The Barbaras Meet for the Inaugural St. Barbara’s Tea

— by Margie Doyle —

They’re everywhere! A bevy of Barbaras gather at Barbara Bentley’s beckoning. (Barbara [Bentley!] is second from the left and featured at the beginning of this story)

Legend has it that St. Barbara may not have even existed… but if she did, she converted to Christianity and ensconced herself in a tower where she put three windows to represent the Holy Trinity.

Her father came to the tower and killed her and was it karma that he then was struck by lightening and killed himself? Regardless, Barbara is now the patron saint of explosions — and firemen.

The Barbaras, each bearing a name tag with their first name, enjoyed tea and sweet breads as the rain clouds darkened the December sky.

Among the group were  several Barbara Anns with a Barbara Lee and Barbara Jo scattered among them. Somewhat surprisingly, a number of Barbaras with Southern mothers who looked into the future and predicted that when their daughters were married, their maiden names would then become their middle names.

There were no explosions.