Downsizing

Originally Written Between 2017-2020                                      

 

The other day, Norm brought in the mail and tossed it on the table next to where I was sitting.  I glanced over and my heart skipped a beat.  The Christmas flyers and catalogs had arrived!  There were only three; however, I knew more would be coming to my mailbox in the coming days.  

 

I took my time looking at each page.  The Pier One flyer had some new wine glasses with gold speckles.  Ohhhh, so pretty.  I already have a set of 12 red wine glasses.  Also, a set of 12 white wine glasses.  (Yes, there is a difference.)  But, the glasses featured in the Pier One flyer were stem-less.  I don’t have any stem-less wine glasses.  I want them.  The fact that I don’t like – nor drink – wine makes no difference at all.

 

Now, you may be saying to yourself:  She’s got 24 wine glasses and she wants more?  Well, yes, yes, I do.  I blame it on my mom.  Yes, my mom.  She started it!  I was living in my first apartment over 50 years ago when mom decided that she would start a collection of small, pretty, and fancy plates that I could use when I entertained at Christmas time.  Spode's "Christmas Tree" is a popular pattern of English bone china collected by people around the world.  The collection includes place settings, serving dishes and even flatware. 

 

She gave me one Spode plate every year for four years.  Then she switched to soup bowls and then mugs and of course, the big plates.  Whenever I saw a piece of Spode on sale, I’d buy it.  I went crazy.  I now have 14 complete place settings of Christmas Spode dinnerware.

 

My Spode collection doesn’t stop with the china.  I have 12 Spode water goblets, 12 Spode wine glasses, 12 Spode highball glasses, and 12 Spode beverage glasses, I also have two sets of other Christmas glasses – one set that my mom gave me.  See?  It’s mom’s fault!  One might say that I’ve gone overboard.  Well, yes, I have.

 

You see, I also have another complete set of Christmas dinnerware plus the serving dishes – this from my Aunt Bev.  And…… I received a 12-piece set of dessert plates with the matching coffee mugs from a former boss many years ago.  Not to mention the holly-designed dessert plates from my sister and a set of winter-designed dessert plates from my sister-in-law.  I guess the word had spread that I like all things Christmas!  

 

Now, I love to entertain.  But, I would have to host parties practically every day in December to use all my dishes and glassware.  I know I have to downsize a little.  Well….. yes…. a lot.  But, where do I start?  Each piece has a particular memory for me that I just can’t let go.  This reminds me of the time my mom had a garage sale when she moved out of her home into an apartment.  She had many coffee mugs and each one was marked 25 cents.  Except one.  It was marked 50 cents.  When asked why that particular mug was more expensive, mom replied:  Well, my friend, Toots, gave me that one!

 

My current house is big enough to store all of these items.  I know I will have to downsize when we move to a smaller townhome or an apartment.  It’s unreasonable for me to think that I need all of these dishes.  Normal people would say that one set is really plenty.  Well, I guess I’m not normal.

 

I have to tell you about last year’s downsizing plan.  My daughter, Rebecca, called from Duluth and said that she and Tony would like to host Thanksgiving and was wondering if that was okay with us.  You see, many, many years ago, my mom made a beautiful turkey platter in her ceramics class.  She gave it to me and said that whoever had the platter had to host Thanksgiving.  And so, I had always hosted that holiday.  Rebecca didn’t want to infringe on that tradition and therefore, gave me the option to say “no” to her request.  

 

It turns out I was more-than-ready to give up my hosting duties for Thanksgiving!  Norm and I traveled to Duluth with the turkey platter and the turkey-shaped napkins rings that my mom also made in ceramics.  I proudly presented Rebecca with my prized possessions and we had a wonderful day.

 

So, you can imagine my surprise when – a couple of weeks ago – Rebecca traveled down to visit us and she gave me the platter and napkin rings!  I guess I’m hosting Thanksgiving again this year!    

 

Well, I guess the only way I can downsize is to actually MOVE into a smaller place.  And, I don’t want to do that just yet.  Therefore, this is my downsizing plan:  I will ask my family members what items they want (if any!).  I will make note of their wishes and when the time comes to move out of our home, I will give them their items.  But…. FIRST!  I will take a picture of the items.  In that way, I can always recall the memories I have with my collections and the person who gave them to me.

 

That’s my plan.  But, first – I have to go to Pier One and check out those sparkly stem-less wine glasses.  One can never have too many!