A few years ago a movie came out
called The Bucket List, staring
Morgan Freemen and Jack Nicholson. This movie was about two men making a list
of things they wished to do before they die. Well, lately my friends and I have
been kicking around the idea of just such a list. I don’t think anyone has gone
so far as to write anything down but I am sure there have been a few mental
lists made.
I have always
been interested in fine china and some of the beautiful old patterns, so one of
the things on my personal list has been to go the Greensboro, NC to a place
called Replacements, LTD. This is a company that specializes in finding
discontinued china, crystal, and silver. Bob Page started collecting old sets
and odd pieces in his attic and helping people find missing pieces in 1970. The
business soon out grew the attic and by 1981 had become a full time
business. Page left his job as auditor
for the state of North Carolina to devote all of his time to the growing
business. That business now covers 4000,000
square feet (the size of 7 football fields). And they are actually in the
process of adding a new warehouse.
They not
only carry discontinued patterns, but are the go-to place when looking for
extras and helping to complete a set you have been collecting or for gifts.
Check their Web site at www.replacements.com. This is a great place to
do research and to identify unknown patterns.
If you have items to sell they are always
interested. They will evaluate your items and give you a quote. I took a set of
dishes with me on my trip knowing we would be going there. For years I have
done business with them by e-mail and phone and read about their museum. The
showroom is wonderful and beautifully laid out, not just stacks of dishes and
silver. I took the tour and got to see the behind the scenes. They have more
than 340,000 patterns, some of which are more than 100 years old. Without the
computer age this place could not exist. Think of the huge inventory problem of
keeping track of all those items.
This stop was only the first of our
loosely planned trip. I wanted to reconnect with as much family as I could. I
had not seen my dad’s side of the family for 35 years, which includes my aunt
and uncle, my father’s siblings, and several cousins of my generation, who all
live on the East Coast. These are people I spent summer vacations with and even
aa to school with in Southport, NC. There is also a wonderful beach there that
I am sure I learned to walk on. Putting my feet in that sand during the trip
was a moving experience that I will never forget. This trip made me feel so
much closer to my family. It was great
to learn all about them and their adult lives, after only knowing each other as
kids.
We went on to Charleston, South Carolina
and had time to spend with a cousin who I had hardly known. He is a certified
tour guide for five states and we spent time seeing through his eyes the
historic city of Charleston. We immersed ourselves in the atmosphere of the old
city and the wonderful food it is famous for.
Also, I am seeing the senior generation
with more open eyes. I understand what they are going through and know my turn
will come. All of a sudden my bucket list became a lot more important. There
are a lot of things I have said one of these days I would like to see or do. Well,
those days are here and I better get busy.
Let me hear from you. I can be reached at
PatsChat@livingston.net
No comments:
Post a Comment