The Surprise Delivery

 I told about a delivery to my house yesterday. A little tease :) I have a little story to share. Years ago, I was the president of the Hampshire garden club. We had a combined meeting of two different clubs and it was my turn to host the event. There would be about 20 women to entertain. It was our practice to have dessert and coffee after the program. At that time, I didn't have enough dishes to use and would have to combine two different sets, so I decided to use some pretty paper plates. I had been shopping with my mom and dad just a short time before and mom and I were in a store that featured beautiful glassware. I was admiring a certain set of.... not really expensive glassware, and my mom took note. When she heard that I was hosting this big party....she and Dad went to Woodfield to buy the glassware for me....for my coming birthday. They just couldn't wait for my birthday, so when they got home they drove the extra miles to my house to surprise me. I saw the car pull up in the driveway and out came my old Mom and Dad...each carrying a shopping bag. They told me that they were for me and as I opened the bag, I saw the most beautiful smiles on their faces. The bags were full of glass dishes. Enough cups, saucers, and dessert plates for 24 people. I cried when I saw them....because of the generous gift from two of my most special people. I've had these since probably 1980... and haven't broken one of them.

This brings us to when Joe and I got married. We were combining two households... and after deciding to live in his house and sell mine, I found that there just wasn't room for all my "stuff." My sets of dishes were given to relatives and I felt that by using Joe's dishes...I was getting new dishes. New to me... anyway. I didn't however, give my glass ones to anyone. I kept them in my dry sink cupboard... in our dining room. When I decided that I wanted some new dishes just a few weeks ago, I thought of the glass ones in my cupboard. I opened the door and there they were....I took them out and washed all of them by hand. They were so beautiful to me...even more so than before, because Mom and Dad are gone. A light bulb went off in my head....why not search for dinner plates to go with these? I did find the same ones, but thinking that we might not always want to use glass dishes, I searched the internet for white swirl dishes. (The swirl to match the glass ones.) Up popped the most perfect plates...and I could buy them individually. I thought about it for quite a while....trying to visualize a plain white plate with a swirl border combined with my swirled glass cups, saucers, and dessert plates. In my mind, it worked well......so I placed the order. They arrived a couple of days ago and I could hardly wait to get the box opened. I think that they are perfect.

If I were going to buy a complete set, they would have been white. I like the look of food on white dishes.  I always feel that you can use colorful placemats, tablecloths, centerpieces to jazz up the table setting.

I have always loved dishes....we have a set of everyday....Mikasa Country Charm, a set of very cute apple dishes... that I use in the fall and winter, a set of blue and white Johnson Bros. coaching scene (that were Joe's first wife's dishes. I don't want to use them in case they might get broken. They will be given to one of Joe's boys someday) and my favorite dishes from Mom and Dad.

So, now you know the surprise. I seldom do tablescapes, but I enjoy looking at the creative ways bloggers have of doing them. My idea of a beautiful tablescape...is a whole family sitting around the table and enjoying a meal.... even on paper plates.

Balisha