Mom's Love of Bone China Tea Cups

Perhaps on the eve of the Royal Wedding, 

bringing out one of my favorite tea cups from my mom's collection 

would be appropriate.

Royal Albert Bone China England "True Love"

Friends and relatives would go on trips,

and they always knew what to buy mom from their adventures,

bone china tea cups.

She had them from all over.......

and I'm so sorry we didn't keep track of what she got and from whom.

Now that history is gone forever.

I would love to know where this set came from, and WHO gave it to her?

definitely MY favorite.

                             For kicks, I checked to see if this pattern was listed on eBay.

Well, yes there is....... one........same pattern in brown....listed at $70.

 Mom was very proud of her collection........and they weren't just for show.  

She actually used them, regularly.

Long before it was fashionable, she mixed and matched her dishes,

had luncheon parties, had dinner parties,

and had the prettiest set tables, even for our holiday dinners when it was just family.  

Funny (or sad I guess) how I didn't appreciate it at the time.

What I did learn, was to make do with what you have.

She really didn't have a proper cabinet to display her collection.

When I moved home in the mid-80's after a difficult break up,

I brought the piece below with me.

She "borrowed" it and was thrilled to have it. 

 I always thought we would get her something proper, but we never did.  

The miniature white dishes below with gold trim are the dishes she had when she was a child. 

Gosh, I wish I knew the story behind each of these pieces. 

This last June, my mom's niece from Florida was visiting.

I had already planned an evening of fun, but somehow the night took a different turn.

She started talking about how mom influenced her in so many ways, cooking, entertaining, flower arranging, setting a beautiful table.  

I thought it was only appropriate that we go back to the farm so she could select a couple of tea cups to take back to Florida with her as a remembrance of my mom, and her Aunt Lueva.

The tears started flowing.  She was so grateful. 

AND it just so happens one of the sets she picked out, a white cup with red toile borders,

was one of mom's favorites. 

 It was a God moment.

Thanks Marsha from HopeChest & All Things Tea 

http://marshashopechest.blogspot.com/

for giving me the inspiration from your blog to write about my mom's love of tea cups.