"Well now, say, my Girl!"
Her Dad could open conversation with this phrase and Tania knew there was
forth coming statements she might or might not understand. It was just his
way.
"You know, of course, your
battle is not with flesh and blood, but with powers and principalities."
The young woman wasn't
totally ignorant. She did have some advantage as to education. However,
this statement was something of a mystery to her. She was young, full of
her life, and although, she was, indeed, here for advice she didn't feel
the quote her father used was really helpful to her.
It would not be until many
years later, and the total impact of the statement came to rest on her
shoulder as something akin to a whispered murmur in her ear. As the battle
lines were drawn so too were the wishes to rise to that fight with no
cowardice. Seared into her mind from a much earlier time the key words,
"powers and principalities."
And she knew now,
certainly, the battle saw her to be at a great disadvantage.
But, on the other hand, the
advantage of military school structure, pioneering grandparents against
all odds, and Native American ways, Tania was still examining her
position. What she saw wasn't encouraging. Still and all, like the lover
of Ryan's daughter she was making an effort to hold to strong regimens and
to military-like discipline. This in the last decade had become difficult
and almost impossible.
What with the new thinking
of the major principalities.
The cost of expensive
furniture wasn't acceptable. There were medical, dental, housing,
utilities, food and clothing to be furnished for a family. Ah, here were
the powers.
The business of
establishing a base, she knew was of the utmost importance. There must be
a base from which to center communication, some comfort, and familiar
surroundings for security, giving her family a time to regroup and gather
themselves together for a new daily fight as soon as the sun arose in the
east on another day. Yes indeed, these were the powers she was up against
in order to go to war. They stood in readiness to rip everything apart if
one or the other slipped up and flanked her on one side or the other, be
it, utilities to give warmth, food to sustain, clothing for all that it
wins, and, of course, most needed, food. Still, just those things together
did not offer enough.
Someone in the family
tossed a small, low, chest of drawers. As quick as a wink that little
unassuming bit of junk was captured. "You will become my stash for this
table's uniform." Tania spoke to the inanimate object.
A coat of black latex paint
rendered the piece elegant. Replaced pulls with gold brass ones, and a
trimming of the thing with another tough gold paint made the little
Cinderella like piece of furniture worthy of attending the ball in the
dining room. Every color of knit tablecloths from dollar bargain yardage
filled the drawers. Some smaller drawers were filled with cloth table
napkins, and these were not used that often. Paper towels folded in a
special way served. Different color place mats were cut to the proper size
from long bright colored rubber like runners intended to line shelves and
they too were set in a drawer of their own.
Above the new piece of
furniture a row of boards set upon "L" braces. This is where elegant
expensive "looking" glassware with crystal stems stand. Cheap plates but
of crystal, cups, soup bowls are there too and their sparkle made them
look rich. If they are reminiscent of the depression glass coming through
oatmeal boxes in that equally tough time, so much the better. The children
today know nothing of that time. Tania, thought about it and was reminded
of her own grandmother's table when she was a child.
Who knew that cornbread and
milk served upon such a background was anything but the most wonderful of
menus? If it had of been served on a bare table, no napkins, and certainly
no crystal wouldn't it have been just that, a meager serving of bread and
milk?
Today, there is more than
cornbread and milk, certainly. However, the world away from the fires of
the hearth sometimes renders these loved persons of our family, drawn and
sad looking. So, the food for the spirit becomes more of the greater need.
If a bit of crystal and a humble prayer offering a wish to give thanks for
those beautiful things of creation can restore a shine to our loved ones'
eyes and a glow to the skin of their face, well then, this small amount of
planned organization is very easy and worthwhile.
As unbalanced this warfare
seems to be in our own mind when we look up to those "powers and
principalities," maybe too, we can remember, "there is no power, or
principality greater than that of love."
See also
http://www.electricscotland.com/history/america/donna/frugal/table.htm
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