Are you guys fans of the NapaStyle catalog? I received my fall issue the other day and every time I look at it I develop serious drool issues. Earthy colors, funky textures, lots of Italian influence, plus how could you not want to buy stuff from a chef whose last name is Chiarello?!
I’ve always been pleased with the products I’ve ordered from Napa, like these gorgeous Italian ceramic tile wall hangings:
There was a photograph titled “A Table You’ll Never Leave,” that really caught my eye. The sub-title, “it’s not about the taste, it’s about the experience” almost made me think they read my blog and got the idea from the post that says, “It’s not what’s on the table, it’s who’s on the chairs.” Geez, can’t they come up with their own stuff?!
My search to find a ‘table you’ll never want to leave’ was a difficult one, even though I knew just what I wanted – a huge, scarred-up old farm table. Preferably for under $150.
Real antique farm tables are rarely huge; most of the ones I came across were smaller than my current table and they wanted thousands of dollars for them. A friend offered me a Queen Anne dining set she wanted to get rid of and for a minute I considered painting it black and scuffing it up – giving it a few whacks with my meat cleaver or something.
Just as I was about to accept her offer, I decided to scan Craig’s List one more time. There it was: a ten foot beauty circa late 1800’s, originally used as a restaurant prep table. Perfect! So was the price. Yea!
I get excited thinking of the meals that were prepared on it, the conversations that must have taken place, the fingers nicked from dull blades – the people who worked there shared more than a space at the prep table; they shared life.
That’s what its all about, isn’t it? We each have our own “tables” where we can reach out and connect with others.
I enjoy a crowded dining table, but there’s another “table” where I connect with people: my writing desk. I read somewhere that writers spend exorbitant amounts of time in solitude in an attempt to connect with others. A blog, after all, is merely a modern day way of sharing our lives. It helps when you all leave comments; this is supposed to be a two way conversation!
For some it’s a dining table, for others its a conference table. It could be a cafeteria table at a hospital, or even an operating table; what better place to show love to strangers? Teachers have their desks, receptionists can welcome visitors with a pleasant smile, a kind word and a cheerful telephone voice. Entertainers and speakers practice hospitality when they focus on the crowd more than they do themselves. The stage is their table.
Shakespeare said ‘all the world’s a stage.” Maybe its really a table.
THE LAST COURSE:
- Where do you connect with others?
- Can you think of ways you could make the ‘tables’ in your life more user friendly?
“He has taken me to his banquet hall and his banner over me is love.” Song of Solomon 2:4.
