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| ...cloth napkins with individual rings to identify and (hopefully) reuse from one meal to the next... |
Since my father came to live with us, we are eating more meals at home than we did over the past few years. I am REALLY enjoying planning, shopping, and serving a variety of economical and healthy meals. I'm thankful for the circumstances that resulted in our at-home mealtimes.
Gary and I don't eat breakfast, so my father fixes his own. Gary makes our coffee and we gather around the breakfast table to share a devotional time - Bible reading and prayer. We are generally able to eat our lunches together as well as the evening meal. After cleaning up in the evening, we linger at the table to play table games. More than usual, we are also inviting friends to join us around our table. These times, too,are so pleasurable and rewarding.
After reading some Wendell Berry essays, I realize that community is happening around our table in fresh ways for us in this season of life. It set me to wondering if there are any ways I can make our table experiences even more delightful. So, I googled it and found these two paragraphs that encouraged me to keep up my quest. The article also suggested a few ways to perk up an ordinary meal.
Before we find ourselves eating more but enjoying it less, I'm adding a couple simple, small touches - beyond the foot itself - to our table. I'll let you know what those "touches" are, if the men I share the table with notice, and how our table experience is affected (if at all).
All our senses are involved when we eat. When a plate of food is appealing to the eye, has a wonderful aroma, and a variety of flavors and textures, we take note. And we usually rate those meals as not only more pleasant but more satisfying, too.
If your eating has become routine—and your meals look the same, day after day—that could spell trouble. In an attempt to get more satisfied, you may find yourself eating more but enjoying it less.
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Meanwhile, what are some of the ways YOU make YOUR ordinary table experience a special one?
Will be interested to hear more. I love "eating at table"....in a house full of men it often wasn't appreciated, but I tried often anyway. I changed glass wear often...at dining table I used knife rests, glass coasters, and in old days, candles. Not to be hoity toity but to be different, to be interesting.
ReplyDeleteI'm thinking these cloth napkins in place of disposables...a change up in background music (I seem to revert to the same old/same old), and a flower or two as long as they are so easily accessible from outside our back door... A candle is a possibility for one of the meals, too...
DeleteI'm sorry to say our table experience is mainly chaos. All different meals, headphones, dogs circling...Thinking I need to reclaim the supper table!
ReplyDeleteThere are definitely "seasons" in life that affect our tables. Hang in there! This too shall pass :)
DeleteVintage, cotton, table cloths.
ReplyDeleteThis is on my list (for our evening meal tonight). I just used the regular place mats this noon... I just KNEW I'd find some encouragement from you here.
DeleteWe don't spend a lot of time at our table -- we tend to eat and then get up right away, do the dishes, then retire to the living room. Dennis isn't one to linger after a meal, so I've adjusted to his habit. Even in a restaurant he's pretty much eat and get up and go. Unless we're with friends. Come to think of it, maybe I'm not good company. LOL Just kidding. I think your community around the table is lovely. Well done, Rebecca. Hugs.
ReplyDeleteSadly, we don't spend enough time at the dining table. Usually eat and then get up and do the dishes. Dennis isn't much of a lingerer. :)
ReplyDeleteYour table looks pretty with the blue. How wonderful it must be to share this time in your life with your father. We just bought two smaller, round tables for our breakfast room and patio. It has helped us to want to eat more meals at home, especially breakfast which we mostly ate out. So stupid to pay so much for eggs and toast, which hardly cost anything to fix at home!
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