This is a continuation of LAST APRIL’s challenge about
HEIRLOOMS. When my sister and I cleaned out our parents’ home, we had to make
many decisions about what to do with all the stuff. Which things are truly
“valuable” and which have only sentiment in their favor? Should we sell it,
keep it, or throw it away? To help ensure a future for our family’s heirlooms,
I plan to leave a booklet for my daughters telling the stories of what they
will inherit one day. (Not TOO soon, I hope!)
is for everyday dishes. After my mother-in-law and
father-in-law died, my husband and his sisters and brothers divided the
household items. Each one took a dinner plate, knife, and fork to remind them
of how important mealtime was for the family of ten. And why not - their mother
was an amazing cook, not gourmet, just a good country cook. I remember the
cabinet of dishes and silverware drawer - nothing matched. There were no
complete sets of anything.
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| Barry's plate |
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| Barry's mis-matched everyday flatware |
I also have a plate from my childhood. The pattern is
Colonial Homestead by Royal. It was introduced about 1951 and sold by Sears,
Roebuck & Company. That is where my dad worked for years, so he probably
purchased the dishes for us. The set was green and white; each piece featured an
interior scene or item from a country home: a hearth and fireplace, a spinning
wheel, chairs at a table, a set of bellows, a clock, a wooden bucket - each one
a sentimental reminder of the past.
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| My plate |
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| My mis-matched everyday flatware |
Our plates are on display as “kitchen art.”
Wendy
© 2019, Wendy Mathias. All rights reserved.
Very special 'Kitchen Art' for sure. Look at the trend you started...pinterest is full of plates as wall art, and of course, you know, I have invested in those gadget, wire plate holders for years.
ReplyDeleteThen I need to pin this! HA ~
DeleteAll of our family china was passed on but I never thought about keeping the everyday dishes - they were ugly, though!
ReplyDeleteWell, these 2 are hardly beautiful, but they speak of the times.
DeleteThat was a good idea for your husband's family to divide the dishes like that as a remembrance of their growing up years and the great meals shared together!@ Wish I thought of that!
ReplyDeletebetty
I thought so too.
DeleteI have a large serving plate from my Grandma that I keep on a shelf. It wasn't really her style and I assume it was a gift. I don't remember her using it. For some reason, though, I kept it. I have a hunch who gave it to her, but won't ever know for sure.
ReplyDeleteYou never know - you might find out who gave it to her. I contacted a person on Ancestry to see if the pictures I have were her ancestor. When I told her the pictures had belonged to my aunt Velma, she was thrilled. Why? She has her grandmother's teapot that was a wedding gift from Velma. Her family always heard about her grandmother's friend Velma but knew nothing about her, not even her last name. So we solved each other's mystery that day.
Delete