GW

I'm actually very proud of myself.  I spent 3 days at a Genealogy Conference (and I will share more about that) and had one day to do laundry and get my act together.  One part of this act was to gather items I had accumlated for the past year for silent auction baskets for my church festival. 

I left the house to get more baskets at Goodwill and hopefully those clear mylar bags for baskets at Dollar Tree (they were out). I got waylayed for over an hour at Walmart when I ran into the children's librarian I worked with at the library 20 years ago. But I made it to Goodwill about 15 minutes before they closed. 

I did not take a cart because I was just getting two baskets. The first thing I saw was a box with pieces of Pfaltzgraff in the Tea Rose pattern. The old kind made in the USA! There were some luncheon plates and some ruffled edge plates and misc other pieces. I left it thinking I would pick it up on the way to the register. 

Then I saw this huge box of plates that I just love!

And next to them was this box with cups! 

And even more plates and things. 

And I did not buy them.  

I loved this set - it's plastic but cute. 

Do you ever feel like you are finding things you donated at Goodwill? Even years ago? I swear these are plates my mother sold at a sale when she sold her house and moved into a condo. 

I really, really think they are her plates. But I did not buy them. 

Is this not the cutest mini tea pot? Yet, I did not purchase it. 

I did grab two baskets as they announced the store was closing. And I did not remember to pick up the Tea Rose plates. 

The reason I am so proud that I resisted the urge to accumlate dishes is my dish hoarding. When I was a young housewife a hundred years ago, I liked to look at the place settings as much as the recipes. I remember when I found some checkered border plates at Big Lots that were very similar to ones on the cover of Country Living magazine! A few decades later I discovered blogs on the internet that featured "Tablescapes".  I found my people! No dishware or china was safe. 

I have way too many dishes. An embarassing amount of dishes. There used to be a Pfatzgraff outlet near my home. And I inherited everyone's wedding china. Then, in 2020, I fell and shattered my arm. Now it is difficult to lift the plates on and off the shelves. I purchased some melamine plates and that is what we mainly use for meals. 

But I still have all the dishes.  

I also have a Pandemic Pantry which borders on hoarding. I had to have a stern talk with myself. Even if . . . We are not in the same situation now as we were in April 2020. Personally, I have a freezer full of beef. There is a large dairy in a neighboring city north of us and they set up online ordering and curbside pickup of all dairy products. I am sure they can set it back up in minutes.  And south of us are two large vegetable farms who sell to restaurants and grocery stores. They set up online ordering of small, medium, or large boxes of miscellanous fresh vegetables with curb side pickup for households. I'm sure they could do it again.  I do not need to keep all these processed foods on shelves. (I still plan cupboards full, just not enough to stock a small store). 

The master plan in my mind is to take everything out of my kitchen cupboards and scrub them.  Then I am only returning the plates, glasses, cups and bowls we actually use. And I am moving in my mixing bowls and glass baking dishes that I actually use to the kitchen. AND I am putting the food in the cupboards in the kitchen. I know this sounds elementary to most of you. 

And the cute stuff (shelves and shelves of cute stuff) is going in the utility room or possibly in the overflowing china cabinets. And if I am in the right mood, some of it might jump in the donation box. 

So I am very happy I did not bring home more plates that I do not need and that I can't even lift into the cupboards. Baby steps.