TEA ON 23 WITH MY SWEET PEAS
The power of traditions make itself most apparent during the holidays. So many of my childhood memories are steeped in the consistency of those traditions. Memories blur together with time but the feeling, the vivid snapshots of events, the smell in the air, are all captured in my mind.
When you become a parent you really begin to understand the heart, soul, and thought that went into each holiday that was so special. How each event was a collaborative effort filled with thought, probably some stress, and most of all love.
We have started a non stressful tradition of taking family and friends to afternoon tea at the Waldorf Astoria in our hometown of Las Vegas. The tea lounge is on the 23rd floor. We make reservations for about 45 minutes before sunset and as we are enjoying the variety of teas, hot chocolates, and decadent treats, the sun sets and the city starts to glow. The picture above holds a special place in my heart for so many reasons. Out in the distance is what used to be original MGM hotel in Las Vegas. I sort of grew up in my early years in that hotel. One side of my family was in the hotel administration business. They came from Manhattan and my grandfather opened the Sahara hotel in the 50s. I learned to swim in the MGM pool, watched old movies like the Marx Brothers and Shirley Temple in the movie theater while sitting criss cross applesauce on velvet sofas and sipping my very own Shirley Temple. That entire side of the family has passed away but I love looking at this photo, knowing that when I was her age, I was walking around a casino, visiting pit bosses, casino executives, bellman, and valets and now she’s at the Waldorf, enjoying hot coco. I loved my childhood but I love shaping hers even more.