Is it time for tea?

I couldn’t make up my mind what to title this blog from “Is it time for tea?” to “Memories of Childhood”. Both titles are perfect for the photo.

Today is my Mum’s birthday and I wanted to do a blog in her honour. She is now living in a care home, due to the insidious disease Alzheimer’s and no longer knows who I am, but I know who she is.

Willow Pattern has been with me all my life and the crockery in the photo once belonged to Mum, now with me in Portugal, and it was used everyday at teatime. The tablecloth and napkins were embroidered by her in times gone past. They are now, together with other table-linen she worked her magic in silks on, in my safe keeping and I often marvel at the beautiful embroidery, the reverse is almost as good as the front.

I was fortunate enough to have learnt how to embroider and knit from her but I have never produced anything as beautiful as she used to do. Neither do I have her touch when it comes to pastry or making scones but I do know how to make them from her recipes.

Mum complete with ice-cream, my brother and sister-in-law on her 87th Birthday

So Mum I dedicate this blog to you and remember times past when we were a young family and you cared for us all, you might not know us now but the memories live on unimpaired by the dementia you now suffer from. Happy Birthday.