St. Paddy's Day and More

All bloggers enjoy receiving comments from their posts, and I was delighted to receive a comment with photos from Kathy B. in response to my Welcoming March post when I asked the question "What Irish/St. Patrick's Day dishes do you have in your collection?"

Kathy began by saying she wasn't Irish, but she does have a beautiful teapot she received from her husband several years ago, bought at a Hallmark store.  

She also shared a wonderful, creative idea she recently began doing by dressing a mannequin for different holidays.  She bought scarves from the Dollar Store to make a skirt for the mannequin as well as the neck scarf.  I love this idea!  Kathy said it makes a nice conversation piece.

I told Kathy the saying goes, "Everyone's Irish on St. Paddy's Day!"  

This post is a great time to say thanks to those who frequently leave comments whether with pictures or without.  They are always appreciated.

Yesterday seemed to be a day for 'first time' tea parties at The Whitney.  We had two cousins under ten years of age come in with their mom and grandma for a tea party.  They were all dressed up with fascinators and white gloves.  I took photos on their i-phones but didn't get one on mine.  ;-(

But Steven [tea time server extraordinaire] did manage to take a picture of sweet little Olive's first tea party in The Whitney's formal dining room.  Even though her tea time treats were teething biscuits, it still qualified as her 'first tea party'.

I stopped at Michael's on my way home from work to purchase a buddy for the Irish nutcracker I purchased earlier in the week at Christmas Tree Shops.  Because it's so close to St. Patrick's Day he was marked down from $14.99 to $10.49.  Just one more and it's a collection!  ;-)

The nutcrackers are now officially named Pat and Mike!  My Irish uncle [now deceased] used to love to tell Pat and Mike jokes.

A lot is said about the luck of the Irish, but I'd rather think of God's goodness as blessings, not luck. I was blessed on Friday when I received a text from my 18-year-old granddaughter, Brooke, a freshman at Olivet Nazarene University, saying: "Hi Nana, I was wondering how I can be praying for you this week?"  💓

Below is Brooke, the day of her Dedication. God has been faithful to keep her in His care throughout her life, and she has a vibrant testimony of her personal relationship with Him.

 Brooke's High School Graduation Party 2020.  Our 'blessing' grew up!

 

Welcoming March

I hope the first four days of March have been going well for you.  For my first post this month I decided to get out some of my St. Patrick's Day dishes and table décor and share photos of them. But first I made a quick stop at the florist to see if they had any daffodils.  They didn't, so my second choice was a Shamrock plant [Oxalis].  The Belleek fruit bowl was repurposed to a plant container.

The teacup is by Royal Albert called Emerald Isle, part of the Ancestral Series.  The resin Irish figurines are from Christmas Tree Shop a few years ago.

The St. Patrick figurine was purchased in Frankenmuth, MI several years ago, and I think the chubby leprechaun teapot came from Jo-Ann's, also several years ago.  The Irish top hat planter may have been a Jo-Ann's purchase too.   Is it just me, or do you find it harder to find seasonal/holiday tableware these days?  Millennials are said to be minimalists, so production may be decreasing because of that.  Some day my children will probably wish I would have been a minimalist too!  ;-)

I attempted to visit Tuesday Morning today because they usually have an inventory of seasonal things, but the store was completely empty.  Maybe a casualty of COVID-19 shut-downs. Their next closest store was 11 miles away, so I decided to save it for another day, and check out websites at home instead.  I didn't see anything that excited me at JoAnn's or Hobby Lobby's website, but the Christmas Tree Shops scored with a 15-inch Leprechaun Nutcracker. I called to see if they still had some in stock and to my amazement they did, so I dashed over to pick one up. At $7.99 he's not a Steinbach nutcracker, but he's cute holding his pot of gold in one hand and Irish flag in the other.

While I was in the store I browsed around and found some cute tea-themed dishtowels that came home with me too.

Another St. Patrick's Day vignette using my Waterford Crystal Biscuit Jar - the only piece of Waterford I own - and my Irish linens.

Below is an authentic Belleek teapot and cup and saucer, but the plates are faux Belleek.  They came from Christmas Tree Shops a couple of years ago, and I was so happy to find them.

The photo below is a nod to my Irish mom.  It's her Royal Tara trio made in Galway, Ireland.  

My Irish teapot collection, and two of my Irish teacups: Godinger teapot and teacup on the left in the Shannon pattern, Carrigaline Pottery teapot in the middle [it has a handleless teacup to match], and Belleek teapot and teacup on the right.  Hall dark green teapot in the back. The thatched-roofed teapot on the right is by Pfaltzgraff and the one on the left has no markings.  I hope you've enjoyed seeing these vignettes half as much as I've enjoyed photographing them. It's sad the dishes only come out once a year around St. Patrick's Day.

Gathering everything from various cupboards, china cabinets and closets inspired me to go to Lowe's and purchase a couple of large heavy duty totes to label and store everything together in one place for easier access.  It's the very next thing on my agenda.

What Irish/St. Patrick's Day dishes do you have in your collection?

Below is my tablescape from last St. Patrick's Day when I had my Irish Aunt and cousins over for a tea luncheon.  Sadly, my sweet aunt is no longer with us this year, but I'm thankful we had her to enjoy for 93 wonderful years.

☘☘☘

A Beautiful Teapot Story

Every teapot has a story [or stories] to tell, and today's post is a beautiful story about Lina Liu's Blossoms & Butterflies teapot.  The story is just too good not to share. For a visual I photographed the teapot and teacup that's part of my personal collection. 

But first a little background...

Lena Liu is a talented, well-known artist who began painting as a child in Taiwan.  She came to the United States in 1972 and currently lives in Potomac, Maryland.  Her artwork isn't limited to canvas.  She has also done porcelain artwork and partnered with Teleflora Gifts in the 1980's to design teapots and teacups for their Flowers in a Gift.  Lena loves nature, so  her teapots focused on birds, butterflies and flowers.  In a quote at her website she said, "...I let what touches my heart pass through my fingers."

~ Lina Liu ~

Butterflies are recognized as a symbol of rebirth or resurrection due to their metamorphosis process from caterpillar to butterfly.  It's a worldwide belief that butterflies are the most common sign of communication from a deceased loved one.  

Whether you believe the dead can communicate with the living or not, certain things [butterflies in particular] can still remind the living of their departed loved ones.  

The Whitney, where I'm blessed to work, is not only a well-known upscale restaurant, but a beautiful historic mansion and popular wedding site. There's seldom a weekend where there's not a couple of weddings taking place.  

Dave Duey, the restaurant's Director of Operations, enjoys going to estate sales on his days off.  Last year, he found Lena Liu's Blossoms and Butterflies teapot at an estate sale and brought it to restaurant to be put into tea service.  

Fast forward to last Sunday, February 21st.  Steven, a conscientious server, works with me during tea time, and is always the head server for tea when I'm not there.  Since I don't normally work Sundays [religious preference], he was in charge last Sunday.  Yesterday he asked if I noticed the butterfly teapot was missing.   I asked if it had a tea fatality.  "Oh no," he said.  "Something much better!"  Here's the story he told me.

Preparations for a wedding were taking place and the bride was in one of the rooms having her make-up applied.  She asked if it was possible for her to have a cup of tea.  The request was given to Steven, and he steeped the tea in the Blossoms and Butterflies teapot.  He placed it on a tray along with a teacup, and took it to the room where the bride was seated in front of a mirror. As he approached, she could see the teapot in the mirror and burst into tears [unintentionally undoing her freshly applied makeup]. Surprised and bewildered by her sudden tears, he asked what was wrong.

The bride explained her mother wouldn't be at her wedding because she had passed away.  But as soon as she saw the butterfly teapot she knew her mother was conveying the message that even though she wasn't there in person, she was there in spirit.  Purple was her mother's favorite color, the color of the teapot's handle and spout, a symbol her mother was pouring out her love and blessing on her wedding day.  

One can't help wondering why Steven specifically chose to use the Blossoms and Butterfly teapot from the many other teapots we have in service.  It definitely gives credence to departed loved ones using butterflies [in any form] to convey a message.

Steven said news of the incident quickly spread to all the staff members and reached Dave's office.  When he heard it, he told Steven to give the teapot to the bride as a keepsake of her wedding day and a reminder that even though our loved ones may no longer be with us, their love always remains.

I couldn't think of a better post to end the month of February - the month of love - than this teapot story.  I hope it warmed your heart.

 

As February Winds Down...

On Thursday, my hubby took me to a Henry Ford Health System facility in Detroit to get my first dose of COVID-19 Pfizer vaccine.  He got his on Wednesday, but since I was at Independence Village, we couldn't go together.  The clinic wasn't super busy, but there was a steady stream of people who had appointments, and it was well organized.

At first I thought I was going to be rejected for getting a tetanus shot seven days earlier, but after the nurse did some checking, I was given the green light.  It was painless and easy.  

After the shot, I was directed to another area where I had to sit for 15 minutes to make sure there was no reaction, and then I was free to leave.  I'll return on March 18th to get the second shot.  My arm is a little sore at the injection site, but I've had no adverse reactions.  Have you got your COVID shot yet?

My new Polish pottery arrived in the mail today - a teapot, luncheon plate and cup and saucer.  I may get the sugar and creamer later.  I photographed the box with the bashed in corner in case I needed proof for any damages. So much for marking the box with a red Fragile sticker!

Fortunately it was packed very good and nothing was broken. I'm pleased with my purchase.  When 'Fat Tuesday' rolls around next year I'll be able to eat my paczek on an authentic Polish pottery plate.  ;-)  The tea pot is very heavy and durable, and could easily be an everyday tea pot - like the Brown Betty in England.  It's not dainty or delicate, but I'm happy to add it to my collection.  As they say, variety is the spice of life!

A lot of research remains regarding tea in Poland.  They're supposed to be big tea drinkers, but online Polish tea brands seem to be mostly herbals.  I found a couple of black teas, but no greens yet.    

Tomorrow is a work day at The Whitney with 25 reservations for 'Mansion Tea'.  Looks like a busy day is on tap.   The Mansion Teas have been very well attended since we reopened the beginning of the month.  Please come visit us!

Have a nice weekend!

Independence Village - Plymouth, MI

My youngest son works for an investment group that owns several retirement and assisted living properties.  One of them is Independent Village in Plymouth, MI.  When he was visiting their facility he noticed the Executive Director liked tea [by tea pictures and tea memorabilia in her office].  In addition to tea, she's also a beautiful Christian so he thought we'd be kindred spirits. Last November he introduced us via a three-way phone call, and in January I invited Debbie over for a tea luncheon.  You may remember me blogging about it.

Debbie scheduled an Afternoon Tea for the residents yesterday at 2:00 o'clock and invited me to give an inspirational talk about tea.  

When I arrived some of the residents were already seated in the dining room.  The tables were set with white linen tablecloths, and fresh flowers, beautiful china teacups and teapots, and tiered servers laden with yummy tea food graced the tables.

The chef made Earl Grey cupcakes from the New York Times teacake recipe I served when I had Debbie over.

When Debbie introduced me she read my 'tea journey' from my blog post of June 2012, when I first started blogging.  It was fun to refresh my memory as I hadn't read that post in a very long time.  I'm just as passionate and enthusiastic about tea now as I was nine years ago - maybe even more as I've learned about and experienced its many attributes and benefits.

Debbie said it was the first 'real' event since the COVID-19 pandemic broke out almost a year ago.  She was so happy the first activity was a tea event.

The residents were all engaged and responded enthusiastically to questions and comments at the end of my talk.  They mentioned the various brands of tea bags they remembered being available on grocery store shelves in times past, besides Lipton's.  What brands of tea bags do you remember from days gone by?  So many new brands and varieties of tea are available today. 

As you can see by the smiles on their faces, the residents were happy for the tea event too.

There were 8 or 9 tables set up for tea time.  Before I began speaking I passed out tea quotes for them to read at the end of my talk as another means of participation.

Below is one of the sweet residents who came to talk to Debbie and me after the program.  She is a tea drinker and told us about her collection of Royal Albert Petit Point China.

We haven't established a date when I'll be returning, but when I do go back my presentation will be about Detroit's beloved J.L. Hudson Department Store.  It's a place all the residents probably shopped at when it still existed.

~ Executive Director Debbie and Me ~ 

It was a very enjoyable afternoon for the residents and me.  Thank you inviting me, Debbie!

Tea-themed Scarves and Pianos

Talbots is the only women's store I know that consistently incorporates tea into their fashions, whether it's jewelry, socks, sweaters or scarves, and I so appreciate them for that.

Recently my tea friend, Angela, from Tea With Friends blog, e-mailed to tell me Talbots had a silk scarf that was on sale 50% off.  She thought maybe I'd need to get myself another birthday present!  I receive Talbot's catalogs, but somehow I missed seeing it. I ordered one and it arrived in today's mail and is lovely [as are all of Talbots' things].  Thanks so much for the heads-up, Angela!  It's 30.5 x 30.5 even though it looks uneven in the photo.  I like how Talbot's shows you different ways to wear their scarves at their website.

This is my only other tea-themed silk scarf.  I need one more to say I have a collection. ;-) Interestingly, they're both navy blue.

On a completely different subject, I saw a repurposing photo on Facebook today that I just love.  An old upright piano that was made into a sewing station, but if I had room in my house I'd turn it into a tea station, with tea storage underneath. Don't you think it would make a unique tea station?  After all, tea makes our lives harmonious, and a whistling tea kettle is music to our ears!  I think it would be a fun project even if I couldn't keep it for myself, and I know my talented woodworker hubby could give it a beautiful new life.

Being the history buff that I am, I couldn't resist researching upright pianos.  In the early to mid part of the 20th century, pianos were a staple in homes all across America.  It was an instrument as well as a social piece, and a main source of home and family entertainment [more good reasons for it to be repurposed to a tea station!].

During this time hundreds of thousands of pianos were produced and one of the most popular was the upright piano. Some uprights were player pianos. Sadly, many upright piano manufacturers went out of business during the Great Depression, and as American homes began getting smaller, so did the size of pianos.  By the 1940's the large full-size upright piano was out of production.

Today most uprights are in need of extensive restoration [with a price tag around $15,000] to return them to quality instrument status.  Unfortunately pianos don't get better with age, so many uprights go to the junk yard.  The photo below made me cringe.  Just look at all those potential tea stations or tea bars!  It gives validity to King Solomon's words in Ecclesiastes 3:1 "There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven".  It's sad when that 'season' comes to an end.

Did you grow up with a piano in your home?  I did, and both my maternal and paternal grandmothers had an upright piano in their home.  Today, we have a console piano in our living room.  My daughter and I both took piano lessons growing up.

The photo below is my maternal grandmother's upright piano.   My mother is standing on the left, holding me.  Standing by and sitting on the piano bench [left] are my brother and sister and three cousins.

A quick Google search revealed old upright pianos selling for as little as $100 and some owners might even be willing to give one away for free just for removing it from their home. Something to think about.

For a bit more nostalgia, below is the piano in my parents' house.  The one I learned to play on.  The manufacturer was Cable and the letter C in Cable was positioned directly over middle C on the keyboard - very helpful for a beginning piano player!  ;-)

And below is the piano in my house today - the one my daughter learned to play on.  It's a Kimball.  I sometimes play hymns on it for my own enjoyment.  Seeing the picture reminds me it's time to schedule another tuning.