On Saturday morning, my six-year-old son enjoys breakfast. Looking toward the old Welsh cabinet he knows he'll find the vintage China, the funky crystal goblets and patterned party dishes from the 1940's that set the table in a way feels is fancy. He likes the linen napkins with a Japanese print.
In front of Art Nouveau stained glass that frames our kitchen table, we place these pieces in careful consideration of a cat who has found his place in the sun. Morning light spills across the fiddleback maple and onto his jet black fur as we talk about the settings, who will sit where, and he asks the cat "Will you be dining with us today?"
We squeeze fresh orange juice and wash the grapes. He pulls the stems from black cherries and arranges them around the plate. A few strawberries remain to be eaten, and he dries them so they won't turn soft. "Let's put them on the mis-matched placemats." he says. "It'll look smart that way."
As I cut a single Dragon fruit we marvel at the color of its flesh, unnaturally white and stunning for the delicate black seeds. He breathes its scent deeply, smiling to himself as his nose touches the surface. "It smells cold inside. I like this."
The watermelon comes out of the fridge and we cut it. We're going overboard with fruit but no one cares. "There will be extra for everyone, for later." he says and carefully places half of it into a favored green bowl. "Let's give it an extra rind so it feels protected." And the cat jumps down when the bowl hits his table. "Come back! We haven't finished!" but he's disappered and will not listen.
We arrange gourds in front of the stained glass, a still-life bouquet of greens and yellows reflecting rich colors through tinted shapes. "Will these ever get bigger or will they always be small?" and we place napkins in our laps, then clink our glasses in a toast to the marvel of Fall.
Kitchen Table Kibitzing is a community series for those who wish to share part of the evening around a virtual kitchen table with kossacks who are caring and supportive of one another. So bring your stories, jokes, photos, funny pics, music, and interesting videos, as well as links—including quotations—to diaries, news stories, and books that you think this community would appreciate. Readers may notice that most who post diaries and comments in this series already know one another to some degree, but newcomers should not feel excluded. We welcome guests at our kitchen table, and hope to make some new friends as well.