I am all teary,a beautiful piece...

Beautifully written. Beautiful memories, too. Happy memories are always worth hanging on to . . . or worth reaching back at half-forgotten ones to savor once again. I grew up with a dining room table like that. We ate at it for every meal. Played games on it. Did homework at it. Gathered around it for work and play. Everyday meals, holidays and celebrations. We all have good memories of those times. Married now for 32 years myself, I made sure that my family also had a dining room table like that. We ate/eat at it for pretty much every meal. I believe that it's a mother's job to create happy memories for her family. I've been doing my best at it now for 32 years.
Thanks for sharing such a lovely, nostalgic piece, Mtn.
Lynn

Yes, that is lovely to read. I know one day I will be facing what to do with my mother's dining room set. No one in the family has room for it. It is big and heavy. When you add the leaves, several people end up sitting with big sturdy table legs between their own legs. However, it holds tons of memories of family dinners and conversations. It will be awfully hard to let it go.

My one resolution is to not turn my own house into a chair emporium or a museum dedicated to family treasures. Well, just a few!