The Lilac Tunnel: My Journey with Samantha

Setting the table will be a piece of cake. I’ve done this a million times. But when Elsa opens the cabinet to the dining room I’m terrified to touch the dishes. The plates are fancier than the ones my grandmother uses at Thanksgiving!

When I’ve carefully set a plate in front of each chair, I breathe a sigh of relief. Then I open the silverware drawer and I’m stumped. There are forks, knives, and spoons of all shapes and sizes. Which ones do I usually use? I make my best guess and arrange the utensils next to the plates. Then I stand back to admire my work.

But when Elsa comes through the archway, she squawks. We’re serving a formal dinner. This won’t do. She pulls out more silverware and does some fancy rearranging, explaining where the fish, meat, and salad forks should go. And I forgot about the soup spoons and the salt spoons. Once the table is set properly, Elsa tries to find me something else to do.