One of my first projects in my "get rid of 10 things a day for 30 days" was my hall closet. I have always complained that living in a condo is so difficult because of the lack of storage I have. I think the truth is that I have as much storage as I need, but just too much stuff.
The last time I cleaned the hall closet, I felt such relief that I would actually stop in the hallway, open the double folded doors and just stand and look at it for a few seconds. Like most closets, that orderliness was short lived. Once again, the closet is stuffed full.
The closet contains more pillows that I can count, a number of blankets and afghans, a zillion towels in varying stages of wear, and a large assortment of other things I've not seen since the last time I cleaned the closet; my mom's scary Halloween decorations, an assortment of tools, and numerous cleaning products.
As I pulled each blanket and pillow out of the closet, peeling back the layers of sewing and needlework projects, I finally uncovered a treasure; the three boxes of china I received as wedding presents in 1973. I laughed as I realized I had dug through that closet all the way to "china."
When I was married, the china was used only on special occasions. One of my first anniversary presents was a china cabinet, where I proudly displayed the china and crystal for all of my other newlywed friends, all of us between 18 and 22 years old at the time.
After my divorce, the china was carefully packed into three boxes, each piece wrapped individually. The boxes have been moved and moved and moved again, but the china has not been used. I must have unpacked and repacked the boxes at some point, because the newspaper wrapping them is dated September 1999.
I'm not sure engaged couples "register" for china the way we did it in 1973. Of course, as was the tradition in Eureka, we made the trip to Walsh's, THE place to register for your dishes. Some people bought a cup and saucer, others a dinner plate, and those who were more "well-to-do", usually the parents of our friends, would buy a full place setting. THAT was quite an expensive gift.
I unpacked my china last night and after a short poll of friends on Facebook, I decided that it's time to use it. Every day. What a shame that it's been unused for so many years. But, maybe it wasn't time before now to use it. One thing I learned in past year is that putting things off for the future, like using my china, is not the way to live.
So, starting tomorrow morning, I will eat my toast on my 37 year old Noritake Savannah china. And I'll use the "good towels" to dry off with when I get out of the shower.
But, right now, I'm going to enjoy a glass of wine in one of the "nice" glasses that were wedding presents to my mom and dad.............many..........many..........years ago.
Goodnight.
The last time I cleaned the hall closet, I felt such relief that I would actually stop in the hallway, open the double folded doors and just stand and look at it for a few seconds. Like most closets, that orderliness was short lived. Once again, the closet is stuffed full.
The closet contains more pillows that I can count, a number of blankets and afghans, a zillion towels in varying stages of wear, and a large assortment of other things I've not seen since the last time I cleaned the closet; my mom's scary Halloween decorations, an assortment of tools, and numerous cleaning products.
As I pulled each blanket and pillow out of the closet, peeling back the layers of sewing and needlework projects, I finally uncovered a treasure; the three boxes of china I received as wedding presents in 1973. I laughed as I realized I had dug through that closet all the way to "china."
When I was married, the china was used only on special occasions. One of my first anniversary presents was a china cabinet, where I proudly displayed the china and crystal for all of my other newlywed friends, all of us between 18 and 22 years old at the time.
After my divorce, the china was carefully packed into three boxes, each piece wrapped individually. The boxes have been moved and moved and moved again, but the china has not been used. I must have unpacked and repacked the boxes at some point, because the newspaper wrapping them is dated September 1999.
I'm not sure engaged couples "register" for china the way we did it in 1973. Of course, as was the tradition in Eureka, we made the trip to Walsh's, THE place to register for your dishes. Some people bought a cup and saucer, others a dinner plate, and those who were more "well-to-do", usually the parents of our friends, would buy a full place setting. THAT was quite an expensive gift.
I unpacked my china last night and after a short poll of friends on Facebook, I decided that it's time to use it. Every day. What a shame that it's been unused for so many years. But, maybe it wasn't time before now to use it. One thing I learned in past year is that putting things off for the future, like using my china, is not the way to live.
So, starting tomorrow morning, I will eat my toast on my 37 year old Noritake Savannah china. And I'll use the "good towels" to dry off with when I get out of the shower.
But, right now, I'm going to enjoy a glass of wine in one of the "nice" glasses that were wedding presents to my mom and dad.............many..........many..........years ago.
Goodnight.
kudos! i love the idea of eating breakfast on nice china. that is the ultimate pity of having nice things—they are too nice to use. here's an excerpt from a recent (kind of) article i read in the New Yorker:
ReplyDelete"She [a 'Chicago matron'] told me a story about a set of Marshall Field's bed linens that her mother had received as a wedding present in 1919 and never used, because no occasion ever seemed special enough. Twenty-seven years later, Field allowed her to return the bedding for store credit."
I'm happy you've found an occasion that is "special enough" to use your gifts.