broken china

Jani said:

Personally, I gave up trying to keep a complete set of *anything* years ago.
I went for colour-coded instead, and now I pick up half-sets, individual
plates, serving dishes and so on from all sorts of places (charity shops are
a treasure-trove, especially for antiques) - nothing actually matches, but
because it's all in the same shades (blue, blue and green, or blue and
yellow) it .. harmonises, I suppose you'd say. And since they're not full
sets in the first place, breakages are not so agonising.

I have never been a fan of really fancy dishes, especially the sort that are
easily broken and difficult to replace. I opted for nice every day dishes that
are nice for us and nothing to be embarrassed about using for special company.
When we were first married we went with A Franciscan pattern. A few pieces got
broken, and when I went to replace them I found that the pattern had been
discontinued. When we got down to the point where we needed a new set, I chose
a Johnson Bros. pattern that had been around for years. Damned if that pattern
suddenly got pulled. So when we ran low on cups and saucers it was time to
look for another pattern. We really liked another Johnson Bros. pattern and
bought 8 settings of it. We broke two plates within the first 6 months so I
headed back to the store to order replacements. Son of a gun, that pattern had
been discontinued. Thank goodness there is a place not too far from here were
there is a good stock of some of the discontinued patterns and we got the
replacements. We thought that we were out of luck, but my wife discovered that
there were bread and butter plates available in that pattern, which was odd,
because when we originally bought the place settings there were no bread and
butter plates in that pattern. My wife ordered a bunch of them for herself for
Christmas.

Ken said:

Quoted message said:

My wife and sister were executors of their father's will. The father had cut the
brother out of his will after an argument with him, but he later relented and
gave him a 20% share with 405 going to each of the other two. When they split
things up they gave him an equal share. They figured that he would have been
upset if he had been short changed and that family harmony was more important
than the money.

Dave,

I would love to shake your wife's hand, and I certainly hope you know
what a lucky guy you are. Count your lucky stars, time and time again.

She is a dear woman, as is her sister, who certainly could have used the extra money.

After much finagling and sibling rivalry I managed to inherit my mother's
Wedgwood china (I think my argument that my mom gave my sister the Saab was
pretty much the end of the debate). I've had this china since May and Friday
night was the first time I'd really gotten to use it.

I had a complete set of Wedgwood before, but my ex got that in the Great
Division of Property (I also lost my KA food processor, but I got the buffet
crammed full of serving dishes).

After the night of the first real use, David accidentally drops a bread plate
and shatters it. I'm not mad, i know it was an accident, but that damned
thing, that small 6 inch plate, costs $23 plus shipping.

Dammit.

--
..:Heather:.
www.velvet-c.com
Step off, beyotches, I'm the roflpimp!

Dave Smith said:

Bummer. There is nothing quite like an inheritance to bring out the worst

in

Quoted message said:

siblings. I have seen several families fall apart from fights over their
parents' estates. It's a damned shame. Even the most seemingly fair minded
people sometimes have distorted versions of fairness.

My wife and sister were executors of their father's will. The father had cut

the

Quoted message said:

brother out of his will after an argument with him, but he later relented

and

Quoted message said:

gave him a 20% share with 405 going to each of the other two. When they

split

Quoted message said:

things up they gave him an equal share. They figured that he would have been
upset if he had been short changed and that family harmony was more

important

Quoted message said:

than the money.

A friend of mine was executor of his father's will and one of the assets was

a

Quoted message said:

building that had housed a donut shop which happened to be in his city. His
brother and two sisters are scattered across the country. He had the

property

Quoted message said:

evaluated and arranged the financing to buy it off the estate. The day

before the

Quoted message said:

deal went through his sister called and said that she and the other brother

had

Quoted message said:

discussed it and thought the offer was to low. He told them it wasn't an

offer,

Quoted message said:

that is it. Take it or leave it. Now they are going to have to wait for the
property to be sold, perhaps at a lower price. He is very comfortably

retired at

Quoted message said:

48. He doesn't need the money, but the rest of them do.

Oh, I don't want to give the wrong impression, the 'battle for the china' was
immensely good natured. Also, my mom is very much (thankfully) alive! A few
years after my parents divorced my mom moved to Iowa and then Texas and wanted
to unload excess items, i got the furniture, my sister got the Saab and the
china.

Years later, my sister, realizing she does not really cook or entertain or
anything like that, gave me the china!

--
..:Heather:.
www.velvet-c.com
Step off, beyotches, I'm the roflpimp!

In article <[email hidden]>,

The Bubbo said:

After much finagling and sibling rivalry I managed to inherit my mother's
Wedgwood china (I think my argument that my mom gave my sister the Saab was
pretty much the end of the debate). I've had this china since May and Friday
night was the first time I'd really gotten to use it.

I had a complete set of Wedgwood before, but my ex got that in the Great
Division of Property (I also lost my KA food processor, but I got the buffet
crammed full of serving dishes).

After the night of the first real use, David accidentally drops a bread plate
and shatters it. I'm not mad, i know it was an accident, but that damned
thing, that small 6 inch plate, costs $23 plus shipping.

Dammit.

Right. The bum. Accidents happen,
But, frankly, that seems reasonably priced to me.
--
http://www.jamlady.eboard.com, updated 12-22-05

In article <[email hidden]>,

The Bubbo said:

Years later, my sister, realizing she does not really cook or entertain or
anything like that, gave me the china!

Ask David to replace the broken plate for your New Year's gift. "-)
--
http://www.jamlady.eboard.com, updated 12-22-05

Melba's Jammin said:

In article <[email hidden]>,

The Bubbo said:

After much finagling and sibling rivalry I managed to inherit my mother's
Wedgwood china (I think my argument that my mom gave my sister the Saab was
pretty much the end of the debate). I've had this china since May and

Friday

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

night was the first time I'd really gotten to use it.

I had a complete set of Wedgwood before, but my ex got that in the Great
Division of Property (I also lost my KA food processor, but I got the

buffet

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

crammed full of serving dishes).

After the night of the first real use, David accidentally drops a bread

plate

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

and shatters it. I'm not mad, i know it was an accident, but that damned
thing, that small 6 inch plate, costs $23 plus shipping.

Dammit.

Right. The bum. Accidents happen,
But, frankly, that seems reasonably priced to me.

It's the price to pay to have it. More researched turned out that Marshall
Fields has it for $16.50. They also have soup plates which might be worth
investing in since i have none.

--
..:Heather:.
www.velvet-c.com
Step off, beyotches, I'm the roflpimp!

The Bubbo said:

Melba's Jammin said:

In article <[email hidden]>,

The Bubbo said:

After much finagling and sibling rivalry I managed to inherit my mother's
Wedgwood china (I think my argument that my mom gave my sister the Saab was
pretty much the end of the debate). I've had this china since May and

Friday

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

night was the first time I'd really gotten to use it.

I had a complete set of Wedgwood before, but my ex got that in the Great
Division of Property (I also lost my KA food processor, but I got the

buffet

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

crammed full of serving dishes).

After the night of the first real use, David accidentally drops a bread

plate

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

and shatters it. I'm not mad, i know it was an accident, but that damned
thing, that small 6 inch plate, costs $23 plus shipping.

Dammit.

Right. The bum. Accidents happen,
But, frankly, that seems reasonably priced to me.

It's the price to pay to have it. More researched turned out that Marshall
Fields has it for $16.50. They also have soup plates which might be worth
investing in since i have none.

It sounds like this china is nothing but a source of worry for you. Why
bother - to impress people? It is meant to be used, and therefore will
get broken. Enjoy it and accept the inevitable breakage - or put it on
display where it is safe.

Peter

P.Aitken said:

It sounds like this china is nothing but a source of worry for you. Why
bother - to impress people? It is meant to be used, and therefore will
get broken. Enjoy it and accept the inevitable breakage - or put it on
display where it is safe.

Peter

welcome to the wonderful world that is me where I worry about everything and
everything is a source of anxiety.

I like the china, I like to eat off it and I like servinbg on it. I think it's
pretty. I know things will break but I'd like to keep the 8 place settings
that I have complete.

--
..:Heather:.
www.velvet-c.com
Step off, beyotches, I'm the roflpimp!

P.Aitken said:

It sounds like this china is nothing but a source of worry for you. Why
bother - to impress people? It is meant to be used, and therefore will
get broken. Enjoy it and accept the inevitable breakage - or put it on
display where it is safe.

My thought exactly.

I used my Noritake (white-on-white, trimmed in 24K gold) as an
everyday plate, because (a) things break, and that's part of their
beauty, and (b) I'm worth my finest china.

serene

Quoted message said:

After the night of the first real use, David accidentally drops a bread
plate
and shatters it. I'm not mad, i know it was an accident, but that damned
thing, that small 6 inch plate, costs $23 plus shipping.

All the dishes I use are antiques and give me a great pleasure to use them.
Yes, they get broken on occasion. I've found ebay and Replacements.com
great sources to pick things up. If it's a piece you can wait until
Replacements has a sale or find an auction on ebay that no one seems
interested in you can replace some things cheaper.

Lynne

"The Bubbo" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

P.Aitken said:

It sounds like this china is nothing but a source of worry for you. Why
bother - to impress people? It is meant to be used, and therefore will
get broken. Enjoy it and accept the inevitable breakage - or put it on
display where it is safe.

Peter

welcome to the wonderful world that is me where I worry about everything
and
everything is a source of anxiety.

I like the china, I like to eat off it and I like servinbg on it. I think
it's
pretty. I know things will break but I'd like to keep the 8 place settings
that I have complete.

Back in the dark ages when I was a student, I did a stint as au pair for a
family in Switzerland, who had Wedgwood plates for everyday use. They also
had two small children, as well as a dishwasher apparently constructed to
take a bite out of everything it washed. Accidents waiting to happen,
basically 🙁

Use your china, if you don't want it to be display-only, but don't get too
wound up when you lose a piece. Replacements exist, and it was meant to be
used, not put in a museum, after all 🙂

Personally, I gave up trying to keep a complete set of *anything* years ago.
I went for colour-coded instead, and now I pick up half-sets, individual
plates, serving dishes and so on from all sorts of places (charity shops are
a treasure-trove, especially for antiques) - nothing actually matches, but
because it's all in the same shades (blue, blue and green, or blue and
yellow) it .. harmonises, I suppose you'd say. And since they're not full
sets in the first place, breakages are not so agonising.

Jani

The Bubbo said:

After much finagling and sibling rivalry I managed to inherit my mother's
Wedgwood china (I think my argument that my mom gave my sister the Saab was
pretty much the end of the debate). I've had this china since May and Friday
night was the first time I'd really gotten to use it.

I had a complete set of Wedgwood before, but my ex got that in the Great
Division of Property (I also lost my KA food processor, but I got the buffet
crammed full of serving dishes).

After the night of the first real use, David accidentally drops a bread plate
and shatters it. I'm not mad, i know it was an accident, but that damned
thing, that small 6 inch plate, costs $23 plus shipping.

Dammit.

Think of it as a nice legacy and replace the plate. Be thankful that
it's still available.

gloria p

"Dave Smith" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

The Bubbo said:

After much finagling and sibling rivalry I managed to inherit my mother's
Wedgwood china (I think my argument that my mom gave my sister the Saab
was
pretty much the end of the debate). I've had this china since May and
Friday
night was the first time I'd really gotten to use it.

I had a complete set of Wedgwood before, but my ex got that in the Great
Division of Property (I also lost my KA food processor, but I got the
buffet
crammed full of serving dishes).

After the night of the first real use, David accidentally drops a bread
plate
and shatters it. I'm not mad, i know it was an accident, but that damned
thing, that small 6 inch plate, costs $23 plus shipping.

You can be thankful that your set was complete; I know you are. I inherited
a set of china from my in-laws after m-i-l died. When DH was cleaning out
the house and adjoining structures, he found in a garage under an oil-soaked
rag with a heavy tool on top of it, belonging to the set, a soup Tureen with
Lid which I can replace at Replacements.com for $429.95. Of course, I will
never replace it. I'm not down grading your loss; I know the feeling,
having dropped and broken in a blink-of-an-eye, a cup to a 8-piece set of
china; the cup costing around $50 if it is the correct one.
But if you are going to replace it, do it now, or it will be lost forever.
I'm glad you were able to use your lovely set with a holiday dinner. What
happiness!

Afterthought:
My ex-husband 40 years ago got in the property settlement a solid cherry
buffet that I had chosen. His next (3rd) wife used it, I saw it and still
coveted it. He died while he was married to his 4th wife. I was so crass as
to call her and ask her if I could have it/buy it, whatever. She told me to
get lost -- tee hee -- ha ha! I'm still thinking about that beautiful
buffet - there'll never be another one like it. Maybe when I get to the
pearly gates, it'll be there in my furnished apartment.
Dee Dee

"serene" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

P.Aitken said:

It sounds like this china is nothing but a source of worry for you. Why
bother - to impress people? It is meant to be used, and therefore will
get broken. Enjoy it and accept the inevitable breakage - or put it on
display where it is safe.

My thought exactly.

I used my Noritake (white-on-white, trimmed in 24K gold) as an
everyday plate, because (a) things break, and that's part of their
beauty, and (b) I'm worth my finest china.

serene

I believe this is the classic Noritake one sees and is quite elegant. Does
it ever go in the dishwasher -- that is, if one is at your home? I have a
few plates that are even too large for my dishwasher, so washing plates is
not my favorite pasttime. Not that I don't do it often though; just
wondering about these particular plates.
My own china has gold rims and I don't put it in the dishwasher, so I don't
use it much; I'd like to, but I don't like the looks of faded gold on plates
because it reminds me of used restaurant china (which I don't care for).
Funny, though I have a small set of Chinese plates and bowls (made in Japan)
I bought from a restaurant outlet (you know, with the dragons, etc.) and
I've used them for years in the dishwasher and the gold rim is still there,
pretty darned good after many years in the dishwasher.
Yes, you are indeed worth the very finest of china; that's a given.
Dee Dee

Quoted message said:

My wife and sister were executors of their father's will. The father had cut the
brother out of his will after an argument with him, but he later relented and
gave him a 20% share with 405 going to each of the other two. When they split
things up they gave him an equal share. They figured that he would have been
upset if he had been short changed and that family harmony was more important
than the money.

Dave,

I would love to shake your wife's hand, and I certainly hope you know
what a lucky guy you are. Count your lucky stars, time and time again.

Ken

Melba's Jammin' <[email hidden]> looking for
trouble wrote in
news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

In article <[email hidden]>,

The Bubbo said:

Years later, my sister, realizing she does not really cook or
entertain or anything like that, gave me the china!

Ask David to replace the broken plate for your New Year's gift. "-)

Steven got Wedgewood after his mother died some 20 years ago. I had a gob
of Waterford when Steven and I got together. We seldom use the stuff and I
hate like hell handwashing dishes. His sister wanted the china but she
relented when he gave her the washer, dryer and deep freeze. His mother
entertained a lot for their businesses. Everything else was all spelled
out and put in a trust just to avoid a stressful situation. Steven adored
his mother. I wish I was able to know her. After his mother died,
Steven's father eventually remarried. It took his father a long time to
accept me but we got to be really close. When he died, the stepmother has
their condo for life and she gets paid a marital stipend. Eventually
Steven had to sell the plumbing companies neither he or the sister had any
interest in it although the business was very successful. The sale of the
company was the huge uproar. Stepmother wanted at least a third of the
business, sister said she should get nothing. Steven got so tired of their
fighting he just let a judge decide. It was really sticky for a couple of
years. Stepmother settled for 1/4 of the proceeds for her life at which
point, if anything is left, it is split between Steven and sister. Gawd,
for being so tired I'm yappy tonight.

Michael
--
....Bacteria: The rear entrance to a cafeteria.

All gramatical errors and misspellings due to Ramsey the cyber kitten. He
now owns all keyboards and computing devices in the household and has the
final say on what is, or is not, posted.
Send email to dog30 at charter dot net

The Bubbo said:

welcome to the wonderful world that is me where I worry about everything and
everything is a source of anxiety.

I like the china, I like to eat off it and I like servinbg on it. I think it's
pretty. I know things will break but I'd like to keep the 8 place settings
that I have complete.

If it can be easily replaced at Marshall Fields, then it's not a
problem. Real problems arise when the pattern is no longer
manufactured. Accidents happen and that's why I buy 12 instead of 8.
--

Practice safe eating. Always use condiments.

serene said:

P.Aitken said:

It sounds like this china is nothing but a source of worry for you. Why
bother - to impress people? It is meant to be used, and therefore will
get broken. Enjoy it and accept the inevitable breakage - or put it on
display where it is safe.

My thought exactly.

I used my Noritake (white-on-white, trimmed in 24K gold) as an
everyday plate, because (a) things break, and that's part of their
beauty, and (b) I'm worth my finest china.

I have everyday china and special occasion china. The every day is
stuff I can replace easily if a piece is broken. Replacing my special
occasion china requires research and plenty of $$, so I'm very careful
with it now, especially after replacing a piece with another one that
was the right pattern, but didn't have the right feel, weight,
thickness... it was noticeably "different".

Oh, well. Life went on anyway.
--

Practice safe eating. Always use condiments.