DWC welcomes you to its Winter site!

Deaf Women of CT is elated to host its first annual Deaf Women's Day event all day. The event theme is "Deaf Women's Cup of Tea".

We believe strongly that it is time to praise Deaf women for their volunteer for the cause that they believe in. Why not? We would need to see a growing number of Deaf women to be recognized, so we would encourage future deaf girls and women to remember current and past deaf women.

You will find more information about Deaf Women's Day event at the EVENTS.

We hosted a Deaf women’s tea party on November 18, 2006 at the T Party Antiques and Tea Room a distinctive shop located in an 1890 farmhouse in Darien CT. This quaint country farmhouse was two story and held an eclectic mix of antique furniture, jewelry, prints, kitchenware, linens, pottery, toys, collectibles, and of course tea.

Fourteen (14) women sat at white tables decorated country style and enjoyed a vast array of delectable desserts including scones which were neatly placed on three tiered silver toned trays. We all ordered freshly brewed loose tea in a flavor of our choosing. Old faces and new enjoyed the company and refreshments on this cool brisk afternoon, a perfect day in Fall season for tea.

Alice Bianco gave a reading about a famous well known novelist, Jane Austen. Jane Austen was born in 1775 and died in 1817. She was well known for her literary works which probed her insights on women’s lives. She however was moderately successful during her lifetime. Unmarried she was both socially and financially dependent on her well to do parents and lived in Steventon, Hampshire most of her life. Two of her noted literary works, Sense and Sensibility (1811) and Pride and Prejudice (1813) were made into movies of the screen.

Jane a women of high standing was a true tea enthusiast. Every morning she was in charge of making her family breakfast and tea. She carried the key to the cupboard where the tea and sugar was stored. She used a copper tea kettle and a Wedgewood breakfast set to serve tea. Jane may have very well washed the china used during breakfast afterwards rather than entrusting it to the maid. She wrote about tea in letters to her sister Cassandra (not related to DWC board officer, Cassandra) with whom she was close with all of her life and her literary works.

Alice then ended her reading with a poem from Jane’s favorite poem by the author William Cowpen,

Jane Austen died in 1816 from ill health, which may have been Addison’s disease at the age of 41. She was buried in Winchester Cathedral.

We held a raffle and two lucky women, Mary Lou Castellano and Liz Cote won prizes. Mary Lou Mary Lou and the book

received an exquisite book entitled The book of Tea. Liz received some wonderful lavender loose tea.

We all had a robust discussion about what to name the upcoming Deaf Women’s luncheon which will take place on Jan 13, 2006 at Avon Old Farms Hotel. We finally agreed on the name rightly entitled “Deaf Women’s Cup of Tea.” It was truly a wonderful afternoon for all Liz and lavender loose tea bin

and we look forward to more annual Deaf Women Tea Parties in the future!!

We enjoyed our first Tea Party on November 18, 2006 at TParty Antiques and Tea Room in Darien, CT. See more photos.

In this website, we are pleased to add true stories by two deaf women who shared their experiences with cancer. Read their stories in the Tea Leaf Tales.

With regret, we will not distribute email newsletters anymore for free by the end of January 2007 due to costs. Please join and support DWC as member for $10 per year.

For vacancies of several board members and program coordinator, you will find our nomination paper at the Garden Room in Avon Old Farms Hotel to sign your name and contact information. So we will invite you to get together within two months. The details about DWC election will be mailed. If you like your name on the nomination form or to attend DWC gathering for elections, then please email any of us.

W elcome