TEA FOR TWO.

Every so often, my mom and I get together for lunch. Whenever we do, we like to go to one of the tea rooms here in my hometown.

This past week, we decided to pay a visit to Aunt Hattie's Tea Room. The time before that, we went to Miss Emily's Tea Room. There are others, but we enjoy these two the most.

Aunt Hattie's is located in Delano, which is one of our historic districts. In decades gone by, Delano was a red-light district, with a number of saloons and gaming establishments frequented by, among others, dance-hall girls and gunslingers. Wyatt Earp was once a keno dealer there. Now, however, Delano is home to a number of unique shops and restaurants, Aunt Hattie's among them.

Miss Emily's is located in Riverside, which is another of our historic districts. In decades gone by, Riverside was filled with fashionable Victorian houses, many of which have been restored over the years and are truly lovely. Now, it's also home to several Museums on the River, as well as to the forty-four-foot-tall Keeper of the Plains, Blackbear Bosin's gorgeous sculpture, which stands on display at the confluence of the Big and Little Arkansas Rivers.

Even though our tea rooms are relatively new and not authentic, Mom and I adore them because they're quaint, charming, and quiet---just the place to have not only a good lunch, but also a good conversation. This is our time for mother-daughter heart-to-heart talks.

Afterward, we always go shopping. Sometimes, we return home loaded down with parcels; sometimes, we don't buy anything. Either way, we're invariably worn out at the day's end. Still, it's a good kind of tired---the kind that comes after a pleasurable outing spent with someone you love.

I always look forward to these tea-for-two days with Mom.