tabler cleaner

Remember last month and I was cleaning off the kitchen table? I made progress then, and today I made more. I unpacked 3 boxes that held my mom's crystal and moved things around in the cabinets to make room for the pieces. Opening the boxes and unwrapping the stemware and glasses felt rather like Christmas. I had forgotten how pretty her crystal is.

Of course it was bittersweet, though, which is one of the reasons to boxes sat unopened for so long. I thought about my mom, and what we did at the holidays. I missed her some, of course, as I thought about her, and how she bought all of that crystal, and her good china, and a silver tea and coffee set all before she got married. She had a good job, and few responsibilities at the time. She didn't wait until she got married, like a lot of women did/do. That was a basic trait of my mom. She worked for what she wanted, and chose it, and got it for herself. She didn't let anyone tell her she couldn't or shouldn't. She didn't necessarily argue with them, or anything, she just went and did it. She would tell them, "I told you so," though. I miss my mom, but I'm glad I've had her strength and stubbornness to see me through, and to see in my daughter and know it will also serve her well (once it quits driving me up a wall...)

There are still a couple of boxes stacked in the corner, and I have decided which pictures to hang, and those things need to get done, but I suspect most of what's left will either have a place waiting for it, or will be heading for the trash. It will feel good to have the table ready to be used for Christmas dinner.