Henna and the Tea Cup

This is the Asha Savla design I did on myself earlier today. Right now that hand is wrapped like a mummy in TP to hold in warmth. I will only keep it on a few hours, as I'm planning to go out to dinner tonight. I'm pleased with the way it came out. I like the organic style that's "different" from most of what I've seen out there.

I came home Tuesday to a clean apartment and a broken tea cup, and a note from the cleaning crew about reimbursement. Unfortunately, there can never truly be a replacement, even if I can locate a duplicate. When I was 10 or 11, my grandmother let me choose one of her tea cups to call my own. She had traveled abroad, and always brought back a tea cup. She had many but one in particular caught my eye. It was black with pale pink/lavender colored roses.


I remember feeling very grown up when I used it, and special as it sat on many shelves throughout the years.

This was the tea cup that was broken.

I expected to feel more upset about it than I did. I was sad, but not devastated. I think I was able to realize that even though this item I treasured was no longer in its perfect state, it did not diminish my memories of my grandmother.

The incident has also led me to research the pattern. It's Royal Albert Bone China, "Merrie England Series". The cup also said "Alton" with the other information on the bottoms of cup and saucer.

At the Royal Albert site, I found this. The series included 6 slightly different designs, each with its own name. The series is discontinued. So finding an Alton will be a long shot. And yes, the cleaning service is reimbursing me for a replacement.

I did however find 2 sisters of my original, the Chatsworth and Trentham. I've ordered them and still have hope of finding another Alton.

All of this leads me to wonder why Grandma chose the Alton, and not the others? Or had she any of the others? I don't remember, and would have to ask mom if she remembered after going through her items many years ago.

Mostly I'm grateful to know a bit of history about where that tea cup came from.

Overall today I'm feeling good. Dinner tonight with B and Mr Japan, a date tomorrow with Mr. Massage for a movie and lunch. Sci-fi Friday that night with B.

I'm out of school for the summer, my classroom is packed, and I spent the morning with Rose at the dog park sipping coffee and munching a donut.

Life is good.