Part of my quest for organic, clean and frugal living is staying local as much as possible. It makes sense to support local merchants and drive little. After all, that's how it all began 70-80 years ago - on the farm and countryside. I'm working towards getting more back to the farm lifestyle of years ago - not much different than how the Amish live today. Luckily, visiting my parents is only a short, 5-minute walk through the horsefield which keeps it truly close-to-home. With them both aging a bit (mother is 74, father is 81), I'm thrilled to lend a hand as much as I can. Mom, a Type 1 diabetic (only 5% of all diabetics have Type
1 which is when your body isn't able to produce insulin), has had numerous health issues - especially the past year -- which leaves her limited in her abilities. Yesterday was a beautifully breezy day for hanging out the wash and that's what mother had on the agenda for me along with washing a couple windows I felt could use a shining. She had me rearrange a couple things on the high shelves in her corner cabinet and in the process gave me a beautiful old dish she
said she didn't ever use and didn't want it anymore. I cook for Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner each year for my family and the dish will come in handy for serving vegetables. I joked with mother I don't have to serve the mashed potates in a mixing bowl anymore. Low and behold, I come to find out the dish actually has some history to it and
the markings on the underside of the dish are a registry code. Patented on April 4, 1867, it's called white ironstone and the company that made it is Elsmore & Forster and the china type is Tunstall. The design on the bowl is post-civil war and many felt the idea for the design was conceived with the end of the war in mind showing a lone star at the top of the wreath in the design. Mom loved the story to the dish and had no idea of the history. I'm thrilled to have a new serving bowl, and a good neighbor!
Part of my quest for organic, clean and frugal living is staying local as much as possible. It makes sense to support local merchants and drive little. After all, that's how it all began 70-80 years ago - on the farm and countryside. I'm working towards getting more back to the farm lifestyle of years ago - not much different than how the Amish live today. Luckily, visiting my parents is only a short, 5-minute walk through the horsefield which keeps it truly close-to-home. With them both aging a bit (mother is 74, father is 81), I'm thrilled to lend a hand as much as I can. Mom, a Type 1 diabetic (only 5% of all diabetics have Type 
1 which is when your body isn't able to produce insulin), has had numerous health issues - especially the past year -- which leaves her limited in her abilities. Yesterday was a beautifully breezy day for hanging out the wash and that's what mother had on the agenda for me along with washing a couple windows I felt could use a shining. She had me rearrange a couple things on the high shelves in her corner cabinet and in the process gave me a beautiful old dish she 
said she didn't ever use and didn't want it anymore. I cook for Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner each year for my family and the dish will come in handy for serving vegetables. I joked with mother I don't have to serve the mashed potates in a mixing bowl anymore. Low and behold, I come to find out the dish actually has some history to it and the markings on the underside of the dish are a registry code. Patented on April 4, 1867, it's called white ironstone and the company that made it is Elsmore & Forster and the china type is Tunstall. The design on the bowl is post-civil war and many felt the idea for the design was conceived with the end of the war in mind showing a lone star at the top of the wreath in the design. Mom loved the story to the dish and had no idea of the history. I'm thrilled to have a new serving bowl, and a good neighbor! 
3 comments:
What a beautiful dish!
My grandmother gave me a lovely Fiestware serving platter, but it turns out it's so old it contains lead. So it's just on display, can't use it to serve food, unfortunately.
Beautiful!
The more I read, the more we seem to have in common. I came "home" after my mother, a diabetic hypertensive, had a stroke. I walk over to see them every day passing through my brother and his wife's property). Parallel lives .....
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