Tuesday, March 12, 2013

Tea Party Tuesday

 
Who didn't love a tea party as a child?
 

These photos are of my cousins at my grandmother's house in the 1950s.  Since the photos were taken at my grandmother's house, I imagine the tea service was originally my mother's (she was the only girl, and my grandmother doted on her).  Having a tea service like this one during the Great Depression must've been a very special treat for my mother. 
 
My grandfather was a market farmer, and sold apples, potatoes, asparagus and such from his small ten-acre farm in Hamilton.  He had a stall at the Hamilton Market.  Money was tight, and they survived on credit during the winters. 
 
My grandmother had a circle of friends that would invite each other over for tea on a rotating basis.  One time when it was my grandmother's turn, she had no money to put together a proper tea.  So she took some jewelry down to the pawn shop to sell.  It must've been a heart-breaking moment for her.  She didn't want to lose face in front of her friends.  I hope they enjoyed that spread!!
 
 
That black glossy blob in the forefront is my mom's dog, Muffie, a cocker spaniel.  The last dog my grandmother owned.  Don't you love the way she sits and watches every mouthful the kids are eating? 

The two wicker pieces came to my mother after Grandma passed away.  The chair got lots of use by my sisters, brother and I when we were kids.

 
I'd like to say that the little china tea service survived for many years, but I only remember seeing a couple of the tea cups in our house after Grandma passed away.  They were reverently packed away in the china cabinet where we weren't allowed to touch them!   The tea cups had paintings in a Japanese style on the sides, and a dark golden band.  The finish was a slight mother of pearl which made them look very antique and special in my eyes. 
 
Hope you're enjoying your Tea Party Tuesday!!
 
Linking up with Chantille-Fleur and ...
 
 
 
Thanks for stopping by!
 
Wendy

18 comments:

  1. Such sweet photos! Have a great day. Tammy

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    1. Thanks Tammy, you too, and thanks for visiting :)

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  2. What lovely pictures, a real snapshot of fun! :) x

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  3. Good morning Wendy, what a lovely post and brings back memories for me too. I remember little tea parties like this when I was a little girl-Kathy

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    1. Good morning Kathy (actually afternoon now!). Oddly enough, I don't remember ever having tea parties when I was small ... my mom probably didn't want us using that precious china set (one of the rare things she coveted, so they must have meant a lot to her). Thanks for visiting :)

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  4. What wonderful photos. Love how Muffie sits patiently watching all of the goings on. I wonder if she is waiting for a treat? The story of your Grandma selling her jewellery to fund her ladies morning tea is heart wrenching. I can imagine that she must have been planning that in her head for weeks ahead. xo

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    1. I wouldn't be surprised if little Muffie got a crumb or two tossed her way. I too thought that story of my grandmother was sad, and she probably felt she had no other options.

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  5. What lovely photos, Wendy!
    Oh, I remember having tea parties like this when I was little, such sweet memories :)

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    1. Thank you Hilde, I'm glad these photos evoke such good memories :)

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  6. I love this post Wendy, such a wonderful snapshot of childhood, your Grandma sounded such a proud lady, and those little chairs so sweet.( I still have my aunties child's chair)

    I used to love having tea parties with my dolls and teds..and still have my Mothers childhood china tea set, I wrote a post on it a while ago, have a look and enjoy

    Thank you my dear friend for your kind words
    So put the kettle on and pour yourself a cuppa on me
    Thea x

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    1. Thank you Thea. I love the image of tea parties with dolls and teds :) No better companions for a child I'd say! I'm going to have a peek at your tea set post now ... and I've just poured my afternoon tea to read through these posts ;)

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  7. Thank you for letting me pop by for your tea party :) I enjoyed my time reading the story and admiring the beautiful pictures.
    - Gaia

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    1. I'm glad you stopped in Gaia! I still think you should join in the tea parties ... your post on the tea cozies would have been perfect for it!

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  8. This was a beautiful post Wendy! I love the story behind those pictures :-)

    Thanks for linking in and have a lovely day!
    Sarah x

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    1. Thanks Sarah ... another tea party under our belts ;)

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  9. Oh my gosh Wendy what fabulous pictures! I just love them and want to be part of that Tea Party. I'm sure that tea service was only amazing! Hazel x

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    1. Thanks Hazel ... these photos are very real aren't they, nothing staged here, just kids having tea put on by their grandmother :)

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