Domestic Happiness

Today I came upon another William Cowper (pronounced Cooper, for those who are interested in things like that) quote:

"Domestic happiness, thou only bliss

Of Paradise that has survived the fall!"

The pretty cup and saucer are from my mom's first set of 'good' dishes.

It seems that she out grew them, as I cannot really remember her ever using them. She gave me this cup and saucer shortly after THGGM and I married. I had a 'cup and saucer' shelf I was working to fill up with old dishes, and she handed me these. By then she had other 'good' china.

In my forays into antique and thrift shops, I am always looking for more. I came pretty close about 15 years ago, but the pattern was not quite the same. It was a cardboard box of odds and ends, many that were chipped, cracked and downright broken. The whole box was marked $25.00. That large man who drives me places would not let me buy them. Something about us needing to eat that week.

I cannot explain it, but I get a happy sort of feeling of being in the kitchen at the house I grew up in whenever I look at these. One of those 'feelings' when everything seems to be cast in a golden light (bliss?).

My mom thought they were ordinary, but if they were, why am I having such a hard time finding them?

Ah, domestic happiness...

...you elude me.