Winter dishes

On the way home this afternoon, I spotted definite flurries in the air. Unlike the sleet/snow on Friday, these were obvious flakes drifting down from on high - the first flurries of winter. It's a good enough excuse to bring out the winter dishes.

My everyday stoneware is a blue and white set purchased at Target ten or twelve years ago - possibly longer ago than that. They came as sets of plates, or mugs or bowls, in mix and match patterns. The mugs, plates and bowls have this particular pattern while I picked out a slightly darker rimmed dessert plate. They've held up well through the years, giving me no excuse to replace them. The kitchen walls are a cheerful yellow with white trim; the blue-yellow-white color scheme makes me happy (although, to tell the truth, I never do eat in the kitchen, which is a story on its own).

The winter dishes were an impulse buy about five years ago. A friend and I co hosted a table at our church women's group Christmas dinner. We picked a "snow" theme. In my wandering through the shops to find appropriate table linens, I ran across these dishes.

Once again, they came as sets of separates. I hemmed and hawed - how could I justify buying seasonal dishes I might never use again? I talked myself into buying four plates and four mugs, thinking I could mix them with my existing dishes for the church dinner.

The color in the picture is a bit off; while they are indeed a deep blue, they aren't quite this dark. The snowflakes are raised a bit. They are also some sort of stoneware, but are lighter weight than the everyday dishes.

Tradition is difficult to come by when you are a single person household. What few traditions I have center around changing over the seasonal decorations by predetermined dates (which is not always totally successful). The one certain tradition I have is related to these dishes; I cannot begin to use them each year until the first observable snow, whether it snows in October, or holds off until mid-December. I stop using them when I become heartily sick and tired of the snow. Last year, they were put away in disgust right after the January storm that dumped over fifteen inches in my neighborhood in one day.

The outer rim on the plates is raised enough that gravy will not run off the plate - handy for serving winter stews. The mugs are an ounce or two bigger than standard, leaving lots of stirring room for hot chocolate.

It may be a little strange, but changing over the dishes is a part of the rhythm of life for me. It's a sign that winter is on its way, bringing a desire to stay home, cozy and warm, with a mug of home made chocolate and a fuzzy quilt. In spite of the holidays, the pace of life slows a bit when the weather changes, providing more time for introspection and planning for the spring. Using the winter dishes is a visual reminder of that.