Yes, Tab. meant tablespoon when I went to school.

it's funny how things change - when I went to school t. meant teaspoon and T. meant tablespoon - but I've seen them all written so many different ways

It was the same with me. t for teaspoon and T for tablesoon.

When we lived in northern Illinois there was a talk-show host who had a cooking segment, on which he hosted local chefs. As they gave the ingredients, he'd repeat them, saying:

One big T such & such. One little t so and so.

The more modern usage is tsp and tbls. But as long as people understand, it doesn't make much difference.

I still have many recipes written - one dessertspoon, one sugar spoon, etc.

Well that is interesting because I borrowed a cook book from the library and the used t and T. My brain went crossed for a moment because I never saw that before. My mother had some old cook books and none of them used that abreviation. Really interesting.