Grandma's Old China

Last week, Colin and Nancy Campbell came to my back door to see our new home one cold and dark evening. I had been making a chicken with wild rice and found out that all my children had made other fun plans with their friends and I thought it would be fun to see if they would like to eat my dinner with us. They ended up accepting the offer but had to go home to stoke their fire to keep their home nice and warm.

While they were tending their fire, I started to have a fun time taking out my table cloth and setting the most beautiful china on the table with candles and everything special. The china was from my Grandma Julia, my mothers mother. I have to tell you the story of how I acquired these dishes…

Just before Mark and I were married, I went to visit Grandma. She asked if I could please take these boxes off to the thrift store. One such box had these beautiful dishes in it. I asked her why she would give these dishes away and what was the story behind the pretty china. She began to share with me about how she collected each piece during the depression. At the super market, since many people at that time had difficulty affording groceries, they offered an incentive. If you purchased a certain amount of groceries, you would be offered one piece of this lovely set of china. She ended up collecting a full place setting for 4!!! It never was enough to set the table for her growing family, so all those years went by with these pretty dishes untouched just sitting in her cupboard. Never did she know that her youngest granddaughter would one day use them to grace her table for years to come and that they would soon become a story to share for generations to come!

I quickly asked her if she would be willing to give this old box of dishes to me as my wedding gift instead of just to the thrift store where it would be sold to an unknown person who may not appreciate their value. She graciously agreed and I was one happy bride to have this special set. All the crystal glasses were given to us by his father as a wedding gift as well and then the other crystal glasses came in sets of two for Christmas gifts in later years. What a gift that keeps on giving!

This setting for four quickly outgrew our growing family until one day…

After I was married, my mother and I visited an antique store. We were walking around admiring all the beautiful artifacts of years past when we came upon a lone box in a corner filled with another place setting of 4!!! She immediately snatched it up for us as a house warming gift and we then had a setting for 8!!!! Later I found the tea pot, sugar and creamer at an Amish store of all places and collected those pieces. It will one day be an heirloom that will be passed onto one of my daughters. The other China set that is on the hutch is over a 100 years old from England. It came from my father’s grandmother. She brought it on the boat traveling to this country and perhaps on a train as well that carried her and her growing family to Wisconsin where they all settled. I love hearing stories about where things came from.

There is so much mystery attached to each piece that beckons a story or two. I wonder what all these precious people used them for. Were they taken out only for Thanksgiving, or on a special holiday? Were they displayed or tucked away for many years?  Perhaps, my Great Grandmother had tea parties with her family in England and they were planning the long voyage to America over a cup of British Tea.  I would have liked to have been a fly on the wall.  I know my Dad’s Mother would always have this china out for Thanksgiving all my growing up years. It survived to this day so I can display it and use it for such holidays as my ancestors also did. What fun.  I have two sets of heirloom China and two beautiful daughters to pass them along to.

Nancy and Colin came over dressed in their finest and we had a beautiful candlelit dinner together. It was so regal. We dined like we were aristocrats. I served the meal in four pleasant courses, one by one and we savored every drop of this spur of the moment lovely occasion. I love how we can make something special out of something old and preciously tucked away for many years in my grandmothers cupboard.

 

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6 thoughts on “Grandma's Old China”

    1. I am so glad you enjoyed this post, It was so fun to share. I miss grandma but having her china makes it so special for me to serve others in my home just like she did.

  1. Hi Erin
    I had commented several times on your blog but It had not been posted which is fine but I think my comment on your post Beauty for Ashes might have offended you. If it did it was not my intention. I was just trying to say stay strong in whatever situation you are faced with and God Will see you through. My husband wants us to stay at a church we are at but sometimes I find it challenging dealing with some people because of their actions toward me. They do not do these things around or to my husband. It is mostly women. Some people think I am holier than thou type but I truly try to mind my own buisness and stay out of idle talk and gossip. I am not into backbiting my sisters in Christ! We are to love one another and help each other especially if one is lacking in anything. I think this is also what you have been teaching women. My second comment I meant sometimes there were days I would think how Lord do I bloom where I am planted when they are lashing at me and trying to chop me down. Then I remembered your encouragement and Gods word. Thanks and I wanted to apologize if this offended you.
    Please do not post my comments on anything. I am just wanting to clear up and make sure I had not offended you.
    Thank you,
    Karla

    1. I honestly do not know what happened. I just put my blog to a new server and I think that perhaps some of the comments did not come with it. I need to check into this. I am so sorry, Karla, I would have loved to see what you say as I value all the feedback I can get and I get very little so every word is so important to me. I pray that you were not offended that you thought I purposely would not allow your comment because I allow all comments unless they are spam or trolling. Yours would have surely been on here if I had anything to do with it. I have to ask my helper to see what happened. You are a gem and I pray you can continue to be strong as well and I hope you can comment again in the future so I can hear your heart. It means so much to me! God bless! Love to you! ~Erin

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