Thursday Frolics

Okay, the title is misleading.
I'm afraid there will be no frolics.
I am back at That Old House and she is not in the mood for frolics.
She is being rained on today, and she doesn't much like that.

But yesterday, out at the beach house, I got up crazy early

to capture this picture of dawn just for you.

And then I went back to sleep, and captured this picture

a few hours later -- sun dancing on the water.

Those white things across the creek are not geese; they are sparkles from Old Sol.

Once we were both up and conscious,

Anne and I grabbed coffee and breakfast sandwiches to-go at

 Erik's Cafe on the North Road (highly recommended, thanks to sister Peggy for the tip)

and then we buzzed east to Greenport to a beach I used to take my girls to when they were heartbroken

over being excluded from a Daddy-and-Pop-Pop He Man Woman Haters Club fishing trip.

Just trying to minimize future time on the analyst's couch for my offspring.

I meant to take pictures of the beach, and the view across to Shelter Island,

but Erik's sandwich distracted me.  My bad.

Then it was back to the beach house, where we made sure the hatches were all battened down

in preparation for the expected visit of a rather nasty customer named Irene this weekend.

I blessed the house as we were leaving, and also left a Wise Old Someone in charge;

you will meet him tomorrow.

I hope when I tootle out there next week to check on things,

that it all looks pretty much the same as it does in this picture. 

By the time hurricanes hit the Northeast, most of their get-up-and-go has usually got-up-and-gone.

Fingers crossed, for everyone in Irene's path.

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But today is a day for playing with dishes,

not just waiting for storms.

I have reached back through the cobwebs of time, into the virtual attic at That Old House,

and ferreted out my very first Tablescape Thursday post.

It's not terribly impressive; I hadn't a clue what I was doing!

But here it is, from February 25, 2009:

My First Tablescape Post for That Old House!

I am not sure when table settings morphed into Tablescapes, but I'm late to the game. Here goes nothing!

Let's set the stage:
Imagine. . . It's a cold February night in a creaky old house; a fire is lit in the parlor, and in the dining room . . . it's time for a bowl of bubbling hot stew, ladled out of a big tureen onto china that echoes the Chinese Export ware of centuries ago:

A bit of wine adds to the glow. The stemware is a crystal reproduction of an old form;
the same shape wineglass might have been on the table when this house was new.

Nearby, a small cake plate and cup and saucer await dessert; maybe a slice of hot apple pie,
and cup of good strong coffee.

The china is Mikasa Far East, and I bought it nearly 30 years ago at Kaufmann's Department Store in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. I was very into simple "colonial" then, and this was the closest I could get to an antique look pattern that I could afford. Luckily, I still like it, because by now I have service for more than 20.

Lenox made the crystal wine glass, the tureen is Fitz & Floyd,
and the silver ware is my old Ebay flatware. 
Don't look too closely at the folded napkin. It needs ironing and a good soak in Oxi-Clean, but it's such a sweet old linen piece, with lovely hand crocheted edging. I can't remember where I got the small lace topper cloth, but I thought its angles nicely reflected the angles of the dinnerware. Upon reflection, I think I should have used something less busy.

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Well, yes, Blogger Self of 2-plus years ago,
you should have used something less busy. And taken better pics.
Live and learn, and the best way to do that
is to visit more blogs and see how the talented folk do it.  -- Cass

P.S.  Hurricane Irene shares a moniker with my mother-in-law.  Who is also Irene.

But I would much prefer a visit from her than from the big storm that's flying up the coast.

Too bad I don't get to choose; Stormy Irene is coming invited or not!

P.P.S.  And today is my father-in-law's birthday!  Happy Birthday, Zaide!  

Link Parties for Thursday.

Tablescape Thursday at Susan's Between Naps On The Porch.  Click here!

Leigh of Bloggeritaville's Thrifty Thursday.  Click here!

At Coloradolady blog, it's Vintage Thingies Thursday. Click here!

And
it's an Open House Party at No Minimalist Here.  Usually!  But this week,
the Open House Party is hosted by Ann at Sutton Place blog.   Click ... here!