Happy Birthday, Grandmother

This 'tasteful' selection of wax and plastic fruit on the three tiered etched glass cake stand is what was displayed on my Grandmother's dining room table during my childhood.  When she moved in with my Mom, it moved to Mom's dining room table.  Most of the fruit is not very convincing and it is mainly good for collecting dust, but I think the glass piece is gorgeous.  When I moved to the UK it was one of the things I worried most about getting broke, but thankfully it survived.

Strangely, I've never used this cake stand for anything other than as shown.  We don't eat much cake around here and what we do eat doesn't get displayed.   I don't recall Grandmother using it for other than her fake fruit, either.  She liked her sweets, but tended to bake pies.

We use our dining table every day for breakfast, lunch and dinner, particularly in winter as the fire is especially welcoming.  Consequently, the fruit stand lives on top of the serving table, as shown.

I feel very lucky to have so many of Grandmother's pretty things.  Mind, I laugh everytime I wash that fruit, but I wouldn't willingly part with it all the same.  Sentimental of me, I know.