We "gaggle of girls' had so much fun yesterday. There were 10 of us; much was imbibed and many good stories were told. The combined age was in excess of 500 years so there was a lot of life experience to share!
As three of us are in the "chub club" (will have to do a blog on that soon) I provided carrots, celery, peppers and wholemeal "healthier" crackers to plunge into a homus dip and guacamole. Not so healthy were the gorgonzola & bacon bites or cheeses and definitely not that fabulously rich chocolate cake which was actually called Ecstasy Chocolate!
Miss D brought over her tea making set so that when we were sick of wine she set to making tea with all the appropriate timing and ceremony – very entertaining. Especially the part where she asked where the kettle was…. kettle? we don't have a kettle ….. (considered a non-essential item like the grater of a previous post). Water had to be boiled in a saucepan and then very carefully poured into her little tea maker.
Myself and two others were considered quite anti-social as we drank our coffee!!
This is Miss D starting a tea – assisted by Rach with her glass of kahlua!
I did not get my grandmother's cups out of the cabinet as they are way too precious to me. When my grandmother was in her late 80's it was considered time that she went into a retirement village and so the grandchildren were invited to 'raid' her house for things that they might like to have. I flew from Sydney to Dubbo and drove to Narromine and selected things I would like to have – it seemed sad and somehow wrong to be doing this though Nan wanted it.
As well as the gorgeous tea cups & plates I chose a crystal ashtray which she and Papa and got in Paris during a world trip in the late 1950's, an art deco style water jug and 6 matching glasses and a glass compote bowl. I also received a couple of etchings and a watercolour that Papa had done as well as a leather box he had crafted during WW2.
When I was moving to America I agonised over these precious items. I did not want to part with them but the logistics of getting them here in one piece seemed frightening!
I put tissues around those fragile little handles and filled the cups with cotton wool; the glasses were filled with cotton wool also. I then wrapped them in many layers of bubble wrap. In an Australia Post box I put a small blanket in first to line it and then my precious items, laying the blanket over the top as well. I think I had three, maybe four, boxes because of the bulky packaging.
I then entrusted them to not only Australia Post but also to Qantas airlines and the United States Postal Services!!!!
I sent them by Economy Air (a service that no longer exists) where they were flown to Los Angeles and then trucked across America by USPS before being delivered by parcel post.
They were on display in our apartment for 7.5 years and 3 months ago when we moved into our house they were moved by the astro-dweeb as I considered them as important as his electronics/computers - i.e. too precious to be trusted to the movers!!
They have travelled many miles without one crack, chip or breakage and every day I appreciate not only the beauty of them but the history that comes with them.
Aussie Emjay's Blog 
Carrying a little piece (or several pieces) of history along with you..how wonderful. I'm sure your grandmother feels better knowing these precious things are so well cared for.Ecstasy chocolate cake. Not fair.
Your tea party sounds wonderful and delicious.How wonderful that you were able to get your tea set moved safely. Definitely a precious and valuable piece of the past.
THat cake looks amazing. droolI am so glad you have those precious items to remember your grandparents. I would treasure them like solid gold!
I hope you loan your camera to your daughter that she might take pictures of each and every one while you sit beside her and tell her the stories. Sure, the pictures may be lost over the years, but I will bet the child will never, ever forget the stories. Pass on the love… 🙂 !
That party sounds so good. Tell your friend that I'm a tea addict too.. decaff, half a sugar and milk.
I just love the tea cups – they are so glamorous and delicate.
Love the back-story to the tea-cups. There's a lot to be said for sentimentality like yours!
I was really looking forward to that cake but it really was so rich that I could not finish my piece!! I feel such a failure!! 🙂
Thank you it really was a lot of fun. Every time I look at those pieces and how fragile they are I am surprised that they survived the trip half way round the world. I guess it was just meant to be!
There are still 3 pieces of cake left – it was richer than even I imagined! I am a very sentimental person and love things like the cups to remember people by.
Sadly teenagers today don't seem to share the same sentimentality. Maybe in a couple of years……
Thank you. I have quite a few items from various people through stages in my life and I can tell a story about each one. If I live to be a hundred there will be a lot of clutter in my house!