~The Teacup~

 Good morning, everyone!  For today’s Teacup Tuesday, brought to you by our lovely hostess, Kim, I would like to introduce you to my yellow teacups.  I only have one of each of them, along with their matching salad plate, which is the perfect serving size for a tea.    After you’ve visited with my sweet yellow teacups for a while, be sure to click on the teacup to your right to visit Kim at www.shabbypinkandpretty.blogspot.com to see more pretty teacups!

But first, I would love to share this darling story that has been around for many years.  I would tell you who wrote it, but it slips my mind…I do think I knew once upon a time!  It has a powerful message for you and for me. 

 THE TEACUP

There was a couple who used to go to England to shop in the beautiful stores. They both liked antiques and pottery and especially teacups. This was their twenty-fifth wedding anniversary.

One day in this beautiful shop they saw a beautiful teacup. They said, "May we see that? We've never seen one quite so beautiful." As the lady handed it to them, suddenly the teacup spoke.

"You don't understand," it said. "I haven't always been a teacup. There was a time when I was red and I was clay." My master took me and rolled me and patted me over and over and I yelled out, "let me alone", but he only smiled, "Not yet."

"Then I was placed on a spinning wheel," the teacup said, "and suddenly I was spun around and around and around. Stop it! I'm getting dizzy!" I screamed. But the master only nodded and said, 'Not yet."

Then he put me in the oven. I never felt such heat. I wondered why he wanted to burn me, and I yelled and knocked at the door. I could see him through the opening and I could read his lips as He shook his head, "Not yet."

Finally the door opened, he put me on the shelf, and I began to cool. "There, that's better," I said. And he brushed and painted me all over. The fumes were horrible. I thought I would gag. "Stop it, stop it!" I cried. He only nodded, "Not yet."

Then suddenly he put me back into the oven, not like the first one. This was twice as hot and I knew I would suffocate. I begged. I pleaded. I screamed. I cried. All the time I could see him through the opening nodding his head saying, "Not yet."

Then I knew there wasn't any hope. I would never make it. I was ready to give up. But the door opened and he took me out and placed me on the shelf. One hour later he handed me a mirror and said, "Look at yourself." And I did. I said, "That's not me; that couldn't be me. It's beautiful. I'm beautiful."

"I want you to remember, then," he said, "I know it hurts to be rolled and patted, but if I had left you alone, you'd have dried up. I know it made you dizzy to spin around on the wheel, but if I had stopped, you would have crumbled. I knew it hurt and was hot and disagreeable in the oven, but if I hadn't put you there, you would have cracked. I know the fumes were bad when I brushed and painted you all over, but if I hadn't done that, you never would have hardened; you would not have had any color in your life. And if I hadn't put you back in that second oven, you wouldn't survive for very long because the hardness would not have held. Now you are a finished product. You are what I had in mind when I first began with you."

MORAL:

God knows what He's doing (for all of us).
He is the Potter, and we are His clay.
He will mold us and make us,
So that we may be made into a flawless piece of work
To fulfill His good, pleasing, and perfect will.
No temptation has seized you except what is common to man.
And God is faithful; he will not tempt you beyond what you can bear.
(1 Corinthians 10:13)

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This morning, after I set the table for pictures, and made a pot of tea, I invited two of my neighbors over for tea and scones.  Why let a pretty table setting go to waste? 

 

All of these teacups were made by Royal Albert, and you may notice that  all have the same floral pattern  as  the ageless Old Country Roses pattern, but are  variation in design.  They each have their own matching salad plate, but go beautifully with the original Old Country Roses plates, as well.

  This one is Ruby Celebration Gold Damask,  from the Ruby Celebration series. 

 

 

This one is Cameo Peach,  from the Cameo series -one of my favorites.

 

 

 This one is Ruby Celebration Yellow Rosebud, also from the Ruby Celebration series.  I use these teacups, along with the others from this series, at Christmas, because of the pretty ribbon running through the flowers.

 

 By the way, I have a secret to a quick and easy scone recipe that can be made in a jiffy.  It’s Krustez Scone Mix.  I have used several scone recipes over the years, all of them very good, but this mix can’t be beat for FAST, FAST, FAST, and it can stand up against any homemade scone recipe I’ve tried.  All you add is MILK!  No cutting in the butter, etc., just add your milk – I use whipping cream – and knead only 2 times, not 3 or 4.  The less you handle the dough, the flakier your scones will be.   I know it’s tempting to knead them more, but don’t!  They’ll be tough.     I added dried cranberries to the scones pictured here today, but you can add any dried fruit, chocolate chips, or nothing at all. Either way, you’ll be proud to serve these to your guests or family.

Morning, noon, or night, tea is a delight!  I hope you’ve enjoyed “tea” today with my teacups and me, as much as we’ve enjoyed having tea with you!   Don’t forget to visit Kim for Teacup Tuesday.  Just click the teacup to the right!

Have a wonderful Tuesday, everyone. God bless you all, and don’t forget to keep “living in the pink!”