BACK TO THE FUTURE: REPLACING PLASTIC

It all started at a souk in Bahrain. When we lived there as young marrieds, John and I would wander the market stalls on the weekend, just for entertainment. One day I came across a shop that had a bunch of giant mason jars with clamp lids, in pristine condition. I decided they'd

be the perfect thing for keeping bugs out of my rice and flour. To me, they epitomized the marriage of beauty and practicality.

Later, when my grandmother passed, I was shocked that no one else wanted her cute little square, tempered glass, refrigerator storage containers, that were just right for storing leftovers in. You could even microwave in them! Why would anyone prefer Tupperware to these?

And so it went over the years, with me picking up one piece of vintage glassware here, and another there, from various relatives who were eager to replace them with shiny new plastic. No one, least of all me, had any clue that one day the tables would turn, and we'd discover that storing and heating our food in all that plastic was making us sick.

Isn't it fortunate then, that I just happen to have cabinets full of vintage beauties, ready and waiting to step up to the bat?