And in Other News....

As per usual, I am a bit caught up with the happenings and doings of little Collin man, so I haven't updated you all on the rest of the world of McClain. I'm to be forgiven though, right...how can I NOT get distracted by someone so cute, they get stuck in a beanbag chair, right?

And, there's actually been some happenings there too. Some sad, sad happenings. No, no one died. But, I'm sad. Sad. Sad. Sad. You know how excited I was to FINALLY decide to pick out and go and buy my first beginnings of china? Yeah, I hemmed and hawed and didn't start collecting until I was 30! I didn't register for it at my wedding. I picked a freaking pattern that has been around for hundreds, yes HUNDREDS! of years so that I could collect it forever without worrying about it being discontinued. Heck, I liked the historical significance.

Blech! Spode officially went out of business. Spode! SPODE! Well, they are trying to sell their factory site in Stoke and they've already moved all their production to Asia. And, to make matters worse for all those who love beautiful, fancy things but who can't really afford to adorn every crevice of their house with them (but wish they could), Waterford Crystal filed for bankruptcy this week too. What is this world coming to! My grandma, who is probably the most materialistic person on the planet and will flip your plates over right in the middle of dinner to see if they are from "somewhere," almost cried. Seriously.

Alas, I managed to scare up enough plates and bowls to get place settings...not a hard task. Trust me. And, it was still really thrilling to open the boxes, wash them up and put them in the cupboard. Bowls are still on the way. Considering it's been around for a while, I think plenty of pieces will be floating around to buy for a loooooooong time to come. And, folks in the know say that it's only a matter of time for someone to buy the rights to the pattern and start making it again. I'll just notice a slight variation. Whatever. I can live with that.

Collin was equally as devastated by the news. He took to cornering the kitty and demanding comfort by way of forced hugging. The kitty, however, was not in the mood for hugs and preferred his fortress of solitude.

So, if anyone sees any "Christmas Tree" or "Blue Italian" pieces of Spode lying around for cheap, snap them up for me. I'll be eternally grateful and love you forever...unless you say something mean about Collin, then I'll just punch you in the nose.