With a Little Help From My Friends

It's snowing softly in New York City. I have a nice big cup of tea, and as I sit typing, I can look out my window to the gardens that are between the houses on my street and the next street over.

The only sound I hear is the scraping sound made by the man shoveling snow as it collects on the garden paths. It's quiet and cozy, and I'm exactly where I want to be on this early winter morning, even though I know eventually I have to pull on warm, waterproof boots and head out to work.

I love my little apartment where the living room has yellow walls, white trim, and a pale blue ceiling - which on this gray day are simply a reminder of the sunshine and blue skies that will return to the City for good in April.

I spend most weekends in the country where I have a lot of room to cook and a large (by NYC standards) dining table. But here in the City, everything is tiny, especially the kitchen.




I don't have much storage space, so I choose what I have here carefully. I must love - and use - everything. Every single thing.

So when I recently decided it would be a good idea to use only white dishes here - after all, doesn't most food look best on a background of white? - I knew when I packed up some of my Wedgwood (completely plain) White bone china upstate to bring here,




I would have to take the dishes I have been using for a very long time, Spode Queen's Bird, upstate in its place.




My plan was to pack up the Spode this week so I could load it in the car for the trip on Friday. But when I began to pack it up, the trouble began. I started having second thoughts. Major second thoughts.

So the question, literally on the table (sorry), is - am I a creature of habit and don't want to get rid of what I'm used to, or is what I had to begin with really the best in this space?



Maybe you'd be willing to weigh in on this?

Thanks.