“I hate housework. You make the beds, you do the dishes, and six months later, you have to start all over again.” (-Joan Rivers)

I suppose that is a problem when you love dishes the way I do.

Linens and dishes are my weaknesses. I will never have enough cabinets to store all the pretty dishes I’ve accumulated during my 53 years here on this old earth. Table linens take up one whole closet on our top floor—I drape them over hangers, and use them all the time. Some of them I’ve made, and some were given to me, and a few here and there I’ve purchased over the years.

I like to mix and match dishes pretty much the way I like to mix up everything else. Joe and I both love browsing through flea markets, and even if there’s just one dish of a set, if I like it, I’ll think of ways to use it so that it can still find a home with us. Friends know I do this, so they’ll often give me birthday and Christmas gifts of single pretty plates and bowls they’ve stumbled on.

Joe will hear me once say something like “I really enjoy seeing little bowls that have feet” and from there on in, every time he sees such a bowl, he’ll light on it immediately before someone else can!

I’ve got him looking now for little tarnished silver pieces, because you can get real steals at flea markets and they’ll often shine up beautifully with just a bit of silver polish. I’m a sucker for those, and have a number of pretty pieces from my explorations. I suppose I’ll have to try to paint them here at some point.

"Thank God for dirty dishes;
they have a tale to tell.
While others may go hungry,
We're eating very well.
With home, health and happiness,
I shouldn't want to fuss;
By the stack of evidence,
God's been very good to us." (unknown)