Dishaholic

My name is Suzanne Barker and I am a dishaholic. I am not sure when it started, but I recognize that I have had this problem for many years. I'm not sure what I get out of it. I know that when I see pretty dishes, bowls, glassware, table linens, I get a thrill out of thinking what a beautiful table I could set with this things and how nice it would be to eat or serve out of them. I think I am finally at a point where I can deal with my problem. Being able to admit there is a problem is the first step.

Until last Sunday, I had an enormous amount of Franciscan Desert Rose Dishes. I had been given them by my father after his mother's death. It wasn't like I had a choice about it really. Other members of my family got other things, and he decided this was what I got. While I love dishes, it wasn't really a pattern that did anything for me. And not seeing my grandmother very often, especially not in her home in Kansas, it wasn't like I had any particular memories or attachments to the dishes.

But, not having any other "nice dishes" or anything like the size and number of them, I took them and over the years added to them quite a bit.

As you can see I had a million coffee cups, coffee pot, 3 sets of salt and pepper shakers, a sherbert dish, luncheon plates, mugs etc.....

I finally had bought 6 place settings of china that I really loved at the Lenox outlet. It's called June Lane by Kate Spade. It's really expensive but the nice thing about the outlet is you can get seconds. If you look through them well you can find some that look alright even if they have a fault. I would never have been able to afford them otherwise. But with all the Desert Rose burting out the seams, I had no where to really keep these new dishes plus the Butler Pantry that I used as every day. How many dishes does a single woman really need?

Anyway I had tried to get rid of them, half heartedly in the past. I had offered them to my sisters and their children. While they didn't really like the idea of my getting rid of them, they didn't want them either.

I thought about selling them, but was a bit daunted about the process. They were in varying condition, from perfect, to chipped to cracked and some were quite old and some pretty new. Finally I just decided to give them away to a good home. My friend, Cynthia, had some from her mom and while she didn't want the entire collection was willing to take some. I mentioned it to my relief society president at church, thinking she could announce it in Relief Society. It turns out HER mother had them when she was a kid and she had loved them. Her sister had gotten her mother's dishes and she would dearly love to have mine. So...they are now all gone.

The test to whether or not this was the right thing to do is how I feel now that they are gone. I feel great! So I think it was. It 's amazing how much room I have to better organize the dishes I love.

And buried under all the desert rose were other treasures I'd forgotten I even owned. I made a pot of hot chocolate Sunday night in a teapot that my dad had sent from Japan to his mother when he was stationed there with the marines in the 50's. It's beautiful China and says made in Nippon on it. I used the little teacups and everything.

I'm still a dishaholic, but I think I am more reasonable now and don't buy everything I see just because it's beautiful. But If I had a Martha Stewart type of kitchen with her room..... I'd be dangerous.