September is nearly half over? How did that happen!?!

Somehow, this wasn't posted... no surprise really....  

It is so hard to believe September is here! But... here it is, and fall begins. The illustration is from my favorite Country Diary Of An Edwardian Lady, a book I enjoy looking at while having an afternoon cup of tea break.

This thought so chimes with my life at the moment... so much to still deal with both physically and emotionally... but we must not forget to appreciate and enjoy the gifts we are given.

I am looking forward to my Saturday visit to the Farmer's Market tomorrow... a joy that had been put aside for a couple of years.

But I am continuing to look forward and accomplish what is needed, as well as what I want to have in my life again.

Some of the items added to Antiques And Teacups this week:

Emma Bridgewater Mug Black Headed Gull Birds 2006... now sold

Blue Transferware Plate Mausoleum Romantic Staffordshire 1905 Cauldon England

Pink And Yellow Roses Cup And Saucer Elizabethan England 1970s Bone China

I can definitely attest to this.... everyday is an exercise in forcing one foot before the other, dealing with what needs to be done, and MAKING myself eat! 

Tea is always there, so I add something healthy and tempting to help. 

And, after several years of not having the time or energy left to do any baking, I plan to get back to making some things to add to me teatimes.

A comforting ritual to center and continue to find my new place in the world.

Besides my faith, family and friends, tea is essential!

I hope you have a week full of joy!

The last week of August

 

An August page from my frequent companion... The Country Diary Of An Edwardian Lady by Edith Holden from 1906... written by someone from the area where my husband was born and lived his early life in Warwickshire near Stratford-on-Avon.

This week I have been hibernating, as the air coming from the Canadian wildfires has been in the unhealthy level. I have been dealing with headaches, itching eyes and breathing problems. So, the air conditioner and air cleaners are at work! I don't have much desire to be out at the moment, but still missed my weekend visits to the farmer's market and to church services. Hopefully back to normal in a couple of days.

I have had extra time to work on the chores from my website that have backed up over the last year, now that I have done with most of the chores and paperwork necessary after the loss of a spouse.  I am also tending to things that piled up in my office, as they were back in the line of importance behind the necessary things necessitated by my caregiver role. I find myself with empty time, that was otherwise regimented by the 24 hour a day 4 hour medications and nutritional needs of my husband's Parkinson's disease. 

But....

I need some clarity and direction through prayer about what my new reality of life will look like. I know it's only been a few weeks, so I am trying to remain at peace and wait for clarification.

In the meantime, as was our mantras for the last couple of years especially...

One Day At A Time

and

We Can Do This... only now it is 

I Can Do This... through the Grace of God

"I can do all things through Christ Who strengthens me"  Philippians 4:13... which has been proven so true.

So... this week, here are some of the items I have added to Antiques And Teacups

Dunoon Devon Emma Ball Mug English Coastal Villages Devon England

Thimble King Edward VII and Alexandra 1901 Coronation Commemorative English Bone China

And more... but that's a sample. 

I hope this week brings you joy and the appreciation of the many gifts we have... many so simple and small we overlook them...

and the people we may take for granted and also overlook...

so many treasures to be discovered!

End of August and reinventing life

 

This has definitely been my constant thought the last months... nearly a year... as we faced the progression of  the disease my beloved husband of 49 years has faced for nearly 30 years.

I lost him 4 days short of a his birthday in June, as he peacefully transitioned from life here into the presence of our Lord Jesus, on a Sunday morning, just at the time we would have begun worship in church. 

His worship celebration must have been unimaginably glorious!

Japonica... by contemporary artist Denise Perrin, born 1950

As I contemplate the future I am praying and thinking about what my new life will be. I am so grateful for my daughter, son in law and grandson who moved to the area here 2 years ago to be near us. Between them and the Lord, I would not have coped. My helpers and props were definitely Faith, Family and Friends.

By Judy May

I am planning to get back to blogging, for myself, and because I still have my small business Antiques And Teacups.

The business is both a reminder of something we shared for so many years as well as something I can focus on and be productive rather than sadness. So it is welcome.

I will be posting things I add to the shop first, then perhaps be ready to get back to the type of blog posts I have loved to do in the past, celebrating holidays, research, teacups and enjoying tea with friends!

By poet and author Earlene Grey

 

Tea Quote, Shelley Primrose Teacup and My Current Fav Tea Blend

 Spring is here indeed! As my allergies attest... but spring is always a hopeful season.

The above is a Shelley, England teacup in the unusual Atholl shape in the Primrose pattern. The shape is not often seen, although the pattern was used for many years on many shapes. I just speaks of the cheerful thought induced by the burgeoning blooms of spring.

I came across a quote about tea that I especially liked while reading a book on my Kindle. The book is called Listen To Your Heart from a collection of books bundles under the title Darcy And... by Leenie Brown...

"Anne cradled her teacup in her hands, warming them. She inhaled deeply of the fragrance. To her, there was more comfort to be found in a simple cup of tea than the mere drinking of it. It was an experience to be savoured, and the first cup in the morning served as a source of pleasure and a time of reflection."

That is so very true for me as well. It struck me this morning, as I sat with my first cup... of my current favorite Victorian London Fog by Harney & Sons tea...

that the quote certainly put into words my own experience. The first cup, after devotions, then waking my husband for his first major medications, was indeed the essence of peace and reflection I need each day to begin. 

I am very grateful for peace and joy found in such a small thing in the midst of the fact that each day is a new challenge and totally unpredictable.

But...that, too can be a source of pleasure.

:)

Happy Mother's Day USA... and again remembering a past one at Harrods in London

 Wishing you all a Happy Mother's Day on Sunday May 8th.....for everyone who is a mother or who has "mothered". ie nurtured and mentored someone!

and this weekend is also the Kentucky Derby on May 7th... 

I have not been blogging because life is a bit complicated with my dear husband's Parkinson's disease, but I will try to begin doing so again because I miss the focus on the joys in my life!

 I remembered that a few years ago this week we were in London for our week at the start of our then annual month long buying for Antiques And Teacups and Time Was Antiques and visiting trip in England, and wanted to share one of our favorite venues for tea...both posh and pleb....Harrod's super department store in the Knightsbridge section of London....warning: photo heavy post!!! 

Harrods is a must if you visit London, although we didn't often buy anything among the designer goods upstairs...one year brought back signature Harrods carrier bags as Christmas gifts for everyone....

Most things were beyond our budget....except the Food Hall in the basement!

  There are lots of tea items in this post...but only one teacup...and here it is....

From the posh Georgian Restaurant on the second floor...to the plebian...if you can call it that...Food Halls...an amazing place! These photos are from several different annual visits....and I hope you can get a feel for the place...you will find everything for a meal, a picnic tea or eat in the various eateries and cafe's scattered around....

The scope of the place is amazing...a cavern of gastronomic treats....and so many trained staff with specialties in their areas whether tea, coffee, pastries, meats or any type of delicacy....

All surrounded by marble, mosaics and a fabulous art nouveau vaulted ceiling!   And the wonderful choices! Get ready to drool...you are spoilt for choice, and a quick decision is difficult to find here....

Are you hungry yet???

 There is always a trained staff of tea sommeliers on hand to help you choose the right blend as well....we always plan at least an hour wandering around in the Food Hall, then choose our items and find a table and enjoyed. The place is an experience I hope each and every one of you gets to experience some day. It's one of things that we miss now we can no longer make the trip to England, even though for the last 10 years we had been taking a ship across. But my husband's Parkinson's Disease makes the airplane flight to the east coast from here in Washington state undoable. So our visits home are at an end. But we were blessed to have gone so many times. We are very blessed and very grateful!

And of course... always tine of tea to bring home as gifts. 

Lovely!

Hopefully you can have a lovely tea time with someone you appreciate this weekend!

Our good news is that our daughter, her husband and youngest grandson... if you think young is 30 !... will be permanently moved here from out of state in the next 2 months and we are so excited!

So... lots of good things to look forward to!

And my prayer is for your lives to be as blessed!

Remembering the Titanic

I am remembering Titanic...the unsinkable ocean liner that sunk after hitting an iceberg on the night of April 14th thru 15th, 1912.

The famous White Star ocean liner Titanic sailed with custom designed china for first class passengers from the Royal Crown Derby pottery in England which were reissued for the centennial in 2012, so I am sharing a teacup and teapot from the Titanic china for 1st Class passengers...

I think the design is lovely...so elegant and classic. The cup and saucer is if I remember correctly 42 pounds, or about $60.

Click on the teacup or teapot to go to the Royal Crown Derby website to see what is available, or click this link: Royal Crown Derby Titanic China

Actual Titanic 1st Class dinner/supper menu...Getty

Cobh, pronounced Cove,  is now a part of Cork, Ireland the main part of which is about 20 miles away, is part of the Titanic story, because it was the last port Titanic touched before heading out and ultimately colliding with the iceberg. The ship had left her birthplace, Belfast just a few days earlier.  Many of the 3rd class immigrant passengers had gotten on here. We were fascinated by the remnants of those days still found in thew picturesque little town when we have been there for the day during several transatlantic cruises to England.

This is the White Star Line headquarters in Cobh about 4 blocks from where our ship was docked during our days here. The building is now a pub...notably named The Titanic...with some cases of memorabilia which was fascinating.

The little town hasn't changed much since Titanic left in 1912.

This is the Kennedy Park near the White Star offices, where many would have waited to board.

The tickets to the museum resemble passenger tickets... and there were tags with an actual passenger name attached, but I couldn't find that part of the tickets...

Cobh was called Queenstown when Titanic sailed from here in 1912, and the town has put together an interpretive and interactive exhibit called The Queenstown Experience that was wonderful. Thousands of Irish immigrants passed out of this port to try to find new lives during the potato famines and clearances. The exhibit, which is full of artifacts, life size recreations of onboard ship experiences and videos, newsreels and personal photo and memorabilia collections was a wonderful and poignant experience about how hard life was for many of the people passing through here.

The room where passengers waited to board is now an area of shops and a tea shop you enter after exiting the exhibit, one of the displays is seen here, and a link to there website is at the bottom of the post.

For some fabulous further interesting websites related to the Titanic disaster, here are:

The Titanic Trail – Guided Walking Tour of Cobh

The Queenstown Story

On March 23, 2018 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle made a visit to Northern Ireland, and while there visited the Titanic Mueum in Belfast.

The museum is on the site of the builders yard where Titanic was built...Harland & Wolff...and includes original spaces as well as an hotel.

The building  was  designed to reflect  the Titanic, and is the same height as the ship...

The couple was presented with a Titanic model by a costumed docent...

Harney & Sons RMS Titanic Tea blend

And lifting a cup of this lovely tea today in memory...