MOMENTS of MEMORIES

My mother has a special collection of teacups.  The cups are displayed in a mirrored glass cabinet in her dining area.  She has a particular quality of high standards for keeping her home clean and organized.  The cabinet is placed so that the afternoon sun directly shines on the shelves, and with the mirrored back, the light catches the cups just right.

I carefully removed each cup and saucer and positioned them just right so I could capture their beauty for this blog.  Though I expected we would visit while I was taking pictures, I wasn't expecting to learn so much about the occasion of how she came to own the cups; of the people who gave them to her; of their origin; or of the generations that had used the cups before her.

After taking many photos of her tea cups, we sat together over a cup of tea and some biscotti I had made.   Though my intention was to photograph her teacup collection, and spend some time with her, I realized that it was such a blessing to visit with my mother. The visit I had planned to do for her, was indeed a special moment of memories for me!

Is there someone you should visit with?  Perhaps you don't know what you'd talk about or how to get the conversation started.  Find something you like about that person or a belonging of theirs you admire.  It doesn't take much to get a conversation going, share a cup of tea or coffee.  You don't have to stay all afternoon. Thank them for the time spent.

DOWNTON ABBEY TEA

On Monday, February 10th, the characters and era of finery came alive for seven of us.  We gathered around the television at 1:00 p.m. to watch the next in the series, here in the U.S.  All but one of us had watched the series on our local PBS station the night before.

The lastest issue of Tea Time Magazine gave great menu ideas

and some articles with information from the series pertaining to having tea, as well as a wonderful article about the tea gown.

Guests were encouraged to dress in period clothing

Pinterest is a great resource for anything relating to Downton or the era of 1912-1920's.  We looked at the family tree and all the characters upstairs and downstairs, shared ideas and speculation on what will happen next.

One of the most delightful surprises, was a "virtual guest" from England via skype.  Val, we enjoyed your travelogue on places the series are filmed, and so much more.  Thank you for sharing your families' century-old china and tea cup as you shared a Downton Abbey Tea with us.

Until next season, Happy Tea Time, follow Downton on Facebook, and watch the season on DVD.