Eating at the table
Talking to my older sister this week, we had a chuckle and a reminisce.
One of the things we giggled about was eating when we were kids, and in particular the way that a sandwich (two slices of Mother's Pride, with a choice of jam or peanut butter) and two biscuits (one plain, one cream - this meant the biscuit that had two layers, and a hard cream inside like a custard cream) was our evening meal.
Me and my brother Chris sat cross-legged on the round rug in the front room to eat this meal.
Sunday lunchtimes or if we had guests we all sat at the table in the dining room. (Don't think we were posh - we had a small galley kitchen and two rooms downstairs in our house - one was the front room, the other was the dining room that housed my upright piano, my dad's amater radio equipment and a fridge-freezer.)
A super treat was fish and chips from the chippy; eaten with a wooden fork out of paper - again sat on the rug in the front room
Bringing up Gorgeous Daughter before I met Man Wonderful, I used to eat my meals in my dining room with her beside me in her high chair - then as she got a little older we would have lunch in the front room - which could be a sandwich - but still hot meals - 'proper' meals sat at the table in the dining room.
When MW and I moved in together we had what I had always lusted after (steady..) - a kitchen-diner.
We could chat to each other while cooking and eat all our meals at the kitchen table - a treat would be to eat in the front room while we watched a film; again F&C's or popcorn.
Now it is the two of us in our little house we have a living room and a kitchen-diner. We chat, laugh, waltz (this happens most days!!), or be daft while we cook and eat at the kitchen table.
The only things that get eaten on our new sofas is fruit - and I'm not sure when I will feel ready to relax this even for popcorn!
However, eating our meals at the table feels right, proper and lovely - chatting, eating, laughing. I still think eating in the front room should be a treat, and I can hear my very young self asking, "Mum, please can I get down from the table?"
Where do you eat your meals?
Take care,
Tracey xx
I will sound spoilt but Canadian homes are larger than those in the UK, I have a large kitchen that can accommodate six at the table for meals and a dining room.
ReplyDeleteThe dining room gets used for Christmas, Easter, and other event type days.
My sons return home for Sunday evening meal and will stop by the odd time during the week. We eat in the kitchen then. Less fuss in dragging the food through to another room.
My German husband thinks we need to sit at the kitchen table to have even a coffee. His parents had some very strange ideas about food and when it should be eaten. I've finally managed to sort that out.
All meals are eaten at the table. When the girls with their families are home it amidst lots of chatter and laughter but always up at the table.
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