Hildegard Peplau (1909-1999) our favorite Aunt, our mother's sister, and the matriarch of our family. She is also considered "The Mother of Psychiatric Nursing".
The daughter of hardworking immigrants, Aunt Hilda began her life in Reading, PA and was always a determined woman. She left high school after a disagreement with the school's principle, received her high school equivalency and pursued a career in nursing because "the promise of free room and board and a monthly stipend" made nursing an attractive option. Most nurses of the era became private duty nurses, however Hilda moved on to the progressive Bennington College in VT. World War II intervened and Aunt Hilda entered into the US Army Nurse Corps with the intention of serving in Europe. Posted to a military psychiatric hospital in England, she pioneered innovative approaches to treat emotionally scarred and battle fatigued soldiers.
After the war she used the GI bill to pursue post graduate work in Columbia University Teachers College in New York City. By then Hilda was, by choice, a single parent raising a child in an era when such a role was entirely outside accepted social norms! Teaching, writing, and always an imaginative innovator, Hilda continued this amazing life, an inspiration to her nieces. She held numerous doctorates (earned and honorary). Once, after having called her Dr. Peplau, she replied, "Either call me Hilda or call me Dr, Dr, Dr, Dr, Dr, Dr, Dr, Dr, Dr, Dr, Dr Peplau."
Her noteworthy career began in 1928 at the Pottstown Hospital Training School, where one of the "skills" she was taught was how to serve tea using a silver tea service. Nurses at this time often accepted private duty positions in the homes of the wealthy and were expected to know the proper method of serving tea.
Hildegard is considered a founder of modern psychiatric nursing, an innovative educator, an advocate for the mentally ill and a proponent of continuing education for nurses. Her ambitious professional path led her to become the President of the American Nurses Association and a participant on the advisory board to the World Health Organization, and earn the title of Psychiatric Nurse of the Century.
We chose to honor our favorite Aunt Hilda today as it is her birthday. Although she passed away in 1999 at age 89, she would have turned 100 today. She continues to be an inspiration to many.
the sweetest place on earth! In downtown Hershey, you'll spot giant Hershey Kisses (both wrapped and unwrapped) atop the lamp posts. On another day, as part of The Rosemary House bus trip to Lancaster County, we traveled through Hershey to arrive at the Palmdale Cafe for a breakfast tea. This cheerful table greeted us.
The menu included orange juice and a cranberry scone followed by a seemingly endless array of courses that included stuffed French toast, Eggs Palmdale, fresh bananas drizzled with chocolate, assorted teabag teas and a pink frosted cupcake. All very yummy!
a very special reunion took place in The Rose Garden tea room in New York. Time stood still, the years melted away, and the friendship strengthened as the friends journeyed through PA, MD, and DC sharing stories and laughter and promises of another reunion.
This purely functional blue teapot is criss-crossing the United States with purpose, celebrating the joy of taking tea and sharing friendships while introducing others to the delights of tea. Begun in January of this year, the teapot has already traveled a distance, I'm aware of its journey from Kentucky to Pennsylvania and then it was sent to Oregon. I know it spent some time in Michigan, Georgia, and South Carolina. Instructions are included in the box along with a journal for photographs and notes about the experience. The main purpose is to share teatime. I took this opportunity to celebrate the beginning of the new school year with my niece and nephew and fellow neighborhood kids. They sat around the picnic table and enjoyed some flavored black tea, chocolate caramel turtle.
Scones, fruit, sandwiches, and little desserts completed the tea tray... and an afternoon of taking tea in the summer sun was enjoyed by all. As the tea party continued, more kids arrived, and cups were filled with tea.
Shortly thereafter, it was back to running, jumping and playing in the garden with the endless energy of youth.
the fairies are gathering in our garden for fun, friendship, and festivities. For a complete listing of events, visit our Fairy Festival website.
here from the "Flower Fairies of the Spring" is the Dandelion Fairy. The Song of the Dandelion Fairy reads: Here is the Dandelion's rhyme: See my leaves with toothlike edges; Blow my clocks to tell the time; See me flaunting by the hedges, In the meadow, in the land, Gay and naughty in the garden; Pull me up- I grow again, Asking neither leave nor pardon. Sillies what are you about, With your spades and hoes of iron? You can never drive me out - Me, the dauntless Dandelion!
is from the 1912 children's book "Mother Earth's Children" by Elizabeth Gordon and illustrated by M. T. Ross which features the frolics of fruits and vegetables. 
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There are quite a few flowers that tell time. Greeting the day at dawn; both open about 5 a.m., are dandelions and morning glories warning the wee fairy folk that the mortals will soon begin to appear. Marigolds pop open about an hour later. Some are slugabeds such as the Star of Bethlehem which doesn't open until 11 a.m. Four O'Clocks are named that for a reason..... opening late in the day, in time for tea..JPG)
open late, around 9 p.m. and remain open into the evening. The glowing white flowers make it easy for the fairies to see late into the evening. This photo was taken in the early morning of the fading trumpet flower.
The daughter of hardworking immigrants, Aunt Hilda began her life in Reading, PA and was always a determined woman. She left high school after a disagreement with the school's principle, received her high school equivalency and pursued a career in nursing because "the promise of free room and board and a monthly stipend" made nursing an attractive option. Most nurses of the era became private duty nurses, however Hilda moved on to the progressive Bennington College in VT. World War II intervened and Aunt Hilda entered into the US Army Nurse Corps with the intention of serving in Europe. Posted to a military psychiatric hospital in England, she pioneered innovative approaches to treat emotionally scarred and battle fatigued soldiers. 
