Spring Tea Time and Blog-A-Thon

Happy to participate in these 2 lovely events across "blogland"

First up is A "Blog-A- Thon event to run for several weeks hosted by: "Gracious Hospitality"at:http://gracioushospitality.blogspot.com/

The first theme is "Tea Story" ..we are to either tell a true story or make up a story about a favorite tea cup.

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Next is a "First Day of Spring Tea Party "hosted by the "Partea Planner" at:

http://www.theparteaplanner.blogspot.com/

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I have included a few photos from my tea setting for both of these events.

I set my table with a few items that remind me of "Spring"

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The tea cup pictured is one that was given to me by a farm girl from Mary Jane's Farm(I have had many things given to me by the farm girls and I must admit shame facedly that I do not remember from whom I recieved this little tea cup) but love it..I do!

It is totally handpainted with the most beautiful delicate roses all over it in lovely pastel colors and has the name A. Frank on the bottom of the plate and Bavaria as being the country where it was made.

I have an incredible imagination at times..so once I got this little tea cup and saw the name A. Frank painted on the bottom of it and I knew the cup and saucer to be antique..well..I started thinking..

"Wouldn't it be so neat to have a tea cup painted by Ann Frank from the war times back during the time of Hitler?"

My imagination took over and I could imagine this girl of 10-11 years old or so ....who enjoyed tea in a fancy cup while sitting and chatting with her dear mother...actually going with her mother to a china shop and choosing a plain tea cup..totally white with nothing on it..but especially for her....and taking it back home with her..and her mom teaching her how to paint little roses on it.

I can imagine that once the war became quite intense that this little tea cup became something to cherish..something to remind her of her times with her dear mama.

It would have been safely tucked away into her secret hiding place, wrapped with a piece of old cloth and tucked beneath a floor board for safe keeping.

Then before things became even worse I can imagine her handing it to a friend and whispering to them.."keep this always as a reminder of me".

Then it being passed along to another over time and of course then being forgotten as to the purpose of why it was precious..until it wound up in my possesion..for me to resurrect the story again....

....but of course it is a made up story..all within my vivid imagination..but I rather like the story.

Don't you?

So..that's what I imagine to be the story behind my tea cup. That's why to me..it has become special..even though it is a totally made up story..I like to think that perhaps it "might" have belonged to a very precious little girl with a story to tell..a reminder to" always look for the Springtime in your heart..always to look for the joy in life" So..I tip my tea cup in memory of Ann Frank.

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The plates holding the cookies and cinnamon roll are handpainted Italian plates..they both have matching tea cups(not shown) I acquired these little plates from a yard sale about 6 yrs. ago.

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I want to wish you all a "Happy First Day of Spring!!"

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Also wanted to include a little photo of my first attempt at needle felting..a wee 1 1/2 inch tall "squirrel nutkin". I think I need to practice more..or else resign myself to the fact that this is quite a challenging thing to do, and one that I fear I may never quite "get the hang of". Ahh well. There are plenty of other things I know how to do and needle felting at this time is not one of them...ha. But I'll keep trying here and there with it.

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May you all have a beautiful day!!

~The Garden Goose~