I am very grateful for music. I like listening to music and at times it can set the mood I'm in. I enjoy listening to a variety of music and sometimes it helps me when I work to keep focused. I don't know why it does, but I think it blanks out conversations so I'm not tempted to listen and add to the chat.

Can you imagine Christmas without carols?

Although there are some types of music that don't strike my fancy, I'm sure we all have our own favorites that we have reasons we enjoy.

Today I am thankful for bread.

If you mention bread, what pictures pops up in your mind? Do you think of the soft white bread of your youth? Homemade bread with a great crush and rough texture? Soft rolls smothered in butter? The sweet flavor of banana bread?

A few years ago I had asked for donations of bread machines because our students thought bread came from the store. I know it does, but they didn't realize it was baked and that people often do bake it. It was a good exercise in measuring as well as some cooking. We ate our "homework" and the kids loved it.

Funny thing is the adults loved it too. Many would stop by my room and eat the crusts because the kids wouldn't eat the end pieces. They liked the aroma in the halls. A few would sit down at lunch and talk about what a wonderful experience they had because someone had baked bread with or for them. All of this because of something so simple as bread. Maybe it's not so simple after all.

I try to experiment with different breads and different flours. We found a small Amish store in a nearby town that sells flour in smaller packages so I can purchase enough for a couple of loaves and not worry about using 5 pounds or wasting 5 pounds if we don't like it.

There's something glorious about the smell of bread baking. And magical too. Putting together flour and yeast and liquid and then whatever else and seeing it rise is pretty cool too.

I found this recipe for biscuits I want to try. It sounded easy enough to do, but tasty enough to want:

Cheddar Sage Biscuits

2 cup(s) flours
1 tablespoon(s) baking powder
1 teaspoon(s) salt
2 tablespoon(s) dried sage
4 tablespoon(s) cold unsalted butter
1 cup(s) (shredded) white Cheddar cheese
1 cup(s) buttermilk

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Directions

1.Preheat oven to 475ºF and grease 2 cookie sheets with butter. Combine flour, baking powder, salt, sage and butter in food processor, and pulse until well combined; transfer to a large bowl. (Alternatively, cut butter into the dry ingredients using a pastry blender or two knives and use your fingers to combine.) Stir in cheese and buttermilk.
2.Place dough on a floured surface and knead a little (4 or 5 times). Roll out dough to 1?2-inch thickness and cut out 24 biscuits using a 2-inch round cutter. Place biscuits on prepared baking sheets an inch apart and bake until tops are browned, 10 to 12 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.

Today I'm thankful for...drum roll please...leftovers!

I know some would think that was a weird thing, but first of all, if we have leftovers, it means we have more than enough to begin with.

Today we had another meal from that Crockpot ham we had earlier this week. Easy recipe for ham and mac and cheese:

Boil some elbow macaroni until done

Make a cheese sauce with a tablespoon of butter, tablepoon of flour heated through, then add cut up cheese and milk until desired consistency.

Cut up ham in small pieces.

Mix together and put in a greased pan and add bread crumbs to the top. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes covered for 25 minutes and take the cover off for the last five minutes! A hot, filling meal. Add a vegetable and a bread and a good Friday night meal. Easy, quick, and cheap!

I am grateful for lights. All kinds of them. The lights in my house so I can see -- we really appreciate them when it is dark and power goes off. I like to be able to see so I don't run into things and so I can read. But I also am thankful for other lights. I'm thankful we have stop lights so we don't have as many accidents. I'm pleased we have lights that tell us if stuff is on. Our city has a Central Park and the local electrical union has strung the Christmas lights and they did a beautiful job. It makes ordinary things special.

I missed posting yesterday...long day with school and then a parent meeting until after 8:15 p.m. So, I'm sort of messed up on the days, sorry!

I am grateful for technology. When it works, it sure makes life easier. Make a copy of a paper...zip -- there is it. Word processing is sure easier than the old manual typewriter with the "eraser" that seemed to smudge the typeface instead of erasing it (anyone besides me remember that stiff little eraser?) Microwaves are a marvel and even the little hot pot make heating water much faster than on the stove.

I am grateful for Crockpots. I can't imagine not having the use of one. I put a ham in one for supper tonight and boy was it yummy. I made a glaze with Dr. Pepper and honey and some cinnamon and boy was it yummy!

I am grateful for Crockpots. I can't imagine not having the use of one. I put a ham in one for supper tonight and boy was it yummy. I made a glaze with Dr. Pepper and honey and some cinnamon and boy was it yummy!

I think my pastor likes to be funny. So far we haven't been rolling out of the pews laughing, but he does have his entertaining moments.

Today he was talking about people think that good people shouldn't have bad things happen to them and if it does, why some folks believe it happens. He was discussing that God still cares for us and although bad things happen, it isn't because God quit caring or that he is powerless. It's because we live in a fallen world and that there are consequences to our actions. No kidding.

He then went on to share how he needed to be someplace that was an hour and a half away but only had an hour to get there. Being the brilliant person he is, he figured that if he drove a third faster than normal (he figured it out mathematically...I told you he was brilliant) he could make it. Unfortunately, that was 85 mph and police officers rather frown on one traveling so quickly. He made a choice and paid the consequence...he received a speeding ticket.

It's nice to have a religious leader who will admit to mistakes. He uses it as a way to teach us things. And it makes us smile as well.

We all have consequences in what we do whether it is to speed or skip a step in baking. If I skip a step I might not get the finished product I had planned on. Or, I am wearing the consequence of not being careful when I pulled something out the oven, not once but twice. I have two "brand" marks on my right arm where I touched the hot rack. Stupid? Yes. Have I learned my lesson? I certainly hope so. I just tell folks that my modeling career is over. Which is the truth to an extent...I am not modeling material to begin with. But, I digress.

I am thankful that we have a great pastor who is willing to use every day activities to show us a better way to live. It certainly doesn't hurt that pastor has a good sense of humor and can teach a lesson in a humorous way. I am grateful that I have had many good people in my life who have cared enough to direct me.

So, what about you? Are you grateful that you've had someone in your life teaching you?

I am very thankful for dishwashers! Remember the days when you had to hand wash dishes? Every meal and every day?

My husband teases me that if I prepare a meal and basically don't fill the diswasher by the evening, something must be wrong! LOL


In the early 80s my folks were moved by the state because a the road had to be widened. They wound up relocating and then moving back to the property they owned, and bought one of those manufactured houses. My mom had a choice of getting a dishwasher or not. She almost said no. I talked her into it thinking it would be a handy device. She loved it after the first cycle! When they downsized to a smaller home, number one in the kitchen had to be a dishwasher!

I am grateful for computers! I can't imagine how boring my life could be without having this site, email, and Facebook!

Today is Veteran's Day and although I am thankful for the Vets, I'm also grateful that my school district has decided to give us the day as a holiday.

Holidays are often wonderful days that give you a chance to sit back and reflect on this and that. And sometimes is gives you breathing room from your job so you can think and do something different for a day.

I do get a bit discouraged when I see the store advertisements harking the holiday sale. I know that they have to make money to stay in business, but sometimes the commercialism is overwhelming. Pray tell, what can one buy on Veteran's day other than a flag or flower that truly celebrates the holiday? Somehow new shoes for my non Veteran feet or a new outfit doesn't seem fitting for the holiday.

All in all, we have to take the bad with the good. So, I'm pleased to have today off and a chance to thank our Veterans as well as relax a bit.

Today I am thankful for all the delicious food I get to enjoy! Monday night we had turkey and mashed potatoes and vegetables and it was yummy. I've had turkey sandwiches the past few days for lunches and tonight we finished up the turkey and broth with turkey and noodles. We also had some of the last homegrown tomatoes. I'm already missing them because we are starting winter soon.

We are very fortunate to have so many food choices. When I think about some people who have two choices: take it or go without, it makes me humble to think I have the choice of having different foods whenever I want. And although I often grouse about the expense, we can eat reasonably and healthily.

Veteran's Day is this Thursday. I want to say thank you to the veterans who risked their all for those of us they didn't even know.

Mark Schultz has a great song about "Letters from War". He had the idea to write the song after reading a relative's diary about how she was so worried her sons wouldn't return from WWII.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uuvbBwsMTgI

Today I am grateful for friends. I opened my email and found an email from a friend that made me smile. Last night we had sandwiches with some other friends. At church yesterday morning we talked with people I consider friends. Friends just are there. They like you and consider you and know what to say or do when you need it.

Do you have any special friends?

I just left the kitchen. Not permanently, but I have been fixing things. On the stove are homegrown grape tomatoes that are cooking down for marinara sauce. I have dough rising for two loaves of bread to be baked a little later. I have a turkey breast defrosting that I plan on putting in the Crockpot. So,I would have to say that today I'm deeply grateful that I have plenty to eat.

I work in a district that has many schools that are considered low income. I know that many of these children depend on the free lunch and free breakfast they receive at school. Although I grew up poor, we always had plenty to eat. It might not have been the greatest or what I wanted, but we had food. I know a local food pantry says they give out over 1,200 food boxes a month and they aren't the only pantry in the city. I think in many areas folks are hungry.

So, I'm blessed!

I am grateful I have eyesight. I love to read, I love looking at beautiful items and I love watching my darling husband. Although I have to wear glasses, I never resent having to do so -- how much more fortunate I am than those who years and years and year ago didn't have corrective lenses and saw the world fuzzily!

Today I am thankful for my job. I'm fortunate to have it and it provides me with a living to have a comfortable home.

Yesterday I started this whole thing with saying we needed to find satisfaction in our daily lives and I see many of you joined in. Cool beans!

So, today, I'm grateful to those teachers who taught me what I needed to know to become a good citizen. Some of these "teachers" weren't teachers in the sense of being a professional educator, but people who were great role models showing me the way. Kind of like that Liberty Mutual commercial that showed someone doing something nice for someone else so they in turned passed it on.

Alright, so here's you challenge...what else are you grateful for?

I'm on a roll. I'm apologizing ahead of time. Yesterday, I blogged about a book and the fact I'm thankful for what I have and that I'm not rich and have to live a certain life in a certain life style. It made me think maybe we need to learn satisfaction with what we have and perhaps a gratitude blog would be a way to do that. So, today, I'm going to add to what I started yesterday...I know some of you made comments about what you are thankful for as well. Perhaps we need to make an ongoing list to show our gratitude.

So, day one, I'm thankful for my wonderful husband who loves me beyond reason.

How about you?

I just started a fictional book on how a gal who lives in "Bedford" and was a member of high society (read snooty society) was suddenly thrown in a tailspin when her husband was arrested by the FBI for fraud. I haven't gotten to the part where she recovers, but it is interesting to read the author's take on how the once friendly folks she did things with no longer associate with her because she's poor and not deemed worthy of being a part of "their society."

Not being rich or snotty, I wonder if this is realistic fiction. I assume the author is portraying societal norms of a few.

So, while I plan on finishing this book, I did mention to my husband it made me realize I'm glad I don't feel the peer pressure to have to depend on my relationships being based on money and stature in society. My friends are not superficial based on the size of house, money in the bank, and how much volunteering I do.

As we begin November here in America, I'm trying to figure out ways to be grateful for all I have as Thanksgiving approaches. So today I would say I'm grateful that I'm not rich because I don't have to be ashamed of working. Although we all wish we were wealthy, I think it can often bring problems we don't imagine. Realizing satisfaction with what we have is far more comfortable that trying to keep up with wealthy.

For what are you grateful?

No, I'm not practing my Tony the Tiger growling because things are not "GGGGRREEAATTT!"

I sort of lost it today. I work with another person and we are to be a "team". But yet again, this person is late. This person is late to almost every meeting. Today, one of our supervisors asked me where my "partner" was and why this person was late. I just said, "I wish people would quit asking me this because I'm not this person's keeper."

Maybe I shouldn't have said it. But I hear it a minimum of four days a week.

The supervisor said he understood and he could see why it would bother me.

Yet, I don't get it why this person is consistently late.

Overall, this person is nice, but perhaps doesn't realize how rude it is to keep people waiting to start a meeting until this person shows up.

An administrator did say something a few weeks ago about a meeting starting ten minutes before and it seemed to help, but that lasted but a few days. And the person it was directed to was none too happy to have this mentioned.

It's not my place to tell this person to be at work on time -- I'm not a boss. They roll their eyes or say something to me about the person being late, but other than that one time, nothing was said.

But, wouldn't one think that the bosses are as much to blame for allowing it to continue?

I'm a tear right now.

I just watched the news and I'm fed up with some church who thinks it is their First Amendment Right to demonstrate at soldiers' funerals and wave signs that say pray for dead soldiers. Not that they want prayers for the dead, but that they become dead.

They claim the was is God's was of punishing our country because people are allowed to live and be homosexual.

Personally, I'm not going to get into a lifestyle choice. And I'm all for First Amendment Rights.

But, to claim they are doing it as Christians? Sorry, folks, as a Christian, I don't want anything to do with that unloving militant group. Jesus said there the commandments could be summed up with these two ways: Love God with all your heart and love your neighbor as yourself.

I don't know about you, but I don't think that group is being very loving, especially to a group of people who are hurting because their child, spouse, or friend was killed in war times.

And they certainly aren't very losing to those folks who are gay.

It might be what they claim as their First Amendment Right to demonstrate, but just because it might be legal (I am waiting to hear what the Supreme Court decides, that's why I'm sort of waffling here), but it is kind? Is it moral?

Somehow, I don't believe God sent this group to be this cruel to get his message across. I hate to announce to them that God is fully capable of punishing folks without man's help.

So, forgive my rant, but if this is loving, I don't think I want to be a part of THAT church!

My husband recently celebrated his 64th birthday. On the morning, I got out my Beatles CD and played, "When I'm 64." When I posted on Facebook that I did that, many of my friends asked different lines from the song. It's interesting the things that tie us together!

We drove to a small town near us called Arthur, Illinois. Arthur is considered the home of many Amish families. A couple of friends gave my husband a gift card to a restaurant called Yoder's and we had lunch there courtesy of these friends. My husband loves his food and enjoyed the broasted chicken and mashed potatoes (real ones) with homemade gravy.

We then went to a place called Beachy's which sells products in bulk. It is also run by a local and they have cheeses made there as well as baked goods. We stocked up on some cheese, and rice, and different flours. I like to experiment with different flours and since one can buy different sizes, I didn't have to purchase a 4 or 5 pound bag of a flour I'm not sure I'll use. I also purchased some sausage ground with sage. We tried it the last time and it was delicious. We purchased a loaf of bread -- oatmeal -- and a huge draw is when they bake things there, they put the ingredients -- no preservatives. Just basics like flour, oil, butter, oatmeal, yeast, and water. The same with the noodles.

For dinner we also went out to our favorite Italian restaurant run locally. The owner picked out our steaks which were delicious. The server was generous and had bought a birthday ballon for my husband to put on the table.

We like purchasing items and eating at restaurants that are owned by local people. Although when traveling we often gravitate towards chains, at home, we like supporting our own.

As for my hubby, he enjoyed his birthday because he chose where we went and had some delicious food and many people thought of him. It doesn't get much better than that!

Sandi Patti has a Christmas song called, "The Gift Goes On."

(See: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9iA96s9QQ8E)

The basic premise is we were given a great gift and we then live joyfully and in a giving spirit.

OK, it's not Christmas...but I read an email from a friend of mine that made me stop and take a breath.

He's superintendent of a Chicagoan surburban school district. One of his teachers has been diagnosed with ALS. She's only 50. He said he wanted to keep her working as long as possible for her sake ... both money as well as doing what she loves...teaching.

Fellow staff members are stepping up by helping with things to make her life easier. They are even collecting money to help with financial concerns.

But the most surprising thing I read was the school board told my friend to do whatever it takes to keep this gal working as long as she wants. So, he's been rearranging jobs and schedules to help her and keep the education of the students going.

Are you teary yet?

This school district is teaching a great gift of showing compassion and kindness...can you think of any better lesson for children to learn?

Do you everlook back and regret things you did or didn't do? I was reading a devotion that talked about this.Are there things that you would change?

That was the question asked in a survey a number of years ago. The only thing special about the survey was the question was asked only to people who had celebrated their 95th birthday.

It was an open-ended question.

It could be answered any way they wished.

No religion was connected with it and there was no anticipated response -- just the question: Is there anything you'd like to change about your life?

Of all the different responses which came back, there were three appearing with great regularity.

Those three were

1. I would reflect more (the most popular answers);
2. I would risk more;
3. I would do more things which would live on after I'm dead.

Most of us are not yet 95 years old.

Even so, I wonder how would you answer that question?

I think I do need to reflect more. And I guess we all want to do things to make us remembered. However, I'm not much of a risk taker, so I'm not sure #2 would apply to me. But who knows, maybe as I get older, I'll take more risks.

So, how would you answer the question...what would you change?

I live in Illinois and for grade school and middle school we have the ISAT which is Illinois State Achievement Test.

It's a component of the NCLB -- No Child Left Behind. It's a way we are to be held accountable for how we educate students.

On the surface that sounds so good. I mean, no one wants a teacher doing nothing and a kid not being educated. We all know there are great teachers out there who do their best and then are the duds.

However, we've come to the point where a school has to make 85% to pass. On the surface that doesn't sound totally unreasonable. But it's not a straight 85%. Each year it goes up and each year it gets more and more difficult. This percentage not only means the total folks taking the test, but the subgroups. Subgroups contain 45 students and can be gender, race, special education status, and economic status. All subgroups have to make 85%. Confusing? You bet.

My school district is a poor district so we have a lot of folks on free and reduced lunch so just about every school has that subgroup. Of course we have boys and girls subgroups. We have some race subgroups. Some schools have the special education subgroup.

On top of all of that, the school has to maintain a 91% attendance rate. Even if they pass all the academics, they have to have that magic attendance number or they don't make AYP or adequate yearly progress.

This is just a simplified version. I cannot really figure the scores the way they do because there's a lot of this and that ... it's not just 85%.

If a school doesn't make AYP they are labeled failing. I understand the reasoning behind it, but some of the questions on the test I'm not sure are things children will use. We spend so much time teaching to test -- we have to because we don't want to fail -- that so much other stuff is left out.

We look at kids as test scores -- remember when people complained that they were more than a number? Well, it's getting that way in education. A kid is a test score. One school that isn't a true district school, but sort of has district privileges didn't make AYP when the scores were lower. They do now. How, you ask? Well, from what I can tell they don't keep kids who don't pass the ISAT. They send them back to their home schools. Truly survival of the fittest!

I truly believe there should be accountability in education. But I don't think a test given in the spring should be the only way to hold schools and districts accountable.

One of my former schools didn't make AYP. It's not a bad school. It's in a high poverty neighborhood. The teachers work very hard instructing kids. I've seen teachers bringing in things from home to help the kids like clothes, snacks, shoes, etc. One teacher's church has volunteers who come every week to work with the kids on materials she puts together. When a family had a fire, the staff collected money and items to gift to the family. Kids brought in what they could for donations. I think educating people for life is far more important that teaching them to take a test.

I bet you won't see a question on how you can best serve your neighbor on a high stakes test.

A year or so ago an insurance company ran an advertisement showing people looking out for each other because they witnessed kindness. I felt inspired when I saw these ads. I know that the insurance company really wanted to use it to sell their insurance, but it just gave me a good, warm feeling.

We've all heard the random acts of kindness and how they often mean so much.

Well, what I'm thinking about today isn't a random act.

Last year a band teacher in our school district who had been in the district over 35 years retired. He had won many awards, but more importantly he had touched many lives. He had a very successful music program in the high school. He and another very successful music teacher had built the program from middle school to high school and they decided to retire at the same time. It was a loss to our district for so much talent to retire.

However, there seemed to be a problem this year when school started. Through a clerical error, the position was posted as a part-time position, not a full time one. Very few folks want to work .3 of a school day.

School started and no band teacher. The band students were upset. Yet, they were so dedicated to their program they started holding their own practices so they'd at least be in the program and get to continue what they started. It shows the level of dedication and professionalism these children must have witnessed from their band instructors.

The school district realized there was a problem and asked the retired man to come back. In the state of Illinois a retired person cannot teach the whole year and still receive one's pension, so this means he will probably have to work only certain days so he doesn't jeopardize his retirement.

He did return and as I drove by the school today, the kids were outside marching with their instruments.

It was out of kindness he decided to come back. He didn't want the students to be without music.

I know this isn't a huge thing, but for those kids, having a band teacher who really cares is a big show of kindness.

I've seen many acts of kindness with people I've worked with. They aren't the kind of things that get written up in the newspaper. But for the person on the receiving end, I'm sure it means a lot. For the child who doesn't have any shoes and socks, someone bringing some in and giving to them to the child on the sly so that child's dignity is intact means a lot. The child who doesn't have food at home getting a couple bags of groceries to take home for the weekend so the family has some food probably means a brighter weekend. The people who donate money to groups so other folks can have things they wouldn't normally receive makes life a little better.

All acts of kindness and just another way we help one another.

My husband loves to walk.

He especially likes walking in the neighborhood and seeing the homes and nature and being outside.

Unfortunately the heat and humidity have made it very uncomfortable for him to walk because he goes at a pretty crisp clip. He says he doesn't like to melt down into his shoes in this weather and I can't blame him.

His solution has been to walk at the mall. He claims it is boring just going around in circles. But he has made a game of it. He tries to find people who are also walking for exercise and see if he can out pace them. I tease him about his competitive spirit and he just laughs.

But there's a lot of truth in it. He talks about this one young gal (20-30s) who has longer legs than he does and really flies -- he says he turns on the after burners and catches up and passes her.

There's another guy who he says hides from him when he sees him out walking because he can outdistance him.

Hubby says this spirit of competition keeps it interesting.

I say watch out Roadrunner! Beep! Beep!

School hasn't officially started for most of the buildings in our district, but we do have one that is "year round."

My position is a new one and to put it simply, I work with data. Which is good. I like data and I like thinking and talking about educational data. I enjoy charts, graphs, and spreadsheets.

But, I can honestly say I'm just mentally exhausted. Between the extreme heat taking it's toll, and the fact I've been in 2 1/2 days of training, plus working on data for my schools, I'm spent.

I look forward to getting some rest tonight in my air conditioned home.

Have you ever started a collection merely by accident?

A few years ago we were sort of strapped -- we paid our bills and tried to save some and I had a friend who was buying stuff like a new stove and dishwasher and updating this and that. I groused that even though I did lots of cooking and really could use new appliances and would love a kitchen remodel, we couldn't afford it and certainly wouldn't go into debt.

My mom, who had a wicked sense of humor, decided to help me with my "remodel." A local grocery store was clearing out dishes you could buy. Seems they had a dinner plate and cup and saucer in a box and if you spent so much that week, you could buy this little place setting at a cheaper price. Ever the bargain hunter, my mom thought two new plates and cups and saucers were cheaper than a remodel and would also give me something to unwrap come Christmas. My mom didn't have a lot of money either.

Christmas morning and the unwrapping began. Sure enough, she had me unwrap my two alike packages last and there were the Blue Willow dishes.

Now, there's something you should know. My favorite color is blue. And I like stuff with a history behind it. We had quite the chuckle over my new dishes and that my "kitchen remodel" was at least dishwasher safe. Two plates, who needs more when there are just two of us eating, right?

Well, the more I saw those plates, the more I thought about how I'd like to have a set of them. I went to the local grocery and sure enough, they had 2 other boxes of these place settings, still on sale, and I didn't have to buy groceries to get the cheaper price.

Did I need these plates? Heck no. I had a set of every day plates and set of "good" China. My good China was bought when a store called Carson Pirie Scott was in business and they offered two different patterns -- a place setting for 8 for $99. I didn't realize that this really wasn't "good" China, but it was fancier than most stuff I came across.

But this Blue Willow is the stuff I really liked. So, it became a hobby. Whenever we would go the antique shops, flea markets, or even grocery stores, I would search for it. One big chain in Springfield was closing out on accessories like a platter, butter dish, and salt and pepper shakers. I found dinner plates in odd places. I refuse to pay full price.

Blue Willow has a story attached to it. Seems there was a father and daughter and the daughter fell in love with a man who worked for her father. The father did not want the relationship to continue, and like Romeo and Juliet, the two lovebirds died a premature death. The pattern has two lovebirds and also willow trees, hence the blue willow name. Pretty cool history, eh?

I started searching Ebay. My favorite company that makes it is Churchill because it can go in the dishwasher. Seems lots of companies have manufactured it through the years. I do have a few old pieces that came from Japan and when I use them I have to hand wash them. I bought a really fancy casserole dish that I refuse to use because it is so delicate. I had a funny mistake -- I kept bidding on another Churchill casserole dish and I would always miss it by a dollar or so. I decided I'd bid on two, thinking I'd get one. Well, I wound up winning both of them, and I paid about the same for both of them than if I had bought them outright from a website.

The Blue Willow search has increased my collection. One friend searches for it and I get it as gifts for birthday and Christmas.

I finally decided that since I don't give fancy parties, I don't need my "good" China anymore and I donated it. I donated my other set of dishes we used to use too because I like the Blue Willow so well. I guess the chefs on television wouldn't like to use them because many say you should use plain white plates so the food stands out. Apparently I'm not a purist.

This all started from a joke. My collecting was truly by accident. But what a fun "accident" it has become!