The last leg of our journey...

[wiseheart]

... back to civilized living. In other words, the carpet cleaner was here today to finish the job. That meant we had to empty the small cupboards, so that they could be moved and store all Mum's china in one big heap on the kitchen table. Which looked like this:



Afterwards Mum washed up the stuff, and I made a few photos, arranging the various services neatly on a lace table shawl, adding some decoration for better effort.

This one is for motodraconis, who likes good china, if I remember correctly. This is a Queen Victoria pattern Herendi coffee service, which Mum acquired for a reasonable price some 30 years ago. The same service has a six-digit-price now; just the pot, the creamer, the sugar bowl and the cups and saucers, mind you. As always, click to enlarge.

Front view:



The same seen from above:



Another Herendi service, with a slightly different pattern, to serve cake. I only have 4 of the decorative napkin rings, that's why the other two settings are in the background:



Some Herendi knick-knacks Mum's collected during her time as a revisor. She travelled a lot within the country in those years and tended to buy a small Herendi item everywhere she was. One could actually afford these things back then. The square vase was the very first item, the one that started the whole passion for her.



And finally, our very modest Rosenthal china collection:



Those are my favourite coffee cups, actually: while a classic shape, the design is modern and simple, not so overdone like the ones above. It's a shame that only 3 cups have survived the several movings. But again, they are thin like tissue paper, so it's not really surprising.

I'll post pictures of Great-grandmother's tea service tomorrow. *g*

Comments

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

I know the feeling. I use Grandma's old bedroom as a study, but I'd gladly be crowded into my room if we only had her with us still. Of course, she'd be 120 then, so that would be highly unlikely. We should feel grateful that she lived a ripe 96 years and only the last 4 months of it was she bound to bed.

[wanderingmogwai.livejournal.com]

Sounds like she had a pretty good go at it. My great aunt lied to be 103. She outlived both of her younger sisters (including my Grandma) by decades. As much as I miss my Grandma I wouldn't selfishly wish her back to life. The last 20 years of it were hard for her. She suffered a lot. Her death was sudden, tho and merciful.

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

People tend to get all hysterical about sudden deaths, but if you think about it, that's the best thing that could happen to anyone. Yes, it's hard on those who grieve, but for the person themselves it's a blessing. Much better than suffering for years or lying in the dead throes for who knows how long.

My Grandma was bedridden for some 4 months, and those were very hard on her. Even at the age of almost 96, she was a fairly active and independent person - being at our mercy wasn't easy. When she realized she wouldn't be able to walk again (she broke her thigh during a fall) she simply gave up and was gone in a couple of weeks. She literally died in my arms while Mum was washing her - in one moment she was there, in the next one she wasn't. I was holding her and didn't even realize she was dead. Not right away, at least.

[wanderingmogwai.livejournal.com]

Holy crap. That must have been so hard for you. But for her it's beautiful. In the arms of a loved one.

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

Actually, it wasn't hard at all. It was a relief that her ordeal was over, and a comforting thought that we had done everything we could to ease her pain. Knowing that she wouldn't be able to get out of that bed again would have broken her spirit in the long run.

[wanderingmogwai.livejournal.com]

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