Today I was sitting at the computer browsing through my morning reads, when a fresh-out-of-bed Lydia came to me and asked, “Where did you put the placements?”

I turned to her and asked, “The what?”

“Placements … you know, to put the dishes and forks on!”

“Forks?” I asked bemusedly, just before the light bulb came on. “Oh! You mean placemats.” Pause. “What placemats? We don’t have any placemats.”

“But you said you bought placemats,” she protested. Then the light bulb came on in her own head, and she continued dejectedly, “Oh no, it was just a dream.”

She sat down heavily at the table and sighed. She was holding back tears as she said, “I just think it looks so nice with placemats.”

I know some will say that I spoil her, but placements are on our shopping list for our next trip to town.