A Message from Ruth at Antiques And Teacups

Welcome to the blog of Antiques And Teacups! Let's share a cup of tea and talk about the things we love...like teacups, antiques, collectibles, visiting England, antiquing and learning about victoriana and quirky gadgets. Fun!

Monday, May 4, 2020

Happy Mother's Day May 10th, About My Nurturers






Hello! It's time for Teacup Tuesday for Mother's Day here in the US which is Sunday May 10th!


This is my Mom on my parent's wedding day in 1940...



For a lot of reasons, I was my Daddy's girl, and my mother and she was not an easy or nuturing mother for me after my early childhood. The nuturers in my life were my grandmother and my aunt, my Father's sister, whom I was named after and who was my godmother.

Below is my grandmother, Emma Bridgewater...who is always on my sidebar...who began and fostered my love of antiques and Victoriana. Yep...her name really was Emma Bridgewater and she was born in Leicester, England in 1881. She was born Emma Rice (unlike the potter Emma Bridgewater who was born Bridgewater and married a Rice!) and remembers going in a carriage in 1897 when she was 16 to watch the village roasting oxen on the green to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria in 1897. She couldn't attend because she was just recovering from scarlet fever.



The photo above is Emma participating in a play at age 18 as part of a dramatic society she belonged to.  I inherited her curly hair...and a few health problems as well, by that's by the by. ANYWAY, it was growing up listening to her memories of Victorian England that formed my love of the period. Then, when I was 16 she gave me her teapot and teacups. I have an older sister who was offered them first, but she was into Danish modern so I got all the family Victoriana. Yippee!!!






This is one of the teacups I received from my grandmother. The design is an ethereal watercolor of swans and was made in Germany in the 1880s. It has a crack and a chip, but I treasure it!



This is another of my grandmother's teacups that I treasure. This is a Haviland, Limoges from the 1880s that is just beautiful. We had afternoon tea every afternoon we were together...and she lived with us on and off while I was growing up...and I always got to pick my teacup to drink from...


You can see what fueled my life long love of antiques and collectibles, and why I have been in the antiques, collectibles and tea items business for over 30 years! Obsessed!!! And all Nana's fault!


In the next photo, you can see the hair locket I inherited from my grandmother as well that is hand made and hand engraved and originally had a lock of hair in the back covered with an isenglass window. 



After marrying George Bridgewater, another Englishman, also from Leicester, England, Emma became a nurse and decided that the hair was unsanitary and removed it. It is one of my favorite momentos of  her and I wear it often.



But the biggest nurturer in my life, much more so than my mother, was my Aunt Ruth. Always an ear, a refuge and a support. When I was 20-21 she took me to Europe, eastern and western, for 8 moths. She was an educator who had a short, sad marriage and divorced the year I was born and never remarried. A strong woman, and every couple of years had a sabbatical year, and always traveled.
When she was diagnosed with leukemia, it was me she called with the diagnosis. I traveled the 6 hours to be with her in 2 days, and with my husband's blessing...who came when work allowed... I was with her during her last 5 months.  I was so grateful I was able to do that for her after all she had blessed me with.  


This photo was taken by a street photographer on the Acropolis in Greece.


And I just wanted to remember the new month of May with some pages from another treasure from my Nana...the Country Diary Of An Edwardian Lady by Edith Holden that she gifted me as well that I dearly love. It reminded her of her upbringing in Victorian and Edwardian England....




A poem about May by William Wordsworth

Ode

While earth herself is adorning
This sweet May morning
And the children are culling
On every side
In a thousand valleys far and wide,
Fresh flowers; while the sun shines warm
And the Babe leaps up on it's mother's arm - 

Then sing ye birds, sing, sing a joyous song
And let the young lambs bound as to the tabor's sound
We in thought will join your throng
Ye that pipe and ye that play
Ye that through your hearts today
Feel the gladness of the May


Red Campion (Lychnis diurnia)
Wild Hyacinth (Agraphis Nutans)
Wild Beaked Parsley (Anthrisicus Sylvestris)


page 60



This is a book I come back to often. 


Thanks so much for joining me for tea today! I hope you have enjoyed learning more about my story...I guess that's what blogs are for... I hope you have a wonderful Mother's Day...whether because you are one or of know one... or are a nuturer for someone... related or not.



4 comments:

  1. What an amazing and beautiful post! I loved reading every word and feel like I know you so much better now.

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  2. What a wonderful post!!!Love reading about your story.Those teacups are fabulous.Great photos and book too.Happy Mothers Day!

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  3. Happy Mothers day, I will be sipping my tea and reading your blog..I really enjoy your blog and all your tea and other suggestions, they make my days and evenings happy..I have not had my mom for lets see since august 1964 I was just 16 and all alone, my young life was chaotic, my grandmother was my rock but lived in california and I could not see or be with her until I was 18 she did not live long but we were so happy..It is the women and sometimes relatives (MY grandmother) who in my opinion make all the difference in ones life and my grannie adored tea and everything that went with it and spoiled me..I was blessed..have a most wonderful day and all of May!!!!!!!!!!!

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  4. Happy Mother's Day, Ruth!

    Mother's Day is a complicated holiday...On Twitter, I saw a great quote that said:
    Babies are born from the womb.
    Maternity is born from the soul.
    There are many ways to "mother".

    ReplyDelete

Thanks for visiting and we love to hear from you! We read every comment. If my husband's health permits, I love to visit andreply. Have a wonderful day and a cuppa tea always at hand! :)

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