Cleaning House



We are in the final days of fixing a serious leak in our 98-year old house. A large cast-iron pipe suffered a hairline crack and leaks were appearing in several places.

Big deal. . . a hairline crack. Well, when that four inch pipe is embedded in concrete it becomes a little more of a "to do".

As of yesterday the sheetrock is back in place and the dust is settling. Everything now must be vacuumed, washed and spit-shined! Thankfully, we covered all the furniture. We held a yard sale to get rid of things that didn't need to come back into the house-but truly, it has been like starting over.

The good thing through all of this is the opportunity to visit some of my favorite pieces and revisit the memories attached to each of them.

The teapot featured here is a one of those special treasures.

It was brought to the U.S. by a Ukrainian friend when she visited the states for the first time. The piece is typical of Russian Gzhel pottery but mine is marked U.S.S.R. It serves as a reminder of the times.

During her visit, I was asked to cater her friend's birthday celebration. Specifically, they were interested in some Lousiana foods but wanted to mix it with traditional foods of Russia. And what a mix it was. There were tongues and other organs prominently displayed next to the Louisiana BBQ'd Shrimp. Bottles of vodka were at the center of every table and the music was typical Ukrainian folk music.

It was a spectacular party with new friends and I have this beautiuful teapot to remind me of a special friend.
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