Recycle

Before: Three Sets of Dishes

As I've been cleaning out my parents' house, I've also turned my eye to my own house. We have a lot of stuff, and I've started a major purge. Perhaps, it's a knee jerk reaction, but I don't want my girlies to have to go through what we are going through.

My first mission was the kitchen. I have three sets of dishes. Yup, three. A set of Blue Willoware, which was designated Sunday/company dishes. There's a set of Pfalzgraf "Hopscotch" stoneware. These are blue and white with a fruit pattern. Fruit is the kitchen theme. These used to be the every day dishes. A couple of them broke, and a couple are chipped. A few years ago, I found a set of Corelle dishes with fruit. Corelle boasts the dishes won't chip, and that was the appeal to me at the time. But honestly, who needs three sets of dishes? Look at the bow in the poor kitchen cabinet just groaning under the weight. We don't do a lot of entertaining with hordes of people where we would need that many dishes. 

It was an easy choice to make, which to keep and which will go. Both the Pfazlgraf and Corelle patterns have been discontinued. Finding replacements isn't easy. The Willoware pattern has been around for a hundred years or more. And it's blue. Ma also had a few place settings of the Willoware, so I absorbed hers.

I made an appointment for pick up with the Epilepsy Foundation. Boxed up the dishes and stuff from Ma's house that I don't want or can't use. 

The shelves got a good dusting out, new shelf liner, and all the dishes took a ride in the dishwasher. The dishes now have room to breathe, and the shelves aren't groaning under their weight.

Next up to purge: books, computer equipment, and software no longer used. Are you a collector or a minimalist?

After: One set of Dishes