A couple of weeks ago, I had lunch with a dear friend.
She reached out to me in an email and asked if I wanted to have lunch with her…at her house.
She wrote, “I know it’s old fashioned and not very fancy, but my hearing is getting quite bad, and it’s easier for me in a home setting.”
That sounded lovely to me.
When I walked through the door of her neat, little picked-up bungalow home, it was as if I had stepped back into 1952.
The sunshine had come out after a 2-week hiatus, and I was greeted by a linen tablecloth, pressed napkins, and a beautifully prepared individual salad on a china plate. There was a glorious smell wafting through the house of something savory in the oven baking. Much to my delight, it was a Swiss-styled quiche, and it was delicious!
The whole thing felt special.
And for the next 2 hours, she and I talked. Catching up on where her grandchild was and where my children were. She has always been interested in my business and how I am doing on the inside.
The sun poured through the big dining room window, spilling onto the table and parts of our linen-covered laps.
She made coffee after the main meal, the old-fashioned drip way, and we sat some more and sipped on it while we each ate a chocolate brownie bar I had brought to share.
It felt safe, like a respite from the mid-week grind. I told her several times how nice it was to do this, and we discussed why people go out so much nowadays instead of doing this.
I feel we humans are so busy–processing information thrown at us all the time we don’t have the mind space or time to prepare a meal like this, not to mention get the house ready… iron linens, and put them on the table. 🙂
How I wish things would slow down a bit. I want progress to pause, taking a break from AI-generated news feeds, screen time, and fast food. I want to return to an equilibrium of drinking coffee after dinner and sitting around the table, just talking and not scrolling or rushing off to something pressing.
Having the linens on the table felt special, with china and the sunshine streaming through the window. I lost time and myself for a moment and went back to simplicity.
An era, like 1952, that I perceive where life felt easier, slower, and more at peace with itself.
Here’s to President’s Day and maybe finding a moment this week where you can feel more in balance. Go create a snapshot of time, where you can have lunch with vintage ironed linens, china, and sunshine.
With love,
Kate
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