Teatime with TT and Kim

Welcome to Teatime with TT... Tressie Teegarden.  Today my cousin, Kim, is stopping by to share some of her most special memories...  Grab a cup of tea and join us!

Kim is the second born grand-child, and first grand-daughter, to Tressie & Forrest Teegarden...

When I was 12, I spent 2 weeks during the summer in Tucson, Arizona with Grandma and Grandpa Teegarden. The trip prepared me to be away from home for a longer period of time than just 1 week and being out of state. Grandpa had built Grandma a large doll house and had built the house with electricity in most all of the rooms and the porch light. Grandma started collecting miniatures for the doll house. 

Twice during my visit, we went to a store that had a whole huge wall full of miniatures. I was able to pick out what I thought the doll house needed on both trips. It was really exciting to get home and open the things and figure out where the new additions would go. We went to a place that sold all sorts of dolls and accessories too. 

Tressie always loved her dolls
c. 1917

Grandma painted several dolls faces and collected the doll arms and legs. She completed so many dolls with the clothes and all in her life. So many of them had plastic that completely covered them, so we did not play with them. I have a few of them and so do both my daughters. 

A sampling of some of the pieces and dolls painted by TT

Tressie's China cabinet
Trinidad 2003 - Kelvin & Carol

She painted so many pieces of porcelain China and never sold any of them. She gave my family and everyone who knew her several pieces. My Mom and Dad have at least 2 hutches full of China that she did. We use the flower vases she did lots more than any of the pieces. I have a whole hutch full of the China that she painted. 

I have a huge vase she painted with a large parrot on it with many flowers. I use it in my living room all the time. I mostly put plastic flowers in it while decorating for the holidays, so my cat does not get to eating real flowers and tip it over accidently. I have several paintings she did of all kinds of birds and Grandpa made the frames for them. They are all hanging in my bedroom. A few pieces of china and a few paintings she did are down in the cabin at the property west of Trinidad. 

She painted a set of China with hummingbirds on them with red trim for my wedding present. She told me that the color red was the hardest color to get to be a true red. 

Through the years my family and I would drive down to Tucson once a year to visit Grandma and Grandpa. Both my girls got to know them really well. We always went to the same Mexican restaurant ~ Club 21 ~ while we visited. We also camped with them lots on the property (near Trinidad) too.

Grandma was able to get to see and watch our 1st granddaughter play during one visit when Brad and I brought her with us to the property. We were all helping to move grandma to her assisted living home. Kaitlynn was 4 I believe. We have pictures but Kaitlynn does not remember her. 

As Kim and I sent emails back and forth about these memories, we laughed and marveled about how our minds work and how our memories are so different.  Kim's sister, Karri, remembered about always going to Club 21, but their sister, Kodi, did not recall it at all!  

I had mentioned to Kim that I didn't remember the doll house from my teen years, but after I was married.  Each person's memories are varied depending on what they view as important... and as time passes by and other things fight for space in the grey matter, things can be a little skewed.  It doesn't mean that I'm right, or that she is right... It just means that we viewed things differently. 😊 She did then mention that it could have been on one of her visits to Tucson with her husband and daughters that they went to the miniatures store. 

Kim and TT, both chocolate lovers, would have enjoyed a piece (or two) of my Chocolate Zucchini Brownies... 

Or maybe they would enjoy the Chocolate Chai tea from Cornerstone Tea Company as much as me!  If you use the discount code FRIENDSHIP on an order of herbal tea, you will receive a 15% discount.  Show some love her way. 😍

Thanks for joining us for a trip down memory lane!   

Keep Piecing,

Melva

How are you doing with your friendship stars?  

Have you linked them up yet?  I'd love to hear how you are doing and see how your garden is growing...