Back in the day, when I was a single gal and fairly pessimistic about meeting Mr. Right, I made a pledge to quit saving my nice things — glassware, china and serving plates handed down by my grandmother — for later.
Later? I had a hard time coming to grips with when that might be.
I started asking myself, why I was waiting for a Mr. Right who may never come. Why should I continue asking friends to bring over their dishes when I had an entire hope chest full of beautiful things tucked away for some other special occasion?
I couldn’t come up with a good answer.
So on my next trip home to Indiana from my bachelorette pad in South Carolina, I dragged my grandmother’s hope check out of the hall closet, shoved it into the back seat of my car and loaded the contents in my trunk. And I’ve been serving my guests from her Ruby Red tumblers, platters and bone china ever since.
I did end up meeting Mr. Right after all. He was worth the wait. But I’m glad I didn’t wait to enjoy my grandmother’s hostess treasures.
Other than one set of particularly fragile blue glasses, I’ve not broken a single dish or glass of hers.
And if I had, I still wouldn’t have regretted the decision. It’s a decision I’ve carried through to my day-to-day life.
We often eat our weekday supper on fine china or my mother-in-law’s wedding set.
I’ve found it’s a way to draw the children into a full family dining experience.
Key dishes will spark conversations about our childhood and memories of loved ones.
And the table, with special dishes, stemware & cloth napkins just looks so inviting and, well, pretty.
Virtual Farmgirl 