The Survivors Come For Tea

As I breakfasted each morning, I'd look at the sideboard in the breakfast room

One shelf, it seemed, looked a little "wonky"

But I'd look again and it would seem okay.

Then Tuesday, as I was preparing lunch for my guests,

I heard an awful rack from the sunroom

A racket like a cat pulling a tablecloth (and dishes) off the table in an attempt to get

up on the table.

Except we have no cat.

I put down my knife

And went to investigate.

And found

This

And this

My Johnson Brothers Indies

lived on that shelf

And give way it did!

I had a service for six

I bought the first two cups, saucers and tea plates

on an early trip to England

along with a wee teapot, sugar and creamer

The rest I bought when we added the breakfast room

It was bought as my "breakfast room" dishes

Six plates, six tea plates, six salad plates, six cups and six saucers

And I found

a coffeepot and a huge platter

(which were stored elsewhere)

The survivors:

one teacup

one tea plate

five salad plates

And all six dinner plates

The little hen next to it was a gift from dear friend Jean

It's a salt and pepper and we use it sometimes for breakfasts.

I was saddened

And heartbroken

But company was company

In just a few . . .

So I flew

Put the survivors in the kitchen

Swept up the bits and pieces

And we had lunch

They, none the wiser of the tragedy that occurred just moments before.

Today, I treated the survivors to tea:

In the breakfast room

The lone tea cup, on a tea plate instead of a saucer

And the cookies on a salad plate instead of a tea plate

But thankfully the wee teapot was stored elsewhere

For it's rare and hard to find.

I've not decided what to do

Whether I will replace everything that's broken

or whether I will just get another cup, two saucers and a tea plate

like I had originally.

Sigh!

The shelf in the sideboard is still empty.

If I repair it and put anything back on it, it shall be my silver breakfast things

They may be dentable but they are unbreakable.

And perhaps not so much!

that was a lot of heft for a little shelf, I suppose.

I am grateful that the blue and white breakfast set on the shelf below

Was on the shelf below --

It's harder and costlier to replace!

I shall treasure the remains of my Johnson Brothers Indies

especially the little tea cup

That I hand carried home from England

And survived the crash of 13!

(Oh, the nosh is ginger cookies -- currant gingerbread they're called and I do like the addition of the currants.    It's getting cooler -- ginger cookies are so good in the fall!)