Thursday, September 14, 2006

moment of silence



it's
a rainy morning
so the light
is grey and cold
in
the apartment.

in keeping
with my
documentation
of my home,
here is our
dining
"room".

which is really
just an area
to your left
as you walk
into the front
door...
rather strange
set up
but due to
a closet
(who's gonna
complain
about too many
closets?)
we decided
to put the couch
by the window.
so
as you sit
on our couch
you see the
dining area.


as i have
said before
i love having
people over...
i love
big dinners
and
conversation
over
food & wine.
grub remarked
that i was
the only one
who ever threw
big sit-down
dinner
parties
in college.

strangely enough
i don't really
enjoy cooking.
i am not
a bad cook
but it's
the means
to an end.
i mean you
have to have
good food
and wine
to get people
to dress up
and come
over, right?
luckily
i partnered
up with someone
who really
loves to cook
and
i thank my
lucky stars
daily.

a
sit-down
family dinner
was
enforced
in my family.
we had
a big vintage
navy bell
outside the front
that my mom
would ring
when it was time
for dinner
(my neighbors
thought it
was hysterical).
and by god
we had
to be there promptly
with our
hands washed
and we
could not,
under
any circumstances,
leave the table
before my parents
unless my dad
gave us
special permission.
and since
there was
no tv,
there wasn''t
some exciting
tv program
that made
us antsy
to leave
(instead
it was
usually
some science-related
discussion
lecture
by my dad).
frankly
i really cherish
family dinners
as the one time
we all really
sat down
and had
real family time
(especially
as we got older).

one of my
most amusing
dinnertime
memories
was when all
5 of us
would start talking
at once
to each other
(as we were prone
to do)
and
we weren't
listening to my dad
(this was key)...
my dad
would say
in his loud
church lector
voice
"ki-----ds.
moment of silence!!!"
and then
we all shut up-
usually
stiffling
giggles
as we kicked
each other
under the table.

that
doesn't happen
at our place.
well
unless
grub has
to kick me
under the table
because
i am talking
too much.

hope i get
to have
some of you
over
for dinner
some
time...

for descriptions
of items
in the photos
go here.



see more
homey
corners
here.

18 comments:

Anonymous said...

Your home has everything placed so nicely!
I love dinner parties. I love everything that goes into them,(well not the tedious cleaning) but the fun setup of candles & good music for a nice ambiance, the meal prep, setting up the table, laughing over wine and the smiles after eating yummy food. It's so great!

this makes me want to have a dinner party ;)
I wish all of us bloggers could have one big dinner party together! There be so much laughter the entire night!
xoash

hannah said...

oh food and friends is my favorite pairing, and talking. but usually talking is moved out to the porch swing after food (weather permitting). i am all about the family dinner as well, although it is getting harder and harder to keep eliot in his seat, that boy just has to move...

Anonymous said...

What a lovely home you have got. You and Grub seem like such golden hearted folks. The warmth permeates from your posts. You both have partnered up with real gems.
All family dinners are the best.

Anonymous said...

What a lovely home you have got. You and Grub seem like such golden hearted folks. The warmth permeates from your posts. You both have partnered up with real gems.
All family dinners are the best.

Kerstin Svendsen said...

so fun to read this one. and lovely dining area!

Tracy said...

wonderful wonderful post. oh for the love of family dinners. it warms my heart that someday my kids may look back and relish the fact we wouldn't let them leave the table!

Anonymous said...

why can't we be neighbors? i love your house, how everything has its place and all the shoes are lined up.

Anonymous said...

I remember family dinners too- everyone talking at once , my father lecturing( after all, he was a professor at UC Berkeley) and we had nearly an identical table as yours now!
we try to have family dinner every night ,but with 3 teenagers it's sometimes next to impossible!
& when everyone is together, dinner is never quiet! it's especially crazy when their friends join us- lot's of "joyful noise"

Austen said...

i love the idea of "family" dinners and we have them often, half a dozen of us, none related, but all together at the table, relishing good food and friendship. it's my favourite social occasion...partly for its specialness, partly for its ordinariness. i love the look of your dining room!

i think a big blogger party would be great! let's make it a potluck! (i'll bring...fish chowder and apple pie)

Anonymous said...

*love* the family dinner - we're trying hard to develop an early routine for that with our little one. Is that a Paul McCobb set? Love his work...

pixiegenne said...

your home is so lovely, warm, and calm. love everything about it.

lisa solomon said...

love this....

wish you were around the corner so you two could make me drinks and dinner... i'd dress up - promise!!

your home is lovely!!

stephanie said...

love your place and love the sentiments here. i am a stickler for family dinner every night even though my kids sometimes make me wonder why i bother!

Anonymous said...

Loved reading this post...your recent posts are all about going back into the past..sentimental..very nice :)
I also love dinner parties with great friends...

Anonymous said...

I grew up without the sit down family dinner... the three of us, my Mum, Dad and I, all ate in the lounge room... I'd even lay on the floor to eat... or we'd feast outside in the garden with the cicadas singing to us. If I'm ever fortunate enough for you to have me over to dinner, I promise to sit at the that (lovely) table and not on the floor. Your place looks wonderful!
see you, g

Anonymous said...

Is today the day? Here's a big cheer for Dr G. Bugheart.
Congratulations!

Anonymous said...

Your dining room looks perfectly lovely, stylish, and comfortable. Your memories of family dining are heartwarming -- moment of silence. That is sooo funny. My sister and I mostly got in trouble for laughing too much too when we were little.

Anonymous said...

What a serene, calm, lovely space. When I saw these photos on Flickr I just fell in love! I, like your mom (minus the bell), insist that everyone get to the dinner table when called and get miffed if someone is dawdling. We tend to all talk at once too, that always tells me we're all glad to be there.