Go

Well. the relatives left to go back to Baltimore a few moments ago. When we were just visiting in this area I would hate the trip back. There was the initial shock of turning onto I-83 and realizing:
1. I was leaving the mountains
2. It is 200 long miles to Winchester (it's posted as soon a one turns onto the interstate).
3. After Winchester it's a long drive to Baltimore and I would have to put up with Maryland drivers for much of that leg.
4. The Beltway
5. Streets in Baltimore are designed to take the shocks out of any car.
6. I probably won't be able to find a parking space in front of the house.
We really didn't like going back.

(Cue happy memory music)
Flashback to Thanksgiving day:

(Closeup of food in the oven and on stovetop merrily simmering away.) (Pan to talent holding glass of wine, Craig Claiborne fashion)

You know those red and green plaid placemats, napkins, etc with the gold highlites; very festive and holiday looking linen (well actually they're wool or maybe polyester). I like them also because the pattern is similar to the MacBeane tartan. I used the naps as an underliner for a gold colored satin placemat. A Thanksgiving looking piece of ribbon across the table center and I had the table covered.

My mother, selling silverware for a department store in the late forties purchased this flatware called "Dirilyte". Mom gave each her children a set of flatware, my sisters got the silver, I got the "Dirilyte". It's a gold (colored) alloy that spots, tarnishes and is just generally a pain to use because it has to be IMMEDIATELY washed and as I found out sauerkraut will discolor it. But it looks good with the Masons Vista pattern stoneware.

Masons produced the first Ironstone china back around 1810. Vista is that pattern using red transfers of oak leaves and such around the border and different scenes of the Kings Pavilion at Brighton in the center. It turns up ever now and then in the background on sit-coms and the like. Lou H. gave it to me on the occasion of my second marriage. It's one of the few things I salvaged at the divorce.

Talked about the missing Queensware in post called "Thanksgiving". The generic wine glass worked.

The table looked quite festive, thanks to Mom and dear departed Lou, as the four of us sat down to dinner at 6:30. We ate like gluttons and then settled back to watch the HBO series "Rome". I see a connection here.

The relatives had taped the show for us since we don't get anything but antenna. Next chore for them is to tape "Deadwood" when it comes back. "Rome" was a good watch. "I, Claudius" is one of our favorites and "Rome" picks up where Claw..Claww......Claudius leaves off. One thing I don't understand is why all these Romans speak with a British accent. Shouldn't it be at least, Italian?