Teacup Rose & Friendship

It feels so good to have a friend on whom you can depend. A friend can help to mend a heart, boost you toward a brand-new start, clown with carefree schoolgirl glee, share a quiet cup of tea.

Jan Miller, Pals

Thinking of my tea-loving, kindred spirit friend whom I've been friends with since high school. Thank you for this beautiful teacup, RuthAnn.

Adventure & Poetry in a Cup of Tea

Cobalt Teacup

I have an affinity for cobalt blue. No matter how many times I decide to change my home decor, I find that I always have to save a spot for the cobalt pieces. It is especially endearing to me in pottery and china. So, I was delighted to receive this interesting and unusual teacup and saucer from a friend. She found it when on a cruise to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico and thought I would enjoy it. It's not especially dainty, but the design and glaze are beautiful. And it's really fun to be able to say that I have a teacup and saucer from Mexico. A scalloped edge frames its rim and four pedestal legs form a lovely base. The teacup's handle is gracefully scalloped. Hand-painted, each floral pattern is varied from the next as one looks around the teacup. I enjoy this teacup and display it on my bookshelf. I never look at it without remembering the friend who gave it to me. 

Do you have special teacups that remind you of a friend? Or maybe an important event in your life? Do you collect them from different countries or states? I'd love to hear about your collection. Does anyone have a teacup from Hawaii? Or Alaska? Please share about your favorite or most unusual teacups. I'm looking forward to hearing from you.

A Cup of Tea

A Cup of Tea

When the world is all at odds

And the mind is all at sea

Then cease the useless tedium

And brew a cup of tea.

There is magic in its' fragrance,

There is solace in its' taste;

And laden moments vanish

Somehow into space.

And the world becomes a lovely thing!

There's beauty as you'll see;

All because you briefly stopped

To brew a cup of tea.

Author Unknown

~

Teacup and saucer: Old Country Roses, Peppermint Damask

2002 Royal Albert, Ltd.

Pansy Faces

Royale Garden Bone China
Staffs, England

My mother’s favorite flower was the pansy. It was her lifelong favorite, with no deviation or change of thought. Although she loved all flowers and had a degree in botany, the humble pansy was always her favorite. As a child, I remember her showing me how each pansy had a face. And each face was unique and expressive in its own way. It seems especially meaningful to me now that she is gone that the pansy means “thought” or “remembrance”. The word itself can be traced back to the French word, pensée. The pansy is a flower with several nicknames. Each name was given because of a specific quality applied to this flower. My favorites are “Jump Up and Kiss Me” and “Heart’s Ease”. Or how about this one --- Three Faces Under a Hood”? Sometimes the pansy is called “Viola Tricolor”. Other names referenced are “Cull Me to You”, “Tickle My Fancy”, "Live in Idleness”, “Kiss Her in the Pantry”, “Johnny Jump Up”, “Monkey Faces”, “Peeping Tom”, and “Three Faces in a Hood”. So many names for one simple, little flower!

In “Language of Flowers” by Kate Greenaway, pansies are said to represent “thoughts”. In Victorian times, a maiden found a pansy that was left by an admirer, it meant that “I am thinking of our forbidden love”. It was much more romantic to let her know by giving her the flower rather than putting it in writing or saying out loud. But, the custom did not go both ways! If a lady gave a pansy to a man she admired, it was considered bad luck! Times surely have changed!

Dorothea Dix, an American nurse and activist who lived in the Civil War era seemed to admire the pansy too. She said that “perhaps no flower...claims to be so universal a favorite, as the viola tricolor; none currently has been honored with so rich a variety of names, at once expressive of grace, delicacy and tenderness.”

Another famous American was Clyde Tombaugh. He was an astronomer who made discoveries in our solar system. But clearly he didn't always look up. It appears that he also took time to appreciate little things close to the ground, like pansies. He is famous for asking "how does a pansy, for example, select the ingredients from soil to get the right colors for the flower? Now there's a great miracle. I think there's a supreme power behind all of this. I see it in nature".

The pansy is an edible plant. Both the blossoms and the leaves are safe to eat. References in the past show that the leaves were used by the Celts to make tea (actually a tisane, which they used as a love potion) and Culpeper, a 17th century English writer, refers to a syrup made from the flowers that was used medicinally to cure certain unsavory diseases.

The pansy is the subject of legend and lore in every culture where this pretty flower blooms. I especially enjoyed learning what American pioneers thought of this flower. They felt that if they picked a handful of these flowers in the spring and brought them into the farmhouse, prosperity would ensue. If the custom was neglected, harm would come to their baby chicks and ducklings. Pioneer children made dolls out of the pansy blossom. Using the pansy flower for the faces, they would add leaf skirts and twigs for arms and legs. So beautifully inventive!

I am linking this post to Bernideen's Tea Time Blog "Open House" meme today.

Blossom & Bear

The ornamental crabapple blossoms are so pretty in vibrant pink! I decided to bring some inside and pair them with a pink blossom teacup and saucer so I could enjoy them in the house. Dusty miller provided some contrast to the vibrant pink and bright green leaves. The arrangement is more whimsy and casual than symmetrically formal or elegant. But, it was fun to create!

The pictures are of my Blossom Bear. She's just the right size to sit on a chair and to look pretty on display, but she's really not stylish any more. Trends have changed from the days when bears were so ultra-popular. But I don't mind. She is special to me. My mother made her about twenty years ago. The fabric is an embroidered 1950's luncheon tablecloth that had been a wedding gift to my parents. Mom kept it as such for about 40 years. Then she decided to re-purpose it by dying it pink and using it to make a bear out of. She strategically positioned the embroidery on the body and face so that it would be featured well. Isn't she sweet? I thought you might like to see her. I love Blossom Bear because she has become a family heirloom.

Are you familiar with the crabapple tree? I have memories of my father raving over how good crabapples were. My grandmother would stew them or can them in his childhood and he developed a fondness for crabapples that has never gone away. I like them too, but not well enough to put up with their messiness in the lawn when the apples fall. So, our crabapple tree is ornamental. The apples are very small; similar to berries. They are a popular ornamental tree used in landscaping, having beautiful blossoms that announce spring so loud and clear! Their blossoms are beautiful even before they open. The bud stage is called "balloon". Flowers in the balloon stage are often a different color than the open blossom. The leaf colors can vary from tree to tree.

Today I paired this teacup with Blossom Bear and my ornamental crabapple blossoms (top photo; lower photo is shown with dogwood blossoms).  The teacup and saucer are Peach Blo Limoges, Silver Moon pattern. They are American made and feature a square plate with scalloped corners. The teacup and saucer are platinum trimmed with a pale pink background and have pastel blossoms and foliage. It was manufactured from the 1920's to the 1940's.

The tea is Adagio's Ceylon Sonata, a black tea from Sri Lanka. Grown on the Kenilworth Estate, it is fresh, citrusy in aroma and has the sweet, juicy notes of mandarin peel or grapefruit. It is quite balanced in astringency and has a refreshing, smooth texture.

It's been fun to look around my house and the garden, finding things that go with this and that. Today is the day for pink! I hope it is a wonderful one for you!

Vibrant Lime of the Sweet Potato Vine

The first time I saw a sweet potato vine was at a plant nursery and gift shop called "My Grandmother's Garden". I was visiting my mother and it was one of her favorite places. The shop owner planted a variety of plants in huge planters and urns. She was skilled at selecting a wide variety of shapes, sizes, and colors, and reds and greens filled the planters. Tall plants of sharp spikes were contrasted with delicate vines and plants with small, bushy leaves. I came away inspired! In analysis, I decided that it was the bright lime-colored sweet potato vines that caught my eye the most! They were gorgeous, classy, and vibrant!

If you read Gracious Hospitality, you know that I love tea and everything related to it. So, last summer I planted a sweet potato vine along with a purple hot pepper plant in this large teacup planter.  It did very well in the summer's heat. I was also pleased to find that it wintered over very well in my living room. How I enjoyed its vibrant lime green during the dreary days of winter.

Sweet potato vines also grace my outdoor garden. They are tucked into planters and flower garden beds. It grows prolifically and compliments both flowers and plants. It dies back after the first hard frost, but it's a gift that keeps on giving. If you are curious, dig up the root and you'll find a large and healthy sweet potato! Take a look at your garden center if you want to have some fun "creating" gardens with this interesting trailing plant.  I think you'll enjoy it, as I have! 

Today I am linking to Bernideen's Tea Time Blog for "Open House". 

Flowers and Colclough

This beautiful short story was found as the text on the inside of a greeting card. I believe it exemplifies the beauty of friendships and the giving spirit of those who enjoy afternoon tea.

Diary of Victoria Rose

Years ago I found a solitary tea cup at an antique shop with a gorgeous rose pattern. I fell in love with it on the spot. From then on, I searched high and low for the rest of the set in china shops, at auctions, flea markets, rummage sales.... Alas, without success! Not even a saucer!! Just as I was beginning to suspect that the cup wasn't part of a set at all, but a one -of -a -kind, never to be found again treasure, I was served tea on the very same china at the home of a friend! Well, I stared with wide eyes until my friend said, "Isn't it beautiful? I found it at an estate sale. Unfortunately, one of the cups is missing." With a twinkle in my eye, I knew that my precious cup would soon have a new home. Author Unknown.

The teacup in the picture is from my collection. It is a Colclough, bone china, made in England. The background is a pale, minty green and is dotted with pink roses accented with tiny yellow and blue flowers. Hand-painted gold swirls, flowers, and leaves adorn this teacup and give it a chintz like affect. It makes a beautiful base for a floral bouquet. The flowers were clipped from my flower garden this morning.

Linking to Bernideen's Tea Time meme.
Flowers: tulips, daisies, and crab apple blossoms.

Chikaramachi

The teacup markings indicate that this teacup is:

~ Chikaramachi ~

Hand-painted

Made in Japan

I appreciate the hand painting which is primitive and unique. Uneven swirls of a paint from a brush can be seen along the base and handle. Hand-painted gold flourishes and swirls add a fine touch, making this teacup and saucer set quite charming. The porcelain is fine and a luster of luminescence creates a pearl-like affect. This is the kind of teacup that reminds you of tea in an environment rich in silks, tapestry, and fine wood. It is a teacup that is inviting to hold and is perfect for any place with old world charm.

The logo on the marking is a crown and wreath. This mark was registered by the Nippon Toki Gornei Kaisha porcelain manufacturing company about 1928 and was used for several years. The company was on Chikaramachi Street in a village called Noritake, a small suburb naer Nagoya, Japan. Eventually the company grew and changed its name to Noritake Company, Ltd. (1981). 

The tea is a classic gunpowder green. It seemed the perfect choice to go with the teacup. It is made of leaves that are hand-rolled into tiny pellets. The pellets resemble gunpowder, which is how this tea got its name. This tea has depth of body and a slight hint of smokiness. Green tea is said to have great antioxidant and phytochemical qualities which are beneficial to health and wellness. Adagio Teas

Work continues on the floral quilt. The sewing machine is set next to a picture window so I can enjoy the spring sunshine and the garden flowers as I sew. I hope you enjoy a happy week!

Linking to Antiques and Teacups with this post.

E A S T E R

"For I remember it is Easter morn,
And life and love and peace are all new born."  

~ Alice Freeman Palmer ~

"'Twas Easter-Sunday. The full-blossomed trees 
Filled all the air with fragrance and with joy."

~ Henry Wadsworth Longfellow ~

Spanish Student

 "Ye sleeping buds, break 
Open your green cerements, and wake 
To fragrant blossoming for His sweet sake." 

~ Margaret French Patton ~

 "Our Lord has written the promise of the resurrection, not in books alone, but in every leaf in spring-time." 

~ Martin Luther ~

 "Well pleaseth me the sweet time of Easter 
That maketh the leaf and the flower come out."  

~ Bertran de Born ~

"The joyful news that He is risen does not change the contemporary world. Still before us lie work, discipline, sacrifice. But the fact of Easter gives us the spiritual power to do the work, accept the discipline, and make the sacrifice.

~ Henry Knox Sherril ~

The tea today is Adagio Darjeeling Sungma Summer. 

The teacup and saucer are Noritake Blossom Mist.

A Spring Day

We're having chilly spring weather. The wind machines in the nearby apple orchard are very noisy as they work away. Their motors and the noise of the blades as they cut through the air make a rumble throughout the nights this week. Slowly, but surely, nature is braving the chill enough to show beautiful buds and blossom faces.

Even the lawn is starting to green up. It won't be much longer before everything erupts!

The daffodils bring cheer; a solid mass of light yellow ruffs and lemon yellow faces! You can just about hear them roar!

The weeping flowering cherry is the only flowering tree that is in full bloom. It's pretty with its single, white blossoms, but it makes me miss the double, pink blossoms from a cherry tree that grew old and had to be cut down last autumn.

After a morning walk around the yard, where I was seeking signs of spring, it's time for a hot cup of tea. Today's tea is Murroughs Welsh Brew, a traditional blend of African and Indian teas. The tin says that they were selected for their strength, colour and smoothness of flavour. The manufacturer is located at Mumbles, South Wales (Mwmbwis, Abertawe). It was won in a give-away that Bernideen conducted last month. Thank you, Bernideen!

The teacup is a  Colclough, made in Longton, England.

All of this talk of spring, flowers, and tea reminds me of my mother and one of her favorite spring poems. It was one she recited from memory on many a spring day!

I wandered lonely as a cloud

That floats on high o'er vales and hills,

When all at once I saw a crowd,

A host, of golden daffodils;

Beside the lake, beneath the trees,

Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

Continuous as the stars that shine

And twinkle on the milky way,

They stretched in never-ending line

Along the margin of a bay:

Ten thousand saw I at a glance,

Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.

The waves beside them danced; but they

Out-did the sparkling waves in glee:

A poet could not but be gay,

In such a jocund company:

I gazed--and gazed--but little thought

What wealth the show to me had brought:

For oft, when on my couch I lie

In vacant or in pensive mood,

They flash upon that inward eye

Which is the bliss of solitude;

And then my heart with pleasure fills,

And dances with the daffodils. 

William Wordsworth

Mortar & Pestle Tea

"A bit of fragrance always clings to the hand that gives roses."

And the fragrance of tea in a rose covered teacup is good in the hand. Tea today is Lavender Grey black tea from B. Fuller's Mortar & Pestle, a place that they call an artisanal modern apothecary. It was a gift from a friend who knows I love anything lavender! They describe this tea as having the orange essence of Earl Grey which is augmented by the floral sweetness of Pacific Northwest lavender flowers. 

And the teacup? It is a Royal Stafford English teacup called Gloria. Paisley style curls and flowers in bright yellow and pink are accented with lots of gold!  The chill outside seems to draw me to vibrant colors for my cup!

Peppermint Damask & Gunpowder

"It was one of those March days

when the sun shines hot and the wind blows cold:

when it is summer in the light,

and winter in the shade."

Charles Dickens

Early this month our local weatherman announced that this would be a colder than usual March. I think he was right. It's been chilly and cold. At least the sun shines most days and that brings a measure of cheer. It also helps to choose a cheerful teacup! My teacup today is a Royal Albert from the Old Country Roses collection. It's called Peppermint Damask, and I enjoy its minty greenness. Tendrils of wispy green leaves and a faint lattice design are sprinkled with yellow, pink, and red roses. It is classic elegance with a touch of whimsy. Today's tea is a classic green gunpowder from Guangdong province, China. It is a mild tea with a hint of smokiness that adds a distinctness that's enjoyed. Each leaf is hand-rolled into tiny pellets which unfurl into full, dark greenness. Classically delicious.

Speaking of green tea, have you read this study released earlier this week? In it researchers found that the more green tea a person drank, the more it reduced the risk of suffering a stroke. Now that's a good deal!

Crown Kensington Teal Chintz

What's in your teacup today? I'd love to know. Is it something you enjoy on an everyday basis? Or did you have something in your teacup that was unique and special to the day?

My teacup this morning is a Crown Kensington called Teal Chintz. It's fine bone china from Staffordshire, England. It was a gift from a sweet friend and is one of my favorite cup and saucer sets. The cheerful colors help start my day on a positive note! Today it contains a classic Ceylon tea from the Kenilworth Estate. Called Sonata, it is a fresh with citrusy tones. A bit of milk and stevia accompany this tea to create a cup of perfection. 

"Peasant and King are equals over the teacups...".

Today I am linking to Bernideen's Tea Time Blog where she is conducting a meme called Friends Sharing Tea.

Teacup Art Congratulations!

Posts for the past week have featured pictures from the book Teacup Art...and Reflections by Joyce Wilkens.  Readers were asked to share their teacup story and how it relates to their life. Names were entered into a drawing and one fortunate individual's name was to be drawn to receive a copy of this book. 

Thank you to those who commented! Your names were placed on identically folded slips of paper and put into a copper bowl. I asked my husband to draw one name which he gladly did. The winner of the book is Marilyn from Delights of the Heart. She wrote:

This morning I am sipping tea from a Royal Staffordshire teacup of a Rural Scene in browns. The first morning that I am definitely feeling a chill in the air as we head toward Autumn. Along side the teacup is a green tea flavored macaron. Dreaming of a new season in my life as my new grandson will soon be here to have tea with his grammie. Dreaming and believing in passion today. [Marilyn]

Congratulations, Marilyn!

Friendly Village Teacup and a Slavic Sunday Morning

If you've been keeping up with Gracious Hospitality, you know that there's a give-away going on. The book Teacup Art....and Reflections by Joyce Wilkens is being given away to the one who's name is drawn. If you'd like to enter, click here and leave a comment. Joyce's book is filled with many unique teacups from her collection. It was difficult to choose just one for today's post. After leafing through the books pages, I finally chose a page that she's titled after the teacup shown which is "The Friendly Village" collection. It reminds me of a portion of an email that Aunt Marcella sent to me just a few days ago. Although she doesn't speak of teacups in her email, I really enjoyed her description of a village that could very well look like the one illustrated on this page. Please pour yourself a cup of tea and read along with me. Savor the words Aunt Marcella wrote forty-three years ago about a trip she and Uncle Mike took to the quaint village of Gradiska in then-communist Yugoslavia. She wrote about her visit to the village market and countryside after an anxiety-filled night in a dusty old room in a noisy hotel without locks on the doors.

A SLAVIC SUNDAY MORNING

Gradiska, Yugoslavia - 1969

by Aunt Marcella 

It seemed the roar of Saturday night's revelry (noisy, drunken brawlers in the streets that expanded into our quaint hotel) only barely exceeded the roar of Sunday morning's market carts, and the latter took up just about where the former left off.  Those rubber-tire-less wagons came wheeling into town loaded with produce and people, with a rumbling calculated to wake the dead, hurrying to nab a prime spot on the market place on which to sell their home grown goods. Peeking out the grimy window, we nervously accessed the risks in this new invasion.  Wearily, we gave ourselves up to it, got dressed and hit the street with the marketers about 6 am, or just in time for a good frost bite. Enter here a gnarled little old lady-hen, who took me under her kindly wing and together we clucked about the booths, watching the market grow from an early dawn trickle to a rushing river by 9 a.m.  She introduced me to her sister-in-law, who was presiding over her large basin of juicy, homemade sauerkraut.  I also met lots of other farmer ladies dressed in long skirts, aprons, and head scarves.  Clothes seemed to come in two colors; dark and darker, and life in 2 speeds; slow, and as the English say, dead slow.  We finally found a man who was willing to take our picture together near the sauerkraut.  No easy task, since the men here knew nothing about cameras and simply backed off in panic when approached.  Mike, who exercises every day, come riots or wagons, even when traveling, left the market to me, and started south on a 20 mile jogging workout, headed for Sarajevo.This was to take him about 2 and a half hours, and after settling on route, time, and meeting place, I had spare time enough to kick up some excitement among the wagons.  Good grief, hadn't I had enough of that all through the long night? No trouble this time, actually, just lots of fun, as I helped myself to liberal servings of that local market.  Mike gobbled the unique cultural scene with his eyes, while jogging slowly south to the rendezvous spot.  Later as I started down the Sarajevo road to catch that runner, I also wolfed large and nearly indigestible portions of that same 19th century scenery.  My excitement had reached a fever pitch by the time I caught him and I think his had too.  "Sheep, oxen, wells, mosques, geese, drying  red paprika's, Turks, thatched roofs..........."  It all came tumbling out at once.  What a country, such villages, what farmyards, what rustic landscapes with old ladies minding the geese by a pond with staff in hand.  Having less than two years in these heady foreign climes, we were pop-eyed, excited and excitable "babes in toy land", or perhaps children in Mother Goose land. We couldn't have known it then, but much was yet to come.  In succeeding revisits, Yugoslavia unfolded its magnificent entirety to us, converting that early scepticism into a robust pro Yugoslavian friendship. She quietly wove her lovely silken web around us with snow-capped mountains, superb Adriatic coastline, green fields, blue lakes, Renaissance bell towers, fields of storks, forgotten mountain valleys sauntering along in the 17th century, and a warm and lovely people. Yep, we're captured and this Slavic Sunday was a startling, and implausible opening to a very long lasting love affair.

Don't forget to enter the drawing! Click here for instructions to enter!

Teacup Story of India

If you've been keeping up with Gracious Hospitality, you know that there's a give-away going on. The book Teacup Art....and Reflections by Joyce Wilkens is being given away to the one who's name is drawn. If you'd like to enter, click here and leave a comment.

I've been enjoying Joyce's beautiful book! It's one that has been a part of my tea library for awhile now (the winner will be receiving my second copy). Each teacup story that she shares through her photography and prose is beautiful and unique. I've been sharing just a few of the pages with you here on Gracious Hospitality this week. I hope you've been enjoying them.

Today's page shows a beautiful wood carving of the word TEA. Above it is a beautiful teacup from Joyce's collection. It was made in India. I would suspect that there are not too many teacups made in India. At least I haven't seen many. My sister, Judy, has visited India three times. She's spent nearly a month each time, traveling by car and train. The stories of her adventures are amazing and always interesting. When she left for her last trip there, I asked her if she would look for a teacup for me in India. She was happy to do so, but things were busy and she forgot until the very end of her trip. She and her family were staying with an Indian pastor and his family. A day or two before their return home she remembered about my teacup. She asked her hosts where she could purchase a teacup for me. They suggested a large department store nearby, but then realized that anything found there would probably be somewhat generic and imported from China. But, not to worry! The pastor said "You can take her something from our cupboard". He promptly went to the kitchen and pulled out three beautiful Indian teacups. I'm not sure if his wife had much say or not. They are a beautiful set of three yellow teacups painted with a beautiful Indian motif in chocolate brown. How I treasure them! I must say, though, that I do feel a bit guilty about having them. Although my sister says they were lovingly sent from their hearts, I cannot help but feel a bit badly for the pastor's wife. I wonder, did she really mind that he gave away her teacups? Because of her, I cherish them all the more.

Do you have a teacup that tells a story?

Don't forget to enter the drawing! Click here for instructions to enter!

September Teacup

"The breezes taste

Of apple peel.

The air is full

Of smells to feel-

Ripe fruit, old footballs,

Burning brush,

New books, erasers,

Chalk, and such.

The bee, his hive,

Well-honeyed hum,

And Mother cuts

Chrysanthemums.

Like plates washed clean

With suds, the days

Are polished with

A morning haze."

by John Updike

Photo by Joyce Wilkens

From her book, Teacup Art...and Reflections

To enter a drawing for this book, please scroll down or click here.

A Passion for Tea

Do you have a passion for tea? Hattie Ellis does, and she writes all about it in this delightful little book called "A Passion for Tea". Published by Ryland Peters & Small, this book contains a wealth of information about preparing a perfect cup of tea. Artistic photography by Debi Treloar accompanies each page. Ms. Ellis starts by explaining the origins of tea and of the different tastes of tea from around the world. Then she explains how to make this versatile beverage, including buying, storing, and using the best equipment for the task of tea making. The finer points of tea service are shared, beginning with adding citrus, milk, and sugar. Then she discusses pairing tea with food. The author doe not forget to talk about tea's health benefits. Before she's done, she shares some of the main points of specific types of tea service and gives some delightful recipes for tea, the beverage. Although this is a small book, it's packed full of information. As the description on the back cover states, this book has "Enough facts and flavors to refresh any tea lover. Perfect with a slice of cake!"


I'll be sharing about other tea books in my collection as times goes on. In the meantime, see if your library has this helpful book so you can enjoy it too!


Teacup: the marking says D & C - France. It was a $2.99 find at Goodwill.