Singing in the Rain Formal Tea

The date is February 25^th, 2012 and the time is 10:00 a.m. on Saturday morning. The event is the City of Marco Island Parks and Recreation annual formal tea party. The cloudy weather is cooperating for the selected theme “Singing in the Rain”.

The Mackle Park Community Room is decked out in theme inspired backdrops for a Hollywood Studio film lot. The stars are beginning to arrive. Some are dressed in beautiful hats and colorful attire. We have 35 ladies dressed as flappers, as if they walked off the studio lot in their “Singing in the Rain” costumes. Leading Lady and actress from the movie Debbie Reynolds would be proud.

The fun has only begun. Each attending lady introduces herself with her own anecdotes and we all realize early in the introductions that this tea time is not ‘so formal’ as it is about socializing and making new acquaintances. The

entertainment for the morning is the Parks and Recreation Line Dancers with instructor Iris Mooney leading the group. Umbrellas in hand, they bring rhythm and music to “I Love a Rainy Night”. Keeping to the rhythm, Parks staff is pouring steeping hot water over teabags for the ladies, soon to be sipped after brewing.

The event is emceed by Lola Dial, Teen Recreation Leader at Mackle Park who has a heart felt thank you to Mindy Matusiak, Parks and Recreation Manager for supporting the event and her hard work in decorating and setting the tables with doilies and teacups and all the flowers, need we say more? A huge thank you goes out to Administrative Assistant Patty Mastronardi for her tray designs that encase the food and all the hard work it takes to make a vision a reality. Katie Mendez, Parks and Recreation intern is whizzing around early,

setting out food and placing programs at place settings. It truly takes a team effort to have a formal tea. It’s a beautiful sight to see.

This is followed by delicious chicken salad cream puffs, chocolate chunk scones, orange marmalade thumbprints, red velvet cupcakes and strawberry spinach salad. While the ladies are completing their brunch, we begin our “Singing in the Rain” trivia. Some of the answers are hilariously wrong. We have 4 ladies who answered a few questions correctly. 1^st prize is a plant filled teapot and the final 3 prizes were orchids.

Noon is fast approaching and we are filled with food and tea. We have met new friends, talked about families, vacations, living on Marco Paradise for the winter, fishing in Alaska, snow skiing in Steamboat Springs and now, we are posing, once again, for more pictures and good-byes. Another successful event at Mackle Park!!! Did I mention living in Paradise?