It has been fun to have out the china this week. As I handle each piece, I am reminded of the people and stories behind them. I also love to touch and feel the delicate beauty of these fine things.
My second set of fine china is quite special to me. It was my Paternal Grandmother's wedding china.
My Grandma Justice was a beautiful, delicate, feminine lady. She was a pastor's wife who loved to serve others in her home.
This china was the set she chose upon her marriage to my Grandpa in 1932. It was a much loved and treasured set that did not come to her all at once when she married. Special occasions over the next 18 or so years were reasons to purchase new items. My dad says he remembers that the set was completed by 1950.
As I set the table with these pretties, I think of the hundreds of visiting preachers, church goers and family members who used these plates to eat Sunday lunch over the years. What stories these plates could tell!
It is with gratitude that I gaze at and use these pieces of China. I am blessed with the heritage they represent and the lessons of hospitality, servant hood and fellowship they convey.
*Theodore Haviland began in New York with David Haviland. When he discovered great porcelain resources in Limoges, France, he moved there and opened his own manufacturing company. His son, Theodore, continued the family business. In the 1930's, David's grandson, William began successfully manufacturing dinnerware in New York. For a more detailed account of this interesting story, visit Haviland Online.
*Special thanks to Connie for creating the beautiful flower arrangement from her garden!
