The 3rd Annual Minnesota Bloggers’ Tea took place yesterday on the feast of good St. Dominic. Could we have asked for a better patron? A fitting theme makes a good tea great, and St. Dominic became the perfect intercessor for our humble get-together.
Why, you ask? Well, Dominic is known for his powerful preaching and was chosen by Our Lady to spread devotion to her rosary. The italics are mine because really, can you imagine that? Being chosen by Our Lady? Clearly this man was something special.
And did you know that three times he raised the dead to life? Talk about putting one’s grain of mustard to good use.
I like mustard.
It wasn’t served at the Bloggers’ Tea, however.
We had chicken salad on croissants, cranberry scones with clotted cream & preserves, and tea.
Oh yes.
You’d better believe that we had tea.
And I’m kidding.
I can kid because it’s Jamie.
I love Jamie and she knows it.
(She’s also 9 mos. pregnant.)
(In case you didn’t know.)
This is Meredith. Isn’t she cute? She is very much an extrovert like me and we kept cutting each other off during the conversation.
And I’m kidding again.
I was much worse than she was.
Here we all are. Aren’t we cute? (We’re thinking, “Hurry up and take the photo so we can eat our cranberry scones with clotted cream.”)
(And, “This teacup prop is getting heavy.”)
Going clockwise and starting with my dear friend & object of endless teasing, we have Jamie. Hi, Jamie! And then it’s Josefa; her cutie pie baby boy Daniel; some obnoxious unknown who crashed the party for the blackberry tea; Tracy, (our beloved hostess); Kristina; Meredith; and Sarah.
Here is a close-up of that honey-bunny Daniel. He’s secretly annoyed with me for not bringing his would-be good buddy Anthony.
(Anthony apologizes. He was being a fuss-pot and got left behind.)
This shot of Daniel was the very last photo that I took at our gathering because my camera battery died right after.
This was very freeing for me.
It’s a blogging thing.
At that point, with the option to photo-document removed, this blogging mom sat back and relaxed. I ate my scone & sipped my tea; I smiled & nodded & never once interrupted.
Right, Meredith? : )
We even had door prizes this year, generously donated by two of my very favorite non-native bloggers: Meredith Henning (Hi, Sweetie!) and Karen Edmisten (Thanks, friend!). They each donated copies of their new books, Mondays with Mary and The Rosary: Keeping Company with Jesus and Mary, and the winners of these gifts were very much pleased.
(Shamefully, I’m just that cheeky.)
I daresay we all had a grand old time, just as we do every year. It is a tremendous blessing to get together with other moms—blogging moms, no less—whose hearts & minds are in accord with your own.
St. Dominic would approve, I’m sure.
Prayer to Saint Dominic
Wonderful saintly founder of the eloquent Order of Preachers and friend of Saint Francis of Assisi, you were a fiery defender of the Faith and a fighter against the darkness of heresy. You resembled a great star that shone close to the world and pointed to the Light which was Christ. Help me, good St. Dominic, to be a light in the darkness and to always give cheerful witness to my Catholic faith.
In Jesus’ name I pray,
Note: If you are a Minnesota blogger and would like to be included in this get-together next year, leave a comment on this post or shoot me an email.
Heck, we’d probably even let you in if you were—gasp!—from Wisconsin.
Nice tummy shot!!! You cracked me up!!! (did you also notice I've outgrown my wedding ring?) Thanks for the laughs!
It was a great time, you did such a nice job on this post, I might have to just link your post instead of doing my own!! I only took a couple pictures…I wanted that food!! 🙂 just kidding!
I am – from WI:) I would love to hear more about your get togethers! Please add me to your list, if you see fit, I am not nearly as "know" as you wonderful ladies!
Thanks for sharing, I too feel teh need to take pictures for the blog and often wonder if I may be missing something the Spirit wants me to see because i am too busy looking at things from behind the camera.
What a lovely and delicious looking time you all had 🙂 So glad to be part of it in some small way! Hugs for a relaxing rest of your weekend!
Thanks for the pictures of Jamie. She hasn't been taking face photoes of herself lately – toes, legs, torso … no face!!
The tea looked like a lot of fun, wish I was closer than I am.
Thanks for the great post of yesterday Margaret. Mine is written, but perhaps not as eloquently done?? 🙂 It will post later on or tomorrow I suppose.I love the way you write..always a good chuckle and leaving my heart feeling 'filled'. It was an honor to meet you. It was fun having tea with you…:D
I'm so disappointed that I had to miss it this year, what with being a "founder" and all! Looks like you managed to have a great time without me, though….boo-hoo.
I am one of the-gasp-WI bloggers, and I would love to be included too…I promise to leave my cheesehead and Packer jersey at home!
Nice post. I am hoping to finally get one done myself, but, life seems to keep getting the way this weekend 🙂
It was a pleasure meeting you!
Looks like you all had such a great time!
I want to move to Minnesota! =D
Loving you from Wisconsin, Margaret.
Gee I thought I was shy and quiet. I guess Iknow where my kids get the interrupting from- too eager to chime in I guess; means it was good conversation. Only happens when I am with like minded people.
I think I'm with Jamie and will just link you other gals. I was going to try to be first since I saw nobody had posted, but the creatiity just didn't come.
Wonderful meeting you all; thanks for including me. Blessings to you all. Meredith B.
What a lovely day out for you all, looks like such fun 🙂
Well done, Margaret! You are the best.reporter.ever. Glad you got a chance to sit back and relax too.
Thank you ever so much for co-hosting!
I just googled the directions, and really, it's only about six and a half hours. Maybe next year Ramona and your girls will be playing together while we have tea. 🙂
Thanks so much for letting me be paperly present this year, even if I almost didn't make it. 😉
I was disappointed that I couldn't make it this year. I would have loved to meet you lovely ladies in person. But I was at the Irish Fair ALL DAY for my daughter's SHORT performance. It was well worth it; she was too cute! =)
Hi Margaret,
I'm missing blogging, and I'm missing this event!! We had a family reunion that never "reuned" because of the rain on Saturday. So I was sitting at home and was thinking of you all. Wondering if I should be blogging again… and I could have been Jamie! Really! I'm due at the end of September :).
I read this post today and giggled wholeheartedly, with gratitude for such a lovely and beautiful bunch of cyber ladies who share with the rest of us. What a special day you all were able to feast in with St. Dominic there to oversee the rowdies…snicker. Beautiful ladies, sharing hearts, what a lovely and everlasting memory you all made together. God Bless you all! (Now, what if….someone crashed from Canada? That's not (gasp) from WI you know…LOL)
"This shot of Daniel was the very last photo that I took at our gathering because my camera battery died right after."
"This was very freeing for me."
I LOVE taking pictures, mementos caught for posterity. But when the batteries run dry – like you – I feel free! No more worries about catching this moment or that – because its just not possible now. 😉 Sounds like a lovely event. If we could somehow just jiggle the map a little and move NC a little closer. I would definitely come!
I'm in MN, but nowhere near the blogger you are! I'd just love to meet you someday, though, perhaps at a homeschooling conference (starting for real in a year).
that little boy is adorable! (and even more so in that outfit that we also own :-p) but… dare i say… not as adorable as a little man who goes by Tony? :-p
nah, i'm sure they're equally as cute 🙂
Looks like y'all had a wonderful time.
And I want to add to Therese that if she goes next year **I** want to see the cheesehead and jersey. Go, Packers!
The Texas bloggers are planning a BBQ. We'll have beans. And probably beer. Beat that! LOL!