Thank you all for your help. We suspected it was a tray for sugar cubes, but we also didn't know when sugar cubes came into existence, so we weren't sure. Linda--Grandma initialed and dated some of the pieces--she painted them in 1919. She spent an extra year in high school, studying music and china painting, before she could go to college (the college wouldn't accept her until she was 18). She painted 20 place settings of china with her family coat of arms--bouillon cups, asparagus plates, soup tureens, ramekins--just about every piece of china you can think of. This chocolate set is in the same colors as the china, but only the cups and saucers are by the same manufacturer. In addition, she did lots of little pieces, like salt and pepper shakers, a beautiful blue and gold demitasse set and this chocolate set. The tray has no mark at all. The cups and saucers have Vignaud Limoges. The pitcher has an almost completely worn away mark--it's not Limoges, I don't think, but what it is isn't clear. It's an artist's palette, intersecting a circle with a script capital L (at least I think it's an L). Underneath, there is a word, but most of the letters have partly worn off. I think there are six or seven letters. The last letter is probably K.

I have a beautiful accent piece that is part of the Link Taylor Pine reproductions group for sale in Missouri. It would work well in a foyer, hall or smaller wall space. 766-974. mcortez@slsc.org

Another place to search is Replacements. I think they have the largest selection in the U.S. They are VERY expensive, but at least you might find what you are looking for there, get a name, and then can look elsewhere. I was doing a google search once looking for a cookie jar we had when I was growing up. I couldn't remember exactly what it looked like but in my search I hit on it, it was only $145.00. Needless to say I didn't buy it. It didn't fit into my kitchen decor, but if it had been under $20 I would have bought it for the memories.

Carolyn, I've been looking up every title mentioned so far, but just got to Absent Friends this morning. I haven't read any of the novels about 9/11 yet -- I think I'm still a bit squeamish to relinquish that horrendous episode to fiction. However, I will come to that point and Rozan's story certainly sounds interesting. The synopsis confused me, though: is this fiction based on actual people and incidents? disputantum, mysteries or crime or suspense, those noir novels in the anthologies are definitely outstanding in my mind. I think I've read most of them and have seen most of the films, too. In some cases, I think the films improved on the novels, or at least added another dimension of interpretation -- from Nicholas Ray to Truffaut to Robert Altman and many others. I often have a profound distaste for screenwriters and directors who tamper with books, but somehow crime/mystery novels can be tinkered with and played more loosely. Cece, looking at that list of Christie's non-series mysteries: I never realized that she wrote so many non-Poirot and Marple. The thing I love about Christie -- and this may sound contradictory -- is I promptly forget the plots and whodunnit, so every few years I can reread and enjoy them just as much. The only one I remember well is The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, and I guess that makes it outstanding. But, in a way, that's a shame 'cause I can never be shocked and riled up by it again! Thanks, Cece. The Coffee Trader and Drowning Ruth do look right up my alley. I probably overlooked the latter because it was an Oprah pick -- sometimes my reasoning for dismissing something is initially faulty.