Saturday, January 18, 2020

The Kitchen Table

A friend with whom I share frequent emails remarked that our email chats feel like coffee and conversation at the kitchen table.  Which, of course, got me to thinking about life at the kitchen table.

Growing up, everyone in my family was expected to be seated at the kitchen table at 6 P.M., hands and faces washed, ready for supper.  We actually talked to one another.  Of course, there were no cell phones then.  We talked about Dad's day at work, about our days at school, about what Mother had done that day.  We talked about Mother's phone conversation with her sister, about the letter from Grandma and about what we would like to do on the weekend.  There was never a time when there was nothing to talk about...until Dad brought home a set of TV trays and then supper at the kitchen table faded off into memory.

Before my family had a TV set, the evening entertainment was often held around the kitchen table.  A radio often played in the background while rousing card games of Rook, Old Maid and Go Fish were played.  Sometimes board games were brought out and we would challenge each other to Sorry or Parcheesi or Yahtzee.  The older ones often played Scrabble and many years later my Dad could be found playing the game in Mothers' room at the nursing home.  Mother nearly always won and Dad nearly always, with a twinkle in his eye, accused her of cheating.  :)

In rural Minnesota, neighbors often dropped in for a visit, which always took place with coffee at the kitchen table.  And in rural Minnesota, it is almost a sin not to have cookies or brownies or cake to go with the coffee.  I would save the plastic buckets that ice cream came in and fill them with cookies and freeze them, just so I would have something sweet to go with coffee.

The kitchen table at my Grandmother's house was the scene of several two-day Monopoly games between my cousin and me.  And when it was time to leave after a weekend visit with Grandma, both of us would argue that we could have won, given another day.

Homework these days is mostly done on a computer, but way back then, workbooks, three-ring binders, lined paper and pencils were the tools used and nobody had a desk.  The kitchen table worked just fine for solving math problems and writing book reports.  And Mother was conveniently close at hand to help if needed.

Once in a while, usually on those long, cold winter nights in Minnesota, someone would commandeer the kitchen table with a 1,000 piece jigsaw puzzle, leaving the family to its own devices for meals and homework.  Every now and then, someone would sit at the table and fit more puzzle pieces together and after a few days, it would be complete.  We would have to admire the completed puzzle for a day and then the kitchen table was back for business as usual.

Even now when my family gets together, the conversation is best around the kitchen table.  When my kids or grands stop in, we sit at my kitchen table and talk.  Sometimes I think this silly little blog is kind of like sitting with friends at the kitchen table, preferably with a cup of coffee.  I write about something and you all chime in with comments.  That has the feel of kitchen table conversation to me.

I sort of feel sorry for those who don't take the time to join others around a kitchen table.  Our busy, hectic, crazy world could use more kitchen table time.

25 comments:

  1. I remember those days, too, Vicki, and I miss them. You may be right about the blogs, though. I hear you have some nasty weather coming, You stay warm. BTW, Walmart sells a pretty nice propane heater these days.

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    1. I miss those days too, Gorges...The main reason I continue with this blog is that I enjoy those who comment so much. We had some snow today and it looks like more on the way. I have a small propane heater, but I'm saving it in case the lights go out. By the way, I love the old pictures and the scenic WV ones you post. I'm beginning to think there might not be even one piece of flat land there. It sure is beautiful!

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    2. You may have heard the old joke, Vicki, if you could flatten out West Virginia, it would be bigger than Texas. ;-)

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    3. I hadn't heard that one, Gorges. But judging by the pictures, I would guess that's close to true!

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  2. My wife and I spent part of our evening playing a dice game at the kitchen table.
    A wintertime benefit of the kitchen table is that it is centered on the wall with the heat vent.

    I remember family dinners in the kitchen very well.

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    1. John...As I watch the snow fall this morning, I can understand the benefits of the kitchen table next to the heat vent! My all time favorite kitchen table was the one next to the potbelly wood stove. :)
      Family dinners in the kitchen are some of the best memories.

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  3. I like this, mom.
    My family tries to sit at the kitchen table for dinner every night, although it is getting tougher these days with kids and their sports. Sometimes one is getting home while the other one has to leave soon. We don't allow phones at the table, or the tv on when we are eating. Even the dog goes in her kennel so she isn't interrupting the conversation at the dinner table.
    We start out by asking everyone "Tell me something good!" We then talk about everyone's day, what's going on the rest of the evening and what are the weekend plans. Sunday nights are the only night a phone is brought to the table, and that's only after we have all eaten when we go through the calender for the upcoming week.
    A couple of weeks ago, my oldest, she's 17 and a senior in high school said that her friends think it's weird that we gather at the kitchen table for dinner almost every night. I asked her what her friends families do for dinner and she said some of them eat dinner on the couch while watching tv, some said they eat in their bedrooms while looking at their phones, and some just eat whenever and not as a family at all. That's sad to me.
    Thanks for writing this story. It reminded me of my childhood.
    David

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    1. Thank you, Son, for your comment. And for you and Staci raising my Grands to know what the importance of gathering around the kitchen table is all about. You have some really great kids and that is due to the fact that you hang on to family traditions and have raised them right. Of course you know that if the opposite were true, I wouldn't hesitate to tell you. :)

      Many of my kitchen table memories are from my childhood with your grandparents and my siblings. But a good share of them are from you, your brother and sisters. On of the things that makes my heart smile is to see you, my lovely daughter-in-law and my grands sitting at my kitchen table, telling me what is going on in their lives. It just doesn't get much better than that.

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  4. I have never commented here before, but wanted to comment to this post and let you know that there are some kitchen table hold-outs still alive and well! We have dinner together every night as a family - my wife and I and two teenage boys. No phones. No distractions. We talk about the day - mostly my boys talking. We also continue to read books as a family. Every year I read "Farmer Boy" - family tradition. Rule is that it can only be read in the winter while the wood stove is cooking. We (well, mostly my wife ...) homeschool our boys so while there are computers, there are still workbooks, binders, etc. Great post. Folks out there, keep the family traditions going! Best Regards, Tim(fromOhio)

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    1. Thank you so much for your comment, Tim...It is good to know that these family traditions are not being lost in today's insane world. There seems to be an effort today to devalue the family unit and it does my heart good to hear from those who haven't given up on those things that are truly important. You give me hope.

      Good on you and your wife for homeschooling your boys. I fear for the younger generation that is being taught trash in many public schools. The more we concentrate on family values, the better off we all will be. God bless.

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  5. I loved this post, Vicki. Probably because we eat dinner at the table as a family every night, clean up together, and then read scriptures together. We homeschool. We play games and do puzzles, too. And we have the best kids. At least, I think so. You never really know how you did as a parent until you see how your grandchildren turn out. And sadly, I have no grandchildren yet.

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    1. Thank you, Jennifer...It is so good to hear that there are still families who gather around the kitchen table for whatever reason. Those who keep the traditions are those who reap the benefits of really good grands. You are going to love having grandkids. Trust me on this one. :)

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  6. Your post brought back memories of visiting my grandaparents when I was a kid. They lived on ranch, 26 miles from town. My grandma would drive into town Saturday mornings to pick up groceries, fill up water jugs at her sister's house with drinking water, and stop and visit various friends in town - always sitting at the kitchen table with coffee and some cookies or cake.

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    1. On Family...What a great memory. Can you imagine how today's snowflakes would howl at driving that far for water?!! Sitting at the kitchen table with coffee, cake and conversation seems to be a universal thing. When I was growing up, if coffee was served without the accompanying sweet treat, well, it was just disgraceful. :)

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  7. Vicki, as I write this I am looking out the window at a full-fledged blizzard. Haven't lost power yet, but could become an issue at anytime.

    Your posting was a delight to read. It made me think of the Walton's gathering for meals and how it was such a big part of their day. I am quite old-fashioned compared to most people I know, but gathering at the table for meals is one tradition I want to keep. I am pleased to know that your son's family and some of the commentors still hold onto this tradition as well. I do feel sorry for those children who will grow up without having had this tradition being part of their daily lives.

    Well, it's time to head to the kitchen. Cold wintery days are my favorite for baking. I still have an abundance of home grown sweet potatoes so thought I might cook several and make sweet potato muffins. They are a family favorite!

    Take care, All...

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    1. Thanks, CW...I think in these times when everyone seems so busy all the time, it is important to take time for family traditions like a meal together at the kitchen table. It seems sometimes that the family is being devalued in society when the reality is, family strengthens us as a country. I, too, am pleased to see how many are carrying on the family traditions.

      We had maybe 4 or 5 inches of snow last night, but the wind has picked up so it is hard to tell how much fell and how much is just blowing around. I saw by the weather radar that you were having a tougher time of it than we are here.

      It is a good day to be in a warm kitchen. Your sweet potato muffins sound great! My kitchen warmth today is coming from canning vast quantities of ham and bean soup. Take a wild guess as to what I am having for lunch. :)
      Take good care.

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  8. Funny, Vicki; I was talking with some locals on the ham radio this morning and this subject came up; not the kitchen table, per se, but the way we used to socialize "back then." The front porch was the original "information superhighway," and CB radio was the original social media. Everyone knew everyone back then. Even on the radio, we talked to people, but eventually wanted to "put a face to the voice."
    We knew who we could trust and who we couldn't. Truth and honesty were valid currency.

    The internet is a double-edged sword, like fire, or any powerful tool. in the wrong hands, it's a gun shooting into a crowd. In the right ones though, it's an extension of the neighborhood.

    ...Stay warm and safe, neighbor!

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    1. Pete...Sometimes I look around me and wonder what happened. How did we get to the point where many of us, especially those of us who live in a city environment, have no idea who our neighbors are. What's worse, most don't care. I grew up in a time when all the kids on the block knew that when Mrs. Carlson called for her son Larry to come home, it was time for all of us to head home for supper. (Mrs. Carlson's voice could be heard for miles, I swear!) It was a time when a man's word was his bond. If my Dad said he would be there, he was there. If he promised to do something, it was done. I am amazed at how little those things mean any more, at least to many.

      I miss conversations on the front porch of an evening. I miss getting real letters in the mail. And I miss some of the family traditions that have gone by the wayside because we seem to be just too darned busy.

      You are spot on about the internet. There are trolls and haters and people who try to con us into believing they are someone they are not. But on the other hand, it is amazing to me that we can develop a neighborhood that spans the length and breadth of this nation and beyond. I thank God for that. And for all of you who share this silly little blog with me.

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  9. In our homes growing up, both my husband and my families did homework before dinner at the kitchen table. It would then be wiped down and a table cloth put on. We took turns setting the table. Grace was said then we ate. Our day was discussed and the chores list would be updated. Puzzles were done at the table and fabric for sewing projects would be cut out. Jars from the canner would cool and the garden layout would be drawn out. Life was a lot simpler looking back. Red

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    1. Red...It sounds like you pretty much grew up the way I did. I sometimes think the kitchen table was the most important piece of furniture in the house. It sure did get a workout! Mine still does. A couple of evenings ago I sat there and pinned quilt pieces together. And then sorted dry beans for the ham and bean soup in jars that are cooling on it today. Life was more simple back in the day, and I find myself working to get back to that mindset as much as possible. I have to admit that sometimes living a simple life doesn't give me much to blog about as those with busy lives, but it makes me happy and I guess that counts for something. :)

      PS...Ice Age Farmer has a newer video out that is an interview on preparedness. You probably have seen it, but thought I would pass it along just in case you hadn't.
      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nIMRYJPFa4c

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  10. Excellent post. You certainly have built a 'neighborhood' here and I look forward to visiting.
    I enjoyed sitting at the dinner table this week with my friends' four local grand kids. Three sitting on one side of the table and the baby in the high chair. Grace was said and we enjoyed dinner together. It was even fun watching the 6yo negotiate with his grandpa about his dinner. The upshot was he could eat it or not, but there would be no other food later. LOL

    Stay warm and cozy,
    SJ in Vancouver (in CA right at the moment)

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    1. SJ...It is all of you who come here and comment that makes the neighborhood and what makes it all such fun for me.
      I love the negotiations on food choices at the dinner table, and especially Grandpa's response. I fondly remember similar conversations when my brood were young. Sometimes Mom won - sometimes not. It was all good fun.
      Enjoy your CA sunshine and think of us here in the snowy north. :)

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  11. Another great trip down memory lane with this post. Thank you

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    1. You're welcome, Rob...Lots of good memories were made around the kitchen table. :)

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  12. coffee is at its best with a cake doughnut or a cookie

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