Original Post:
I have spent a lifetime planning ways to share history and culture with people in ways that are easy to comprehend and understand ... from children to elderly adults. We raised our daughter ... and now want to influence our grand daughter's interests ... by teaching those lessons around the dinner table ... often times in association with the theme or the menu of the meal. What does all that mean? Well, how do you teach the lesson of 9/11 in a way that little children might understand, without frightening them?
Did you know that September 11, 2001 was not the first time America was invaded on September 11th? You might want to read my cooking column from today's Southern Illinoisan Newspaper to find the answer to that question. Go to Made at Home to read more and find some great recipes.
I'll give you a hint ... the Battle of Brandywine fought during the American Revolution ... and this table is a celebration of the freedoms we need to be remembering on 9/11 as we teach the lessons of that tragedy ... and commemorate the loss we experienced that day. It's a tablescape ... it's a special menu you'll find in the link above ... and it is a teaching opportunity that you might want to ponder.
This tablescape begins with replica Betsy Ross flags ... so use this as a time to talk about Betsy ... you'll find lots of information on this Betsy Ross site.
The china I've used is Noritake and the pattern is called Pioneer Bay ... and I can't think of anything better to use when celebrating the freedoms that our pioneer colonists fought for.
I love the rustic look of the placemat/chargers ... and the stars bandannas make perfect napkins.
The placemats came from Pier1, the red leaf dish is Depression Glass, the blue goblet is Indiana Glass and the red wine glass is Viking in the Georgian pattern.
Look more closely at the pattern on the china. The primitive buildings are so neat! I use this china often ... for any table that needs to be patriotic! The color palette for accessorizing it goes from patriotic blue to ambers and browns.
Here's the centerpiece ... pretty simple, just a jar filled with grapevine balls and battery operated lights. Check QVC, if you like the lights ... they are on a timer, so once you tuck them down inside something, you don't have to worry about digging them back out!
I'm participating in Tablescape Thursday so make sure you click through to visit the other posts! Be sure to visit the link at the top of this post to see my column about September 11th ... and visit my home page if you haven't visited my site lately. I have some neat posts! Celebrate Freedom!
