We seem to be in a rainy season of sorts. The street was wet when I woke up, and rain is predicted for today. I do think I just saw a bit of light behind the clouds, but that may be an illusion, the result of wistful thinking.
I am no longer Queen Sloth. Oh! the horror of it all. Yesterday I cleared out a large cabinet, washed all the bowls and pans I found and vacuumed the bottom of the cabinet. I then put the clean Dishes in plastic bags and rearranged the cabinet when I put everything back. At least the effort was worthwhile. I found treasures. There is a fruit serving bowl with matching plates, Easter dishes, Mexican dishes and Day of the Dead serving pieces. I found my Marie Antoinette salt and pepper set, my favorite find. Her head comes off and holds the pepper, her torso the salt.
When I was growing up, we used plastic, unbreakable dinner plates and serving pieces my mother had bought at the supermarket every week. They had a decoration, what looked like sheaves of wheat. I remember if a plate fell it wobbled and made a noise on the kitchen linoleum. Once in a while one would crack but never break. We used those dishes for years.
Our Glasses were a mishmash. The only matching glasses were aluminum in bright colors. A blue pitcher completed the set. We had several small glasses perfect for servings of pudding. They had held shrimp in tomato sauce, the key ingredient to a shrimp dip my mother always served at parties. We had the usual grape jelly glasses with cartoon figures. Roadrunner was my favorite. The best glasses were stored on the top shelf to keep them safe from slippery fingers.
When we were older and living on our own, we’d often visit. My mother would set a traditional table in the dining room for Sunday dinners and holidays. She had matching sets of plates, even a Christmas set. There was always a tablecloth, not plastic, and matching napkins. The silverware was placed beside the dishes, and we each even had a knife. I loved the look of those tables. In my memory, they are special times, festive times, family times.
