Silver and China Patterns

11/25/2013


After spending more than two hours trying to identify the pattern of silver flatware yesterday morning, I have one bit of advice for everybody hanging on to china, silverware, etc.  Write the pattern names down somewhere!  It is probably likely that when said china and silver passes on to the next generation, they are most likely not going to want the family treasures.  This is just the way it is.  In the 60's as a teenager, we girls were all really into china patterns for our new home.  Today's bride perhaps not so much.  I believe I can count on one hand - or perhaps two fingers how many times I have used my china.  Maybe once.  You have to take the china down from the  cabinet above the refrigerator (super handy). wash it and after it's used, return it to that cabinet, where it will remain for another decade or so!

I'm sure that there are still people who are really into entertaining with a capital E.  For those people then owning china,flatware and perhaps crystal does matters.  For the rest of us mortals, owning and using these things - not so much.  Gone are the days when it was almost mandatory for a new bride to select patterns.  Most people, me included, have some "everyday" dishes that get used when they have company.  These dishes don't require special handling, nor do they waste away in the cabinet above the refrigerator!  You know as well as me, that anything stored above the refrigerator isn't going to get used very much.  I for one am against anything that requires a step stool!  

Should I save these things for the next generation so they can collect dust for another fifty years?  I know two things for sure: (1) I shouldn't have bought into the china pattern hype when I got married 39 years ago; and (2) since I succumbed to the pressure, I should have at least used it!  

Jeff brought down my China this morning because I needed to know what the name of the pattern was.  I have offered the China to my daughter-in-law, and if she doesn't want them, I'm going to try and sell them.  What I do know for sure is that if I have to put  the dishes back in the cabinet, they aren't going to stay there.  I intend to find a new home for these dishes because yours truly sure doesn't want them.

Tomorrow at this time Jeff and I will be busy preparing our dishes to take to Andrew's house on Thursday.  Everybody looks forward to their Thanksgiving meal and I look forward to preparing my dishes because we generally eat these dishes once a year, because they are calorie laden!


P