SOMETIMES YOU JUST HAVE TO SHOW THEM

WELL, AS I EXCITEDLY REPORTED LAST POST, OUR LOVELY HOME IS PRETTY MUCH FINISHES. I HAVE A LOVELY DINING ROOM, WITH TABLE AND MATCHING HUTCH. MARTIN PUT IN A LOVELY PICTURE WINDOW AS WELL, AND A WOODEN FLOOR. IT IS PERFECT. PERFECT, EXCEPT FOR ONE THING; I HAVE NO CHINA FOR THE HUTCH. ORIGINALLY, I HAD PURCHASED FIESTAWARE TO USE IN THE DINING ROOM. MARTIN WARNED ME THAT IT WOULD BE TOO CASUAL FOR THE ROOM HE IMAGINED, BUT I COULD'N'T SEE IT THAT WAY AND BOUGHT A WHOLE SET FOR 10 OF VARIOUS COLORS WITH LOTS OF SERVEWARE. IT IS TRULY A BEAUTIFUL SET, BUT, MARTIN WAS RIGHT AND IT IS NOT SUITABLE FOR MY LOVELY DINING ROOM. WHAT TO DO?! I AM NOT REALLY A FORMAL CHINA SORT OF LADY, BUT I DECIDED TO LOOK AROUND TO SEE WHAT WAS AVAILABLE ON MY OLD FRIEND EBAY. I FOUND A FABULOUS SET, COMPLETE WITH EVERYTHING RIGHT DOWN TO THE CANDLESTICKS FOR THE COST OF 300.00. IT IS A LOVELY ANTIQUE ROSE PATTERN AND RIMMED IN GOLD. GOSH, I JUST LOVE IT! I SHOWED IT TO MARTIN, AND HIS RESPONSE WAS, "I DON'T LIKE IT". HE DIDN'T EVER REALLY LOOK AT IT! NOW HOLD ON MISTER, YOU DON'T HAVE TO LIKE IT, YOU WON'T EVEN NOTICE IT WHILE YOU ARE SCARFING TURKEY AND STUFFING ONCE A YEAR. HE SUGGESTED THAT I JUST GET A FEW PIECES TO "DISPLAY" AND FORGO THE RITUAL OF SETTING A NICE TABLE FOR HOLIDAYS. HE WAS SO BENEVOLENT IN HIS SUGGESTION, HE EVEN TOLD ME I COULD HAVE CHINET DISPOSABLE PLATES FROM NOW ON. THIS IS HUGE COMING FROM HIM, HE ALWAYS BUYS THE REALLY THIN CHEAP PAPER PLATES THAT YOU HAVE TO USE 3 AT A TIME SO THEY WON'T LEAK THROUGH. WELL BUDDY, SINCE I HAVE FINALLY CROSSED THE ROAD TO REAL CHINA, CHINET JUST WON'T DUE. HE HAD A SOLUTION. LETS GO SHOPPING FOR CHINA AND PICK OUT A PATTERN TOGETHER. OKAY, TODAY, WE DID JUST THAT. NO, I KNEW THAT HE HAD NO IDEA OF THE COST OF FINE CHINA, BUT I DECIDED TO STEP BACK AND LET HIM DISCOVER IT FOR HIMSELF. WE ONLY MADE ONE STOP, AT BED BATH AND BEYOND. I WISELY SUGGESTED THAT HE PICK OUT THE PATTERN, AS HE WAS SO WISE AT THESE THINGS. I WATCHED HIM PALE AS HE SAW THE PRICES FOR ONLY A PLACE SETTING. ABOUT THE FIFTH SETTING, HE STARTED TO BREAK A SWEAT. HE FURTIVELY GLANCED MY WAY, AND I SMILED WITH "GRATITUDE" AT HIS EFFORTS TO GRACIOUSLY FILL OUR CHINA HUTCH. HE FINALLY MADE THE ROUNDS AT THE STORE, AND CAME BACK TO WHERE I WAS VISITING WITH THE LADY THAT RUNS THE WEDDING REGISTER. "UH, SWEETIE, HOW MANY PLACE SETTINGS DO WE NEED?"HE ASKED. "OH, USUALLY YOU GET SETTINGS FOR TWELVE, BUT I ONLY WANT SETTINGS FOR EIGHT"I BRIGHTLY ANSWERED. THE LADY I WAS TALKING TO TOLD MARTIN HOW SPECIAL HE WAS TO TAKE THE TIME TO SHOP FOR CHINA. SHE WANTED TO KNOW IF HE HAD FOUND A PATTERN HE LIKED. NOW, AFTER 37 YEARS OF MARRIAGE TO MARTIN, I CAN READ HIM LIKE A BOOK, EVEN FROM BEHIND. THE HAIRS ON HIS HEAD WERE TWITCHING, AND THIS MEANS HE IS FINANCIALLY SHOCKED. HE MUMBLED SOMETHING ALONG THE LINES OF HE HAD NOT REALLY SEEN ANYTHING HE REALLY LIKED, MEANING, HE COULD NOT BELIEVE THE PRICES! TRULY, ONE PATTERN WAS 425.00 A PLACE SETTING! THE LADY ASKED IF I HAD A PATTERN IN MIND. I TOLD HER THAT I HAD FOUND A HAVILLAND MOSS ROSE SET THAT I REALLY LOVED. SHE TOLD ME IT WAS A RARE PATTERN, AND VERY EXPENSIVE. I TOLD HER IN FRONT OF MARTIN THAT THE SET WAS ONLY 300.00 AND SHE GASPED, "IF YOU DON'T WANT IT I WILL TAKE IT, NO, I WILL STEAL IT AT THAT PRICE!" MARTIN GAVE ME A LOOK THAT SAID, "MAYBE I HAVE SOMETHING HERE". I DECIDED HE HAD HAD ENOUGH, SO, TO GET HIM OFF THE HOOK, I LED HIM TO ANOTHER PART OF THE STORE SO HE COULD DECOMPRESS. HE SUGGESTED THAT WE LOOK AT THE CASUAL DINNERWEAR. "UH, NO, YOU ARE THE ONE WHO DEMANDED FORMAL CHINA" I REMINDED HIM. SO, I LED HIM FROM THE STORE, A BROKEN AND FRIGHTENED MAN. I LET HIM STEW FOR JUST A MOMENT MORE. AND GENTLY REMINDED HIM OF THE LOVELY PATTERN THAT I HAD FOUND ON EBAY. IT HAD SERVICE FOR 8 PLACE SETTINGS, SUGAR, CREAMER, TEAPOT, SALT AND PEPPER SHAKERS, A BUTTER DISH, 3 SERVING PLATTERS, 3 SERVING BOWLS AND A LOVELY SOUP TUREEN. WITH A LOOK OF APPRECIATION ON HIS FACE, HE SUGGESTED THAT WE LOOK AT IT TOGETHER WHEN WE GOT HOME. LET ME TELL YOU, HE DRAGGED ME TO THE COMPUTER TO FIND THIS SET AS SOON AS HE JUMPED OUT OF THE TRUCK. "HURRY AND FIND IT, SOMEONE ELSE MAY GET IT" HE SAID AS HE DRAGGED ME DOWN THE HALL. WELL, TO SWEETEN THE DEAL, I TOOK MY TIME ON EBAY. BUT THEN, THERE IT WAS, THE FABULOUS CHINA, AND MARTIN SHOVED ME OUT OF THE WAY TO GET A GOOD LOOK. "DO YOU MEAN TO TELL ME THAT YOU GET ALL OF THIS STUFF FOR ONLY 300.00? AND LOOK, IT SAYS SHIPPING IS INCLUDED" HE GUSHED. THEN, WITH A SUSPICIOUS LOOK, HE WANTED TO KNOW WHY IT WAS SUCH A GOOD DEAL. I EXPLAINED THAT IT IS A PATTERN THAT IS OLD-FASHIONED, SOMETHING POPULAR IN THE '50'S AND THAT TODAY, LADIES WANTED A MORE MODERN LOOK. I ALSO TOLD HIM THAT I WAS AN OLD-FASHIONED KIND OF GAL, AND REALLY LOVED THE PATTERN. "WELL, BID ON IT!" HE SNAPPED. "DON'T LET IT GET AWAY!" I TOLD HIM THAT I WOULD DO MY BEST AND KISSED HIM FOR BEING SO SENSITIVE TO MY NEEDS. HE WALKED A LITTLE TALLER AS HE LEFT MY OFFICE, AND I HELD IN MY SNICKER UNTIL HE WAS OUT OF HEARING.
NOW WHY COULDN'T HE HAVE JUST TRUSTED ME IN THE FIRST PLACE? I DON'T THINK MEN ARE BIOLOGICALLY CAPABLE OF BLIND TRUST IN THE FEMALE SPECIES. I AM GLAD THAT WE HAD THE "CHINA EXPERIENCE" TODAY, SO THAT MARTIN COULD SEE FOR HIMSELF THE COST. SO, DEAR READERS, I HAVE BID ON THE SET OF HAVILLAND MOSS ROSE CHINA, AND HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL TOMORROW AT 2:38 PM TO SEE IF I AM THE WINNING BIDDER. WISH ME LUCK, I REALLY WANT THIS SET. I LOVE BEING A WOMAN. IN MY LONG-LIVED 55 YEARS, I HAVE LEARNED ONE THING IN DEALING WITH THE MALE SPECIES. JUST MAKE SURE THEY THINK IT IS THEIR IDEA, AND YOU CAN GET ANYTHING FROM THEM! I WILL LET YOU KNOW TOMORROW IF I WON THE SET, OH, AND A FEW PRAYERS WOULDN'T HURT EITHER! LOVE, NANASEE