On a whim

[Piano*Dad]

My Donegal-born grandmother loved Belleek. This is a 1920s "Book of Kells" teacup.

[Daniel.]

I've always wanted a set of Waterford brandy glasses. I don't know why. I don't drink brandy.

I'd be happy if Corelle made the little plates with the indentations for tea cups.

But as Andy mentioned-- coffee mugs have become ubiquitous. It's an inelegant development if you ask me.

I'm interested in having a Fiesta tea service.

I want some Oneida flatware.

I had a pattern called Vectra. I loved it but they discontinued it. I have 1 teaspoon left from a set of 8 my sister gave us when she visited us in Arizona one year for Thanksgiving.
We bought a lot of this pattern in Sedona where they had an outlet store. None of it survived the constant moving.

I'll get stuff from yard sales but it would be nice to choose my own things without anyone else's opinion or the way anyone else might or might not value my things.

[Bernard]

@Daniel. Years ago I treated myself to a set of 4 goblets, 4 wine glasses, and 4 champagne flutes from Waterford in the Lismore pattern. Even when I'm not using them, they are beautiful to look at.

I always wanted a set of Noritake's Foxboro dinnerware. It's even more expensive now that it's out of production. And a set of Audubon sterling flatware (made by Tiffany's), but it's out of my budget (~$1.5K for a 5 piece place setting). But the Noritake and Audubon would go great together.

[Daniel.]

@Bernard

I had a girlfriend I met at UF and was with for two years. It was my "trying to fit in" stage. Still, we were very close.

Her father was an immigrant from Denmark, had a JD from UF, and was a judge in Pasco County.

Her mother came from old money. Her mother's mother and late father had a summer house in Sarasota. The grandmother had friends on the New College Foundation board. This is how I learned about it.

I decided to apply because it seemed so good to me that if I could attend then I could not do anything else.

At the time it was the most selective public school in the US with UC Berkeley being second and UVA being third.

I didn't let any of this stop me and charted a path from where I was to where I wanted to be. I was laser focused and worked very, very hard, holding down a 20 hour job, attending HCC without receiving a single B, and traveling to New Port Richey every weekend.

Her uncle had given $10 million to the University of Rochester. It didn't take much more than a phone call to get her admitted as a transfer student there. She went on to get her JD.

Anyway, she was an interesting person from an interesting family.

I remember seeing their dining room for the first time and it was very impressive.

There were family portraits from the 19th century, antique furniture, family silver, and a cabinet filled to the brim with Royal Copenhagen fluted blue pattern dinnerware in celebration of her father's native country.

It wasn't the pattern royalty used but it was the most beautiful dinnerware I've seen to this day.

This is a set of Royal Copenhagen's most famous pattern:

Flora Danica Porcelain Dinner Service by Royal Copenhagen, 124 Pieces | M.S. Rau

https://share.google/Y4fONXlkC5x2GPSAj

One thing I know very well about myself is that it wouldn't matter how much money I had; I would never hire a designer.

What would be the fun in that?

[wtg]

@CHAS said in On a whim:

Enjoy your caffeinated beverages.
I can no longer enjoy them.
whining and wallowing in self pity.

I can only do so much caffeine myself. My decaf option:

[AndyD]

@CHAS said in On a whim:

Enjoy your caffeinated beverages.
I can no longer enjoy them.
whining and wallowing in self pity.

I get arrhythmia so also limit caffeine intake. This is a palatable alternative coffee

[AndyD]

@Daniel. said in On a whim:

I've always wanted a set of Waterford brandy glasses. I don't know why. I don't drink brandy.

They concentrate any scent onto the nose and palette. Waterford and Edinburgh are both excellent quality crystal no longer made. My parents paid a fortune for crystal that I find in charity shops for a few pounds. Fruit bowls for a fiver. Four glasses for a tenner.
Schott is a German brand that's also has a good ring. Here's my set of 4+2. I thought I found 2 matching the first 4, got them home and not quite

[AndyD]

Btw, the sherry glasses on the shelf below are Edinburgh crystal with thistle engravings

[wtg]

I can second @AndyD 's recommendation for Nestle instant decaf. My mom used to drink the Nestle Taster's Choice decaf, and when I tried it at her house it was actually pretty good. They also have decaf espresso and a Gold version.

I baked tart cherry scones today. I had forgotten about Sticky Fingers scone mixes. I'm usually a scratch baker but these are so good and easy I decided to buy a few bags when I stumbled across them at World Market a couple of weeks ago.

https://stickyfingersbakeries.com/collections/all

Didn't have any clotted cream on hand, so I did a dab of butter on one half of the scone and a spoonful of homemade gooseberry jam on the other. Yum!

[Bernard]

The first part of this episode of Hands is about Belleek.

Link to video

[Daniel.]

@AndyD So that's the reason for the shape. It seems so obvious after you've been told. Nice glassware collection.

[AndyD]

Those cherry scones look delicious. With butter for me please.

[wtg]

@Bernard said in On a whim:

The first part of this episode of Hands is about Belleek.

Link to video

I just started watching this and am totally hooked and fascinated! Will have to come back to it later to finish. Thanks for posting it!!

[wtg]

Got some Taylors of Harrogate English Breakfast and am enjoying it immensely. And after watching the video that @Bernard posted, I have a new appreciation for the work that went into my Belleek teapot. I guess this is my British tea ceremony. Sweet.

I bought the dog tea cosy at Selfridges when I was in England in 1984 with my Mom. Funny how a simple object can capture so many good memories.

[CHAS]

I use Teeccino as a coffee substitute. I use it in my expresso maching. I like the flavor though it does not mimic coffee well. There is zero caffeine in it. I get it from Amazon.