Tea for two: Mothers & daughters

POST FALLS — Ladies of all ages, dressed in formal spring fashion and old-style gowns, listened to the soft strumming of local musician Gary Edwards on his guitar as they enjoyed an early afternoon lunch of finger sandwiches and hot tea Saturday.

Rebeka Helwich, of Hayden, wore a long, dark purple gown with a hoopskirt and trimmed with black lace. She had brought her mother, Marie, who also dressed in old-style attire with a shawl and hat to match, to the "May Day High Tea Party," held in the Jacklin Arts and Cultural Center in Post Falls. The two ladies had picked out the outfits specifically for the event to celebrate May Day as well as Mother's Day.

"She saw the poster for this and said 'mom would love it,' Marie said, acknowledging her daughter. "So she treated her mom. It was so much fun, we really enjoyed it."

The tables were decorated the different colors of spring, with an array of flowers, such as tulips and lilies. Each table was decorated separately by a "table host," who each brought their own decorations and china tea sets, giving each table its own theme and personality.

"Everyone has kind of their own story behind their china," said Pam Houser, CEO of Post Falls Chamber of Commerce and JACC manager, who had brought her grandmother’s china that produced an elegant match with the bright yellow setting of her table.

About 80 ladies attended the second-ever event, hosted by the JACC. Last year Houser said they held the event on Mothers Day with about 60 in attendance.

"We just think that it's a nice way to honor women, celebrating old-fashioned traditions like May Day," Houser said. "It's just where women can come together and honor each other and enjoy a High Tea in kind of the old-fashioned tradition — get dressed up and that kind of thing."

Jamé Davis, JACC board member, explained this is the first year of the "High Tea," which typically occurs later in the afternoon, around 2 p.m., and consists of "heavier" food. Historically, "Afternoon Tea" was considered a social occasion for ladies with the lighter finger-foods, but Houser said the "High Tea" event at the JACC is really just a fun way for the ladies to get together and celebrate May Day.

Davis said it was nice to see new faces in the JACC as well, rather than just Friends of the JACC or people who normally attend events held in the building.

"It's nice to kind of get the new demographic of people coming in who maybe haven't participated in something at the JACC," she said. "And we have a really good age diversity, which is fun."

The two-hour event featured musical entertainers and dancers, as well as an inspirational speaker.

Dani Zibell-Wolfe, of Post Falls, is an Ironman volunteer and a Post Falls Toastmaster. Toastmasters is an international communication, leadership and public speaking organization and Zibell-Wolfe said she is working on becoming a "Distinguished Toastmaster," which is the highest level in the organization.

"Through that I have discovered my love of storytelling and I always like a little inspirational twist in it," Zibell-Wolfe said.

Zibell-Wolfe's inspirational presentation was titled, "The Circle of Giving" that told a story about paying-it-forward, because it will come back around.

A man, whom she called Brian Anderson, stops to help an elderly woman broke down alongside the road. He later tells her if she wants to pay him back, the next time she sees someone who needs help, "help them." The woman later stopped at a diner where a woman who appeared to be eight months pregnant waited on her, so when she paid, she left the woman the change from a $100 bill and another four $100 bills in a napkin with a note that ended with, "don't let the chain of love end with you."

Then waitress went home and climbed into bed with her sleeping husband and whispered, "I love you Brian Anderson."

The story is one that has had a song written about it and brings tears to the eyes of those who hear it, as was the case among some of the guests at the JACC.

Prior to Zibell-Wolfe's presentation, the "Swinging on a Star Children's Choir" performed the Morris Dance. Eleven youngsters danced with bells attached to small sticks that would jingle each time the stomped, performing the English folk dance traditionally performed on May Day.

Before their second performance, where the kids sang a story of Queen Rose, or Mary of Scots, Autumn Mackert, director of the group, explained the importance of May Day and how it was "a very huge day," in the Renaissance period. She said April Foolery corresponds with May Day because May Day was an "opposite day" where royalty was allowed to openly scoffed at by the peasants.

The final performance of the day was the Lake City Harmonizers. They sang old-time songs, such as "Wild Irish Rose" and "Hello Mary Lou." Harmonizer Ron Boothe stood out among the nine gentlemen when, between each song, he stepped forward and told jokes — about women — to the room full of women.

By the time the gentlemen ended the performance with "America the Beautiful," each woman in the room stood to deliver a standing ovation.