We Now Pause For A Message From Our Authoress

I am having a lot of fun writing this blog.  I've met a lot of really neat people who have been so kind and helpful to a total stranger - it makes me smile to think that the very first contest I ever entered (on Rosemary's Villa Barnes blog) - I won!  I have those pieces proudly displayed in my home.

So I hesitate to bring anything remotely political into this world of mine, but I am going to do so in a manner that is hopefully devoid of mouth-frothing and knee-jerking.

As you know, I've written about how much I miss my mother.  She died in 1977 when I was 15.  As is the case with a lot of people, I miss her more as I age.  Last year, I turned 50 - I've now lived to be older than my mother was allowed to become.  That was quite the epiphany.  

I have photos of her and many memories of a beautiful woman who smelled of Chanel No. 5 and always wore Avon's "Carnation Pink" lipstick.  She had an infectious laugh and could get totally plotzed on one lime daiquiri. In addition to the photos and my memories, I have her "things".  I know that "things" are just "things" - but sometimes they take on added importance when they are the only link to something we've lost.  These "things" include her wedding china, silver and crystal.

While I've always known her silver pattern (it is still manufactured), I was in the dark for many years about her china and crystal.  She was married in 1948, so while some of the china pieces are marked "Noritake", there is no pattern name as is more common on modern pieces.  The crystal didn't even yield that much of a clue.

Back in 1995, I learned of Replacements, Inc.  According to their website, they could identify patterns by a photograph.  In those Dark Ages of the intarwebs, I didn't have a digital camera, a cell phone camera (what the heck was *that*?) and was still using CompuServ as a provider!  So, I carefully took a piece of china and a piece of crystal to Staples and gingerly copied the front and back of a plate, and a water glass (you should have seen the look on the face of the copy clerk!).  Confident I'd never receive an email, I snail-mailed the photocopies off to Replacements.

It turns out I was right.  I never got an email.  I got a phone call - from a human - less than 7 business days after mailing that envelope.  I wish I could remember her name, but the woman was almost as happy as I was when she identified Noritake's "Lynnbrook" and Tiffin's "Cherokee Rose" as the patterns.

Because of this wonderful company, I've been able to work towards completing my mother's wedding service for 8.  When I use the pieces, I smile when I think of how she would use them for holidays and birthdays and other special occasions - like when the preacher came over - and how proud she was of them.

What I would like to ask is that you read this article on the New York Times website.  If your beliefs align - please consider purchasing something from them.  They are "job creators" - a term that is woefully misapplied much too often, and they truly offer a wonderful service.  *And* they let you bring your pets to work - win/win in my book!

Thank you for your consideration.

xoxox

Pamela

Disclaimer - I have absolutely ZERO affiliation with Replacements, Inc - none...nyet...nein...nada.  However, if the would let me come live in their warehouse, I would probably say yes!  :)