FIESTA, or, What's life wiithout new plates?

Showing off our finds. The persimmon cup is a replacement for Sarah Smith, who will be sad to find out her color is retired.

You'll be glad you have a library card--check me out.

Victory is ours.

Bill dutifully hauls plates and considers servingware.

Happiness.

I have a plate problem. I love dishware. I don't know what my thing is about it--meaning, is it the way it looks so organized in the cupboard? Is it the way it makes my food look? Is it the way it looks on the table? I just love new plates, coordinated, neat. I have several sets of dishes: the official Christmas set, Royal Holiday (Pfaltzgraff), Longaberger mix and match plates (only in sage, paprika, or butternut), daytime "winter" plates (also Longaberger), plain ivory china with a beading pattern (I think it was called Manhattan), and Farmer's Market (also Pfaltzgraff, but discontinued). I'm not saying I always aspired to Fiesta, although I love it and admire it at other people's houses. SSS has it in persimmon, my mother has it in shamrock and tangerine, and Pat G. has it in scarlet, tangerine, shamrock and cobalt. Oh, sunshine, too. Well, count me in. We braved the fierce wilderness of East Liverpool and traversed the mighty Ohio to get into Newell, West Virginia, to the Homer Laughlin factory and second-hand room. Holy God. Yes, you have to rummage. Yes, you start to think you need every single piece you see. Yes, you wish you had brought your own hand truck and another warm body to carry stuff. Such a fun trip, and so much fun with fun people. Same time, next year.