A Beautiful Place

"You can't really say what is
beautiful about a place, but the
image of the place will remain
vividly with you."
               ~Tadao Ando

   Happy New Year!!! The tragedy of this wonderful thing called technology is that sometimes (or oftentimes) it breaks down. I have been without a computer for a few weeks now and I apologize for the long silence. I hope that everyone had a wonderful Christmas and New Year's. I certainly did!

I was pondering what I love about Christmas because I am always sad to see it end and I realized that some of my favourite moments are spent in a special room in my house and in the homes of my family. In the Victorian era the dining room was a social center and the formal dinner party was an event surrounded by ritual and elegance. Many newer homes today no longer have this room since for some reason it seems to be going out of style! Is it the old-fashioned tradition of formal dinner parties and elegant entertaining that is fading away or simply that our gatherings are moving from the dining room to other areas in our homes? I have always loved dining rooms. I have grown up in a family that respects and cherishes many British traditions carried back from before my Mother's family immigrated to Canada. My Nana's dining room has been the setting for many occasions throughout my life - birthdays, anniversaries, Easters, Thanksgivings, and many the lavish Christmas feast. In my Mother's home it is always exciting when the good china is brought out and the candles lit for a special dinner. I can't imagine my home without a dining room and I love the time that we spend there. Whether this room is laid out for guests or sitting in the late afternoon sun with the day's projects strewn on the table - our dining room is a reflection of our love for old and lovely things. Sometimes I like to think that my home has become a haven for old traditions and treasures and all of the fading but unforgotten things that make life sweet.