Tea For Connie

Rhondi over at Rose Colored Glasses is hosting a new party called  Tea Party Tuesday so I wanted to join in and serve tea today from  a special tea set I received from a very special person.

Before I decided to “retire” from the working world and try my hand at being a full-time homemaker, I was a legal secretary for the local prosecutor’s office for several years.  One of the attorneys I was assigned to work for had a reputation of being somewhat gruff, crusty and hard to work for. 

In the early 1950’s, when Connie was 6 years old, she contracted polio.  The polio had stunted her growth, deformed her body and left her unable to walk so she had been confined to a wheelchair ever since.  Although she was a little bitty thing, she definitely had a big presence and a big voice.   She was opinionated,  outspoken and never hesitated to tell you exactly what she thought about any given situation…good or bad. 

But as intimidating as she appeared, it didn’t take me long to figure out Connie  had a softer side too.  She  was passionate about animals, especially cats.  She loved roses and grew some of the biggest, most beautiful, fragrant roses you have ever seen.  She had a sweet tooth that was insatiable and often baked goodies to bring into the office to share with the other attorneys and support staff.  She loved anything shabby chic.  Pink was her signature color.  Her house, inside and out was pink, and most of her clothes were pink.  She even had an assortment  of  pink rhinestone reading glasses.

Despite her reputation of being difficult, I found Connie to be extremely easy to work for.  She handled each and every one of her prosecution cases in a very methodical manner, which made my job easier.  Once I learned her routine, I knew exactly what needed to be done at each stage of a case, thus increasing my productivity and efficiency.  We made a good team and I thoroughly enjoyed being her secretary.

After I  resigned, Connie and I continued to keep in touch via email and telephone.  She was always anxious to hear about the decorating projects I was working on and see photos.  Of course she loved all the pink cottage decor I was adding to my home and one time when we met for dinner, she surprised me by gifting me with a beautiful pink rose tea set for two.

Sadly, Connie  passed away rather suddenly in December 2008 as a result of complications of polio.  I feel very blessed to have known her and will treasure this tea set always.

I’d like to dedicate this Tea Party Tuesday post to Connie.  May she finally be free of her wheelchair and dancing up a storm in heaven.