Miniature Plastic Ware

Isn’t it funny how we all have our own niche? 

I was sitting on my Laurel Street couch last night (aka my friend Velinda’s couch) and I fear I was complaining about more things than I was being grateful for. 

“I signed up to go to this book signing,” I told her, “and it will probably be fun because Faces of Syria is brand new, but sometimes book events can be so tedious.” 

Also, I told her, I wanted to serve baklava in keeping with the Middle Eastern theme, but I really didn’t have enough and I should probably go to a restaurant and buy more. (It was nearly 9pm). 

“Just cut them in small pieces,” Velinda said briskly. “And how are you going to serve them?”

Of course, I didn’t know. Why cross that bridge twelve whole hours ahead of time? 

“Let me see what I have,” she said, marching toward the kitchen and pulling open a pantry drawer. 

“Look at this,” she said. “This might be just the thing.”

  
Now here’s my question. I live in the same world Velinda lives in. How does she just happen to have a stash of perfectly sized miniature plates and forks on a day when I just happen to need them?

“Oh, Katrina, look at this,” she added. 

Autumn-themed toothpicks. 

How….??

“I just see cute stuff on clearance so I buy it,” she said. 

Amazing. 

So, armed with cute things, I marched off to Light of Grace in Nappanee…

(Guess what else I didn’t think of taking to my own book signing? A pen.)

I DID have fun for many reasons:

• I met many great people, many of them in interesting ministry. Teachers, parents, business owners, high school students, a nurse, someone who cares for a disabled person, someone who works at the housing authority, someone helping with the Gospel Echoes fundraiser tonight, others who have traveled internationally.  Others bought books as Christmas gifts, or for people who they thought might enjoy the book.  My favorite thing was addressing books to those people I may never meet. 

• Like a good Arab, I got to share baklava and tea…

• And I got to meet a number of other authors, and buy their books….

But guess what one of the biggest points of interest was? Notice below, at center right, the orange and black plates.

  
“Those are so cute,” people would say when I pointed them to the plates. 

“These plates just kill me,” someone said. 

I kept explaining I have this friend who always has everything. 

“Tell Velinda they’re way too small,” the same person added. 

More than once, I motioned to the wastebasket below, so the customers would know where to put their trash, and they just hung onto the plastic ware.  Did they not see my wastebasket?

Then, the one lady nodded at a little girl with her. 

“She wants to keep the plate,” she said. 

The world would be a dull place indeed if we were all alike. What a great way God has of getting everything done, by giving us all different skills and talents. 

And if you need Velinda’s phone number, just let me know!