Thomasville Cane Back Chairs

lol, I heard that!

 

A frequent poster on an antique collector board arguing against traditionalism? I'm shocked to my shoe tops!

 

Well, times change, fashions change, conditions change, many things are different now than 40 years ago, one can be like johnny, "GET OFF MY LAWN!" or adapt to changes in a rational manner.
I don't see adapting to change as non-traditional in this case, i see it as accepting reality. I am still eating, i am still sitting at a table, it's just that the table was moved from the dining room to the kitchen.
The formal "sit downs" in the dining room at a specific time everyday for everyone are just not part of my life today. For starters, the kids are gone, married and have kids of their own at this point. That little guy in my avatar, my 1st grandson, is graduating high school in a couple months!
Those days are gone, been gone and, they ain't comin back.

 

The point being, why not jazz the place up a bit to make it more comfortable for these changed conditions?
The old woman wants to knock down a wall?
OK, i get a kitchen deck with a natural gas fired grill that has a side sear burner that reaches 2000 degrees, YES!
Let the cowboy cut rollllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll.
Before

After


Waves to ghopper & johnny in their dining room as i slice into my cowboy cut out on the deck!

 

Hi,
I certainly miss the dinners, I do not miss all of the work HOWEVER I do miss all of the waves of love for the dinners. I think We have used our dining room 20 times since we moved here. It is still one of my favorite rooms since all the memories that have been made using all of the chairs,table, lots of china, sterling and glassware.
I am down to using one set of china for everyday, two sets for formal dinners and one set for large gatherings. The other three or four sets should be sold or given away. I use one set of stainless for everyday and use the good White House silver for gatherings. That leaves four sets of silver plated flatware. Okay one set is for 32 place settings. I guess I'll not be using that for a while. I still do not have a single paper plate or plastic glass in the house.
James I still have a patio and a grill in the back, they see service once in a while. Times are changing but as an old man I am glad that I am not forced to change but I have accepted to the "new" way of life.
greg

 

I like the comment re: "waves of love." Combine that with beautiful furniture, etc. and you have memorable times. And yes, I can enjoy hanging out on the deck with a cowboy cut as well. James' looks delicious!

Sad to think that, with the "death of the dining room," millions will now never experience the former just because the latter is easier.

 

Well, i am guessing but with children, more regimen is needed and a dining room works or it did for me 40 years ago, but for me now? no. It's just a big space doing pretty much nothing.

 

I do have a dining room (area) open concept room...and even I have thought about putting my baby grand there! But I still can't bring myself to the idea of not having a formal table to set.....

 

Well, times change, fashions change, conditions change, many things are different now than 40 years ago...........

Ya...like eating big hunks of red meat !!!!

So, I guess you don't adapt...all that much !!

 

Loves grilled beef! Not that i eat it everyday but every now n then it's GREAT!
Biggest problem there is getting "Prime" beef, regular grocery stores just don't sell it like they used to!

I'd say i adapt very well! Unlike some Fuddy Duddy's round here!

 

Hi James,
Are you calling me an old Fuddy Duddy? I have always considered me a calm old man with raving desires. I would like to see you cook a dinner for 20 people in a 6ft by 6ft kitchen. I mean 3ft of counter space a 30" stove.
Never had a dishwasher just put all the dirty dishes out on the fire escape and prayed for rain.
greg

 

LOL, welllllllllllllllll, i dunno Greg! I can't really say!
Thing is, i grew up in DC which i claim has some of the best food in the world, bar NONE! Others will disagree i am sure but, food is very important to me and, it's about the only thing i really really miss since relocating to carolina, the FOOD!
I can't just jump in the car anymore and head to Crisfield for example, the best seafood restaurant on the planet, so if someone suggests knocking down a wall and installing a state of the art kitchen, COUNT ME IN! as long as i can have my little perks included!

 

I've given up on adapting......too stressful !!

 

Yeah, and sometimes I have to ask....what's the real benefit to this kind of adapting?

For example...open floor plans. Is it really an absolute MUST to have one, or is that just another bill of goods?

 

It can be good and transformative, enlarging kitchen or master bath come immediately to mind but, like anything, it can also be overdone i think.
It's trendy at the moment here in Charlotte and has been for quite awhile now.

 

UHHHHHHHHHHHHHH OHHHHHHHHHHHH, you might be a Fuddy Duddy if....

 

OMG, James. Crab Imperial at CRISFIELD!

Very, VERY early in my business career, a potential client, an elderly, cantankerous man named Irving, INSISTED on taking me to lunch there, and he strongly urged me to try the crab imperial. It was INCREDIBLE - and it kept me coming back, time and again, until we moved away from the area.

 

Oh LORD! Don't get me started! For a hole in the wall type place, Crisfield is a genuine national treasure.
Naturally, they have direct access to the largest estuary in the world, the Chesapeake Bay with those GLORIOUS Blue Crabs!
I ALWAYS start with the Seafood Bisque
Then on to Baked Shrimp Stuffed with Blue Crab
Or sometimes Broiled Flounder with a large scoop of Blue Crab on top
Just thinking about it makes me wanna go on a ROAD TRIP!

 

If you ever find yourself in the DC area, a MUST STOP, you won't be disappointed if you order correctly.


The Bisque


Stuffed Shrimp


OMG, I almost forgot, SOFT SHELL BLUE CRAB! Almost in season!