Ten years ago, I asked my lifelong friend of 60-plus years, Mike Kramer, who lives in Fairbanks, Alaska, if he would consider hosting a tea party for his married daughter, Kristin, and her two daughters, Peytonand Mallory, and also including his daughter-in-law, Susie, and her daughter, Kendall.
I told my friend that I would give him the one necessary essential he needed to put on a tea party—a complete old fine bone china English tea set. I also offered to send along a selection of teas, each individually packaged so everyone could choose their own style of tea. All Mike had to do, as I told him, was to make scones, tea sandwiches, and, of course, the dessert. I knew that he liked to cook, so that arrangement would be…
