(Written 1-4-2026)
There’s plenty of evidence that most everyone has forgotten how to truly listen to each other. What happened, exactly? Things improve faster when more of us learn about what we don’t know or understand. As a group, we are not really helping each other enough.
However, very recent elections point to a refreshed desire to improve our civilization all over again. It’s not too late to listen to each other, make fair compromises, and build on our successes together!
In a way, our current impulsive POTUS has instigated more compassion throughout the land in response to his draconian, selfish, and unlawful approach, much like the big greedy news this weekend.
Consequently, Sharon and I made fresh reservations weeks ago. We wanted to set the stage for a more civilized year in the world by setting an example ourselves so we arranged an afternoon tea together the first weekend of the year.
What better way to show everyone that their discourse skills can improve greatly while sharing warm drinks, formal attire, and dinky treats together all while keeping pinkies high in the air!
Fairmont Olympic Hotel
To help experience a full afternoon tea to be our preamble to 2026 we recently discovered the tea rooms at the Fairmont Olympic Hotel in downtown Seattle. For 100 years, afternoon tea at the Fairmont Olympic has been a cherished tradition. In celebration of the hotel’s Centennial, we just enjoyed a special menu blending timeless elegance with a modern twist, featuring winter flavors inspired by the hotel’s December 6, 1924 opening.
In the process of understanding what we were actually doing, we quickly learned so much more about afternoon teas to start 2026!
Afternoon Tea History
Afternoon tea began in the 1840s with Anna Maria Russell, the Duchess of Bedford, who felt hungry between a light lunch and a late dinner. She started a private ritual of tea, bread, butter, and cake, inviting friends to join, which quickly became a fashionable social event for the upper class, eventually spreading to other classes and evolving into the British tradition of sandwiches, scones, and pastries enjoyed today.
“High Tea” vs. “Afternoon Tea”: The working class developed “High Tea,” a more substantial, savory meal in the early evening, distinct from the lighter, aristocratic Afternoon Tea.
Modern Afternoon Tea
Today, afternoon tea is a popular cultural experience, offered in hotels and tea rooms worldwide, from luxurious settings (like The Ritz) to home celebrations.
Sharon and I certainly feel more civilized again after this lovely afternoon, and we invite everyone to be way more civilized this year too!
Grab yourself an afternoon tea to get a good start on the new year! Time for everyone to be truly civil to one another all year long!
Besides, those dinky treats really are the cat’s pajamas!
Oh, how civilized!
Good luck in 2026!
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