Tasha Tudor Remembrances at Tea

Special Memories in a Box!
The box above features a Tasha Tudor print on the lid. The print is from the book "The Real Pretend", written by Joan Donaldson and illustrated by Tasha Tudor. Tasha's borders are always so wonderful and such a treat to look over again and again. The border of this illustration contains autumnal foliage, school items, and a little red squirrel up top. Sarah was Tasha's model for the illustrations of Kathy in "The Real Pretend". Sarah is seated on the front bench, third from the right, the little girl with the corgi red braids done up, wearing a dark blue frock. Within the box I keep many letters written to me by Tasha Tudor. Whilst recovering from my leg injury I take a letter or two out to read at tea.

In one of her letters, Tasha wrote: "The illustrations are coming so well for 'The Real Pretend' thanks to having so charming a model. So Sarah, you are with me all the hours that I paint and I find you the very best companion."

Sarah sitting on a stile writing on her slate. Her tin lunch pail is beside her.

Several years ago I broke my wrist whilst traversing a parking lot and fell on black ice. I was holding special photograph negatives at the time that I did not want to get wet and scratched and even through the fall I managed to keep hold of them. This fall was similar to my recent fall when I was holding my Corgi Lydia, in that both times I was holding something I did not want to let go of which influenced the outcome of the fall.

Upon hearing that I broke my wrist, Tasha wrote me: "What a shame about your wrist! I feel for you. How upsetting to say the least. I hope you will be on the mend soon. I'm so sorry it happened."

Whilst my wrist was mending I once again read "The Secret Garden" by Frances Hodgson Burnett and illustrated by Tasha Tudor. At that time in the winter it was so nice to think of a spring garden blooming and to look at my friend Tasha's illustrations made it even more special. Perhaps I might share more little bits of what Tasha wrote to me in future articles of The Corgyncombe Courant.

In the photograph above is my direct ancestor's old school bell, the tin pail that Sarah carried her lunch in, and the slate that was a wedding shower gift to me from a friend at the museum where I used to work. I received appropriate gifts to remember my fellow workers by from the workers in each of the buildings at the museum. Also in the photograph are old McGuffey's Readers that had lessons showing children at work, play, and enjoying simple pleasures. Many times McGuffey's Readers gave a lesson in good behavior.

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