting crafts in acrylics, making things in wood, Formula One racing, old houses and the local area. And I listened a lot to their conversation, which was entertaining and varied. And what I found interesting at the end of the tea party, was realising that three of these women were easily in their late 70’s – I was certainly the youngest there……
We were there for over three hours chatting, I wasn’t sure how long it would last and was happy to go with the flow. I enjoyed getting to know more about the people in the village…and thanked my hostess for her hospitality, and my new friend for allowing me to be included in their gathering….
I feel that the village I live in is friendly and am enjoying getting to know people in it..we’ve been so long not being able to socialise that its so nice to get to know nice people…
But I still think its curious that I was invited to someones house for tea via someone else I don’t know that well… never had that experience before…