The little treasures in our lives enrich them and they develop stories as they move through our lives with us. I’ve always loved bone china. I love the delicate feel, how you have to handle it carefully so as not to break or crack it.The ornate detail, the beautifully painted flowers, the gold rim and the delicate handles on the cups, jugs and sugar bowls. Many years ago I treated myself, spent almost a week’s wages on a beautiful set of “Royal Tara”.
It was displayed for almost 30 years in our dining room dresser which had 2 glass doors. It was taken out and used for just a few special occasions. In that dresser there are 3 shelves. As well as the china tea set there were other treasures. A large china jug with delicate flowers on it, a green glass smoker’s pipe, 2 blue and white cockerels which were from my grandmother’s dresser! There were 2 handmade mugs again in which the most delicate flowers were painted by my aunt Mary. She made these in her first pottery class. I think of her every time I see them and how happy I was when she choose me to have them. Along with the china there were other treasures too, 2 little china cats which I bought on a school tour as a young girl. I remember seeing them in a little shop window and fell for them instantly. On the top shelf there was a gold coloured china set of 6 cups and saucers on a little gold stand, this was given to us as an engagement present. There were two urns which I brought back from Yugoslavia on one of my first foreign holidays. There was a plate, a gift from Sarah a friend in Paris. There was a doll collection too but I donated them to a charity auction which then made the dresser less cluttered! A small oil lamp also given to me as a gift. The brass candle sticks barely visible on the top of the dresser were a wedding gift to my parents and they stood on their mantelpiece throughout my childhood. There was a little pair of ballet slippers which were worn by my daughter at the age of 4 for her first ballet class. A small black teddy cat which belonged to my nephew David. All these little possessions are simple treasures to me and are irreplaceable.
On my window sill in Ireland
I have some little treasures too. The lamp with the blue glass base I bought
for myself, I love anything blue and had
to stop myself from starting a blue glass collection!
In my home here in Turkey there are no window sills! I drew up a simple design for two small wall units. A neighbour made them for me. I brought some of my favourite cups and saucers from Ireland and along with some local coffee cups and saucers they make a nice sense of home in our living room here. I was thinking that in the autumn I will organise a monthly gathering with my friends called "Sunday afternoon with tea and cakes" in which we will meet up and have home made cakes and tea from our china cups!
The two cups and saucers on the top shelf here with the little shamrocks were made by Carrigaline Pottery in Cork Ireland a company which sadly no longer exists. If we move back to Ireland permanently at some later stage, these two will have to come with me!
