As a blogger and parenting writer, I get invited to a lot of events. I primarily attend the ones in the NYC area if they fit into my family’s schedule. On occasion, I will travel out of town…but it has to be for a very compelling reason. History was my motivation for attending Wedgwood’s 250th Anniversary Celebration at the Daughters of the American Revolution Museum in DC last Friday. I’m so glad that I went.
Photo courtesy of Wedgwood
In college, I majored in History-Sociology. My focus was on African-Americans and Women. That’s why I was so intrigued by the Daughters of the American Revolution aspect of the trip…
Perception: Historically, I associated the DAR group with its 1939 refusal to allow the Black singer Marian Anderson to perform at Washington’s Constitution Hall. (That led to Anderson’s famous concert at the Lincoln Memorial.) I was discussing the trip with my mom. Jokingly, we agreed that I would call her on Saturday to assure that I was home “safe” from my trip.
Reality: I had a blast. At one point, there was a gift between nations from Wedgwood (from England to America). I was sitting at a table drinking tea with one of the members of the national executive board of the DAR. She was this cute, feisty little elderly White woman from Mississippi. She had me (and the rest of the table) laughing so hard. When she found out that we were bloggers, she started to share her experience with “social media”. She shared her first experience with Facebook. Her family was at her home in Mississippi and they were talking about an estranged relative. One of her grandkids went downstairs and came back up declaring that the relative “was dead!” He had found that out on Facebook. For some reason, the way she said, “He was DEAD!” had us all laughing. (Perhaps it was the southern twang.) We continued to laugh as she shared how her other grandchild went to check on another family member and learned that “She was DEAD!” on Facebook also. What an interesting introduction to social media! In any event, we found each other to be delightful.
China is a big thing down South where I’m from…primarily for weddings. However, I wasn’t really a big fan of fine china.
Perception: I primarily thought that china was too delicate for daily use. I really don’t want anything (or anyone for that matter) in my home that I have to treat with “kid gloves”. I like for my family and visitors to feel comfortable in and enjoy my home.
Reality: Wedgwood china is much more resilient and earth-friendly than I thought. The porcelain and fine bone china is extremely strong and can last for a lifetime unlike earthenware dishes that usually need to be replaced five times in a lifetime. A visual is worth a thousand words, so I was amazed when Jorge (from Wedgwood) stood on one of their cups …and it didn’t break! I also learned that china is dishwasher and microwave safe (as long as it doesn’t have metallic trim). Plus, I was excited to see that in addition to traditional china patterns, there are some newer more modern styled lines (live Vera Wang’s line). In any event, I now feel comfortable using china as part of my daily life.
Photo courtesy of Wedgwood
I thoroughly enjoyed my time. Alexis at CURRENT did a wonderful job of taking care of the bloggers. The bloggers – Aly, Erin, and Courtney – were also so smart and fun (my favorite combination). Below are some pictures that I took. (I must say that my photography skills were challenged because practically everything was behind glass!)
One last fun tidbit…I’m going to be sent some Wedgwood china soon…and so will one lucky Mom in the City reader (yay!). Since “Home” is one of the focuses for the blog this month, I’ll also be sharing some practical tips that I learned on a post tomorrow. Stay tuned…
