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I remember a song from when I was a little girl that said, "Polly, put the kettle on and we'll all have tea."

When I visited Doreen Horlick, the first thing she said was, "Let me put the pot on for tea." Horlick, originally from Britain, has lived in this area for more than 60 years.

Horlick, her family and the Hunts recently hosted a tea party at Fairfield United Methodist Church, 1505 N.C. 62 West, in High Point. The goal was to raise money for a mission project in Birzai, Lithuania, in which Methodist churches in the Western North Carolina Conference have been participating for several years.

Fairfield United Methodist Church has sent a team to Birzai for five years. They helped renovate a three-story building, formerly a Soviet Army headquarters, to be used as a church, a drug and rehabilitation center and a soup kitchen. The team also worked in individual homes and installed running water and a water heater in a home with seven children.

In July 2008, the team helped remodel a two-story house and transformed it into the Gifts of Grace Project. The house provides a meal to children each day and provides running water so community members can take showers and wash clothing. In the future, the organization hopes to provide a shelter there for women and abused children. Many Methodist churches are working together on this project.

"The money raised from the tea, which was a sellout, will be used to buy a refrigerator for the house," Horlick said.

"I wanted to do something to help the mission project. I thought I should have the tea while I am still able to do it," she said. Horlick said she's 86 but I would never have guessed it if she hadn't told me. She acts like Jack Benny's perpetual age of 39 or younger.

The Horlick and Rema Hunt families prepared the food for the tea and women of the church decorated the tables and brought in their own china.

Rema Hunt, also of England, was Horlick's best friend for more than 60 years. Hunt and Horlick's husband, Bill, died about four years ago so the tea was held in their memory. Horlick gave me a lesson in making hot tea: Start with putting water in the kettle to boil. As soon as it comes to a roaring boil, pour it in the cup with the tea bag. Let it steep for at least two minutes. Add a little milk and sugar if you prefer. Always use real china because it really gives the tea a different taste. Serve it with biscuits, known as cookies in the U.S. Horlick likes to use Red Rose tea, which comes from Canada. I asked her what is different about British tea. "British teas usually use Indian tea, which is stronger and darker. "Lipton tea is also good," she said.

According to Horlick, the nicest compliment you can give to your hostess is, "That is a good cup of tea."

The day I visited, Horlick had made more than 100 sausage rolls for the tea. "These were Bill's favorites," she said. Her daughters and members of the Hunt family were also making food items.

The menu for this English high tea consisted of chicken salad sandwiches, cream cheese pinwheels and sausage rolls. Desserts included scones with strawberry jam and clotted cream trifles; jam tarts, which were Rema Hunt's specialty; cakes; chocolate covered strawberries; and hot tea.

One of Horlick's sons made the tea. "My husband, Bill, was a wonderful tea maker also," she said. Ashley Albertson told me her daughter, 5-year-old Katie, was so excited that she woke up at 4:30 a.m. The tea party was definitely good fellowship for the ladies. There were dresses of all colors, stylish hats and white gloves. You could feet a tingle in the air. Horlick hosted teas before with her husband and Rema Hunt. They once held a tea at the church for a ground breaking and hosted teas at several local nursing facilities. Horlick doesn't host tea at nursing facilities often anymore. She misses Bill Horlick and Rema Hunt's help.

Now, readers, you know how to make a good cup of hot tea. Put your kettle on. Get your china out and invite a friend. "The best thing about having a cup of tea is to always have a friend to drink it with. Always!" said Horlick.

Contact Kathy Johnson at mjohnson2@triad.rr.com