A TALE OF TWO TEAPOTS

These two teapots are the same except that teapot on the left is all embellished with gold. Teapot on the right is un-adorned.
The (L) teapot belonged to my mother and she received it as a gift from her grandmother, my great-grandmother Graybeal before I was born (I believe that is correct, Mom?). For as long as I can remember I have loved this teapot. I did not know my great-grandmother all that well although she lived to be in her 80s and died when I was a senior in high school. She was a quiet woman who sat silently with hands folded in her lap. She wore those dark black lace up shoes and her ankels were always swollen....I remember that vividly. I could hardly match that lady with this glorious teapot....shows you just how immature and shallow a child I was. Her name was Abbigail and at that time I thought it was a horribly old fashioned name...now, it is quite popular once again, while no one is named Cathy anymore (ironic, huh?). Oh, if I had only known how deep and poignant the story of Abbigail's life...or had even taken time to ask her, but she was not the kind of approachable sort of person, at least that is how I perceived her to be at any rate. She gave that teapot to my mother telling her that "every home should have a teapot". Oh, Grandma Graybeal, you and I are kindred spirits after all. I admire your strength and courage and regret my youthful shallowness. She married a handsome man from Morocco, Spain and left her home and family to travel west. They had two sons: Raymond (my grandfather) and Leon. Then, Mr. Mimran just disappeared! I have so many questions, but only blanks as no one living can give the information. Years later, while doing a search on the internet we discovered the name Mimran is a Sephardic Jewish name and that almost all people with that name fled Morocco and now live in Israel! MORE QUESTIONS!
As for the teapots....my mother knew of my love for that teapot and one time while visiting my folks in Arizona she gave me the teapot. (thank you Mother). It is priceless to me. One evening, while playing around on ebay I put in a search for vintage teapots and lo and behold....another match to my old teapot was in an auction with only 7 minutes left and the price was 7.99 with no bids yet! Well, I put in 8.99 and waited that 7 minutes.....no one else offered a bid and I got the twin for 7.99!!! They are both marked U.S.A. on the bottom too. So, each teapot has it's story. Teapot (L) is 60 years old....don't know age on teapot (R) it looks brand new and I will be able to make tea in it, the older version is not in the condition for using as a teapot, but flowers look great in it and I think that is what my mother used it for for years as she is not a big tea drinker. So, there you have A Tale of Two Teapots!
Moral: Ask your grandmother a couple of questions about her childhood, youth, courting, loves....get to know her, you will never be sorry.
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cathy