Celebrating Mae Day

The May challenge for Cuisine Kathleen's Let's Dish!

was to create a tablescape for Mother's Day.

We decided to make ours a 

Grandmother's Day table instead

We created it to honor one of the 

grandest mothers who ever lived:

The Duchess's mother,

my grandmother.

Since her name was Mae, 

We're calling it our 

Mae Day Table.

For a centerpiece, we used one of her vases and some white carnations. 

White carnations, of course, 

are the traditional Mother's Day flower of remembrance

 for mothers who are no longer with us. 

Oh how we wish she were...

That photo was taken the day that the Duchess married Prince Charming.

It's one of the few photos that we have of her. 

She tended to shy away from a camera. 

She was easily embarrassed and would rather have the spotlight shine on someone else.  In fact, she would probably be embarrassed by this fuss and bother. 

We fussed and bothered anyway.  

Just about every item on this table belonged to Grama.

The focal point is her set of Blue Willow dishes

which were passed to her by her favorite maiden aunt. 

The set is beautiful and  exhaustive. 

There's a dinner plate, a luncheon plate, a salad plate,

 and dessert plates

as  well as cups and saucers, and bouillon bowls. 

Each piece has a slightly different scene on it.

Like so many homemakers from her generation, 

Grama collected this glassware from soap boxes.

I'm not at all sure of her flatware pattern, 

but I love the simplicity of it and the long, skinny shape of that dinner fork.

The only thing on the entire table that didn't belong to Grama is the linen. 

We chose a vintage tablecloth and napkins. 

But the napkins are tied with some of her pins. 

Grama always wore a pin.

And she always, always, wore a dress.

Unless she was leaving the house, she wore an apron as well. 

She was a humble woman with simple tastes.

Aside from her wedding band,
the only jewelry I ever saw her wear was a pin...

 ...and this mother's ring. 

 .

There were no family jewels to pass down through the generations, 

not a lot of silver or gold either.  

In fact, the sum total of her finery 

is probably represented on this table.

But what she did pass down was some of that far above rubies stuff

of the virtuous woman. 

And we hope this table is even half as lovely
as the grand-mother who inspired it.

Her children arise and call her blessed;
her husband also, and he praises her.
Many women do noble things, 
but you surpass them all. 
Proverbs 31:28-29 
*****

Also sharing with Tablescape Thursday