Mom's dinner

Part of the 96 piece set of bone china from the 1930s that I have had since 1980 but have not used it until last night. Also pink milk glass water goblet and pink crystal wine glasses. The Battenburg lace table cloth looks like it has had some use and it really doesn't match the china but..oh well

Some of the silver, part of a 144 piece set that I retrieved from Montreal this summer on top of Portuguese linen
napkins that were never used. I am not sure whether these were my grandmother's or if my step-grandmother had  them

Picture I found the other day of the Mom's camping trip of 1989. Josh is in the forefront in green

My grandmother's favorite color seemed to be this orange-pink. She drove a 1957
 Chrysler Imperial of the same color. It had taillights mounted on 3 inch posts, which
 seemed unique. We inherited this car when she died in 1960. Many of my grandmother's
 purchases were pink, including the dishes and glassware that I used last night for the 
Mom's dinner. My grandfather remarried 2 years later a much younger woman whose
 favorite color was powder blue. Her blue purchases really clashed with my grandmother's
 pink fixtures. A year ago, my step-grandmother died in Montreal and this summer,
 I went to retrieve some of my original grandmother's possessions. None of these things
 are anything that I ever would buy, all very ornate. Everything seems to clash with my home.
 I have had the glassware on my shelves for years gathering dust. Yesterday I washed
 all the glass and rid the shelves of 1970s pottery. Still I have too much stuff.

When we have a Mom's dinner, the hostess is responsible for the main course dishes.
 Someone brings salad; 2 people bring appetizers; another brings dessert (generally
 me unless it is at my house) and everyone throws in some wine. We end up with
 plenty of wine. Everything is vegetarian though not vegan. I made a New Year's soup
 from my survivor class containing black-eyed peas, red lentils and barley. It is a 
traditional African-American soup. Don'tae approved and took plenty home with him.
 I also made my easy salmon (a time honored Mom's recipe whose chief advantage is 
that it takes 5 minutes of prep time-appreciated as I spent most of the day washing things)
 I also made coconut cashew rice. We had fondue, various dips and crudites, and a 
yummy fruit tart. Naomi had just got her ring back from resizing from the jewelry store
 so she came over to show that off and Maya who was passed around. She still doesn't
 have stranger anxiety.

As usual, lots of wine and laughter and good feelings all around. Naomi stayed for most of
 the  night as she now is a mom too.

A cold front came through. I am waiting for the wind to die down before I go on the 'big run'. 
I will go out to lunch soon with Josh. Ice storm predicted for tomorrow: yuck! The weather
 better be clear for me to drive to Boston at the end of the week.