Saturday, January 21, 2012

The Cloth Napkin


We sat down to dinner altogether every night as I was growing up.  The eight of us took our seat at the dining room table with candles lit and our own cloth napkin next to our fork.  Setting the table at our house included giving each person his own napkin and each had his own unique napkin holder to distinguish them.  I remember having the red apple one, there was an artichoke too. After about a week, I think, the napkins went into the wash.  I had to fold and iron LOTS of napkins as a kid. 

A couple years ago, I thought of using the white napkins I already had and the silver napkin rings each time we sit down to dinner as a family.  Well, we had already been using them, but giving each person a new one at each meal. 

There's just something about a cloth napkin that sets this meal aside as special, one to take time with.  It's worth the effort I think to add personal touches to family dinners.

In order to distinguish whose is whose, I embroidered our first initials on a napkin.  I had an assortment of embroidery floss that I found at Goodwill for a couple bucks.  It's a large supply and has about 25-30 different colors.  A find.

So, for the last couple years, whoever has the lucky job of setting the table for dinner, includes our own personal napkin.

Looks like from the picture, the napkin rings need some polishing.

My love for baking soda comes into play here. I use a small amount on the silver and it works beautifully.

I think I'll put a kid on that job...hmmmmmm, maybe I'll break it to them when they return from their excursion to Hawaii.

"Kids, while you were gone, I had lots of time to think about more jobs to add to your household duties."

That should be a hit.

Might risk not getting the awesome souvenir they are buying me.  Wait, I forgot to ask them to get me something. Shoot.  I know they already scooped up some sand from the North Shore to bring home for dad.  That's what he asked for. Sand.  Just a small scoop of sand.  I sent along a ziplock just for that purpose.  It's already filled, I hear.

God knows what he has planned for it.

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