It's Me, Sara Louise

shattered

Normally I like to keep Le Petit Village a happy-go-lucky kind of place, but I’m feeling shattered and broken and I can’t think happy thoughts. Over the holidays I had the last of my things shipped from Dublin; mostly Waterford and china, wedding presents and family heirlooms. Almost all now broken, just like I feel.

When the delivery man dropped (literally dropped) the boxes off on Monday, ignoring the fragile symbols all over the boxes, I knew. I knew that all the bubble wrap, and extra bubble wrap and clothing I had wrapped all over everything hadn’t mattered. And as I opened the first box and pulled out a shattered wine glass my heart fall, and as I pulled more and more broken crystal and china out I cried. I cried missing the Sunday dinners and holidays of my childhood, with both my parents and my brother all eating together, in the same room, same state, same country with that china, with that crystal, and knowing that my very own family in the future will never do the same. 
I’ve said goodbye to the crystal, it’s already in the trash. But I’m determined to salvage at least some of the china. So if anyone needs me, I’ll be the crazed girl with the superglue. 
Please send happy thoughts.
bisou

Sara Louise

62 responses to “shattered”

  1. Avatar
    Anonymous

    I am so sorry Sara.Right now though you still have everything else and the memories will always be there.Good luck with the repairs. I'm off, back to check the news from Queensland! xo

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  2. Avatar
    Anonymous

    OMG! That is freakin' horrible! Oh Sara Louise…I am so sorry. I totally feel your pain.I'm sure you'll be able to salvage something of the china. At worst, you'll be able to use the salvaged pieces in another way. That is my hope for you. I'm sending you lots of positive energy and thoughts!

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  3. Avatar
    Anonymous

    Oh Sara…that sucks big time. So sorry to hear about your precious things. Do you have a lovely family photo of you all having dinner using that gorgeous crystal and china? Perhaps a pic propped up in the dining room might help just a bit?

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  4. Avatar
    Anonymous

    That really sucks – I'm sorry to hear that. I have missing/broken pieces of my great grandmother's china that I've been able to replace from Replacements.com. You just need to know that pattern name and then you can check their inventory for pieces that you need. Adrienne

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  5. Avatar
    Anonymous

    : ( sorry

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  6. Avatar
    Anonymous

    Replacements.com or ebay. But its not the same thing. 😦 so sorry. Hugs.

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  7. Avatar
    Anonymous

    Thanks all. I may have a look on Replacements.com and ebay, thanks for the tip 🙂 And thanks for the perspective Julianne, it's always a good thing.

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  8. Avatar
    Anonymous

    That's horrible- I'm so sorry most are broken. Hopefully, a few items are salvageable so they can be a reminder of all the good memories.

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  9. Avatar
    Anonymous

    How heartbreaking. I've lost quite a few things in the post, much to be regretted later and I can only imagine the sorrow of losing such special and beautiful treasures. I'm so sorry lady. Good luck with the super glue. If all else fails you can always take-up making mosaics…

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  10. Avatar
    Anonymous

    My heart is breaking for you, my dear. I know that they are only things but they represent family and memories. Do not throw out any of the china that you cannot piece back together. We had a similar breakage of fine china and saved the shards for a mosaic.Oh, I just saw the comment about Replacements. My sister and I just bought 4 replacement plates for our aunt of broken pieces that had been discontinued.Big hugs for you, ma chere amie.

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  11. Avatar
    Anonymous

    I know the feeling!!! I have had more than one shipment of heirlooms arrive broken! I would suggest doing some sort of mosaic too. It would be cool if you could use the bits of china to make a table topper, at least at the table you would still be “eating” with all the things, in a sense. Start a new tradition, just think of the story to tell.

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  12. Avatar
    Anonymous

    Big cyber hugs to you girlie, this broke my heart. Now once you get some of pieces together you will have your own mark on the ones you pass on to your own children….they will look at those plates and tell their kids, “See that crack? That was from when Grandma had these pieces shipped to her from Dublin” We all have little cracks and truthfully they can be quite charming.

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  13. Avatar
    Anonymous

    OMG. That is horrible. Were the boxes marked fragile? Do delivery drivers have to be so rough with everything? I feel like they always dump everyones gear wherever they please or better still leave it on the front deck when no-one's home, thats my other favourite thing they do. Ooohh so sorry Sara!

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  14. Avatar
    Anonymous

    So sorry. Sounds like a perfect time to go kick someone in the nuts, maybe a random delivery guy.

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  15. Avatar
    Anonymous

    Dear Sara,I'm so sorry for your broken things! Carriers are incredible. I see with my eyes “launch” parcels from truck to the street! Every time I buy “fragile things” on the web, I'm worried about delivery :(Think that you can have an “excuse” to buy all again … in Provence you have so many antiques markets!Bisous, Babi

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  16. Avatar
    Anonymous

    They must have worked hard to break everything – are they not insured for breakages?It's a disgrace that so much stuff arrives damaged. What's the point of having it shipped, and paying the exorbitant prices if you have to throw everything away when you get it. You might just as well throw it out beforehand, or sell it and buy new where you live!

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  17. Avatar
    Anonymous

    The same thing happened to me! My mom shipped me some adorable wine glasses and they were completely destroyed by the time they got here. I blame France.

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  18. Avatar
    Anonymous

    Oh no, I felt like crying when I saw those photos, things like that just set me off, we women are so emotionally involved with our things.I hope some of the china patches together, it will be a story of your life and travels to tell your future children about.

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  19. Avatar
    Anonymous

    I was sad for you when you posted it on Twitter the other day, but now seeing the pictures makes me even sadder. I'm feel so bad for you, that really sucks. :((

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  20. Avatar
    Anonymous

    That's awful! I'd be just as upset! If you aren't successful with the super glue, you could make a mosaic. But at least you have the memories with your family, which are irreplaceable. In time, I'm sure you'll be able to find something to physically replace the broken china and crystal and start creating new memories with them.

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  21. Avatar
    Anonymous

    I'm so sorry that happened. I feel sad for you. Sending many pats, bisous, and hugs, american style.a xo

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  22. Avatar
    Anonymous

    What an asshole. You should have made him stay while you unpacked it and then given him a serving. We came home from a holiday once and found that the delivery guy had thrown my new camera lens over the fence (5 ft high), where it had sat in the rain. They have no idea.

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  23. Avatar
    Anonymous

    aww crap, this makes me so sad for you and so angry at the same time. We all know they are just things, the objects and trinkets that we keep and surround ourselves with, but our identity is shaped by our memories of such things and they really aren't replaceable. You must feel so muted with rage. I'd be bawling if this happened to me. I cried when a box of books got badly water damaged when we moved here. Books. I hope you are able to salvage some of the china. Fingers crossed for superglue! Thinking of youx

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  24. Avatar
    Anonymous

    I feel so badly for you. I'm sure the memories tied to the various pieces are far more important to you than the actual china but it is sad to lose the physical reminders. I hope you can salvage a few pieces. Keep your chin up.

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  25. Avatar
    Anonymous

    When some of my grandmas china broke, I saved all the pieces and made a mosiac mirror. It is really easy, I just got a framed mirror then stuck the pieces on the frame with some type of adherent (I forgot what I used) then grouted it. I now have a beautiful mirror made with china!!

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  26. Avatar
    Anonymous

    Oh I hate this for you!!! A pox on all those rotten mail carriers…may their parts shrivel and turn spotted and black. UGh!!I so know how this feels and have lost some things that were priceless in their sentimental value and quite pricey in their actual value. It's really hard to let go of all of it.The ones you can fix, will have a story attached. The ones you can't will be replaced by something of your choosing and you will begin new memories, new dinners, new Sunday cheesedays…But in the meantime, I'm seriously gutted for you. Stupid Stupid mail.

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  27. Avatar
    Anonymous

    Oh Sarah, this is heartbreaking. It actually made little tears in my eyes as I read your post. I wish I could hop on the train and come up the road to make a pot of tea (did your teapot make it?!)and help glue the pieces back together again. (And listen, I'd save any and all of those pieces that can't be glued back together and put them aside. There may be a really lovely mosaic garden table to be created Рwith quite a story to tell your very own 'family in the future' as they gather around it on some long and luscious proven̤al afternoon!)

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  28. Avatar
    Anonymous

    That is horribly depressing. I would kick some ass. forrrrrealzzz, bro.http://glamkittenslitterbox.blogspot.com/

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  29. Avatar
    Anonymous

    That is so upsetting!! I would have been crying my eyes out too! Oh you poor girl. I would seriously consider making a complaint….I mean, it was wrapped carefully and you DID have fragile signs on it. It has to be handled PRETTY BADLY for almost everything to be broken.I do like La fourchette's idea, to save the broken pieces and somehow incorporate into something else that you can keep with you and part of your future family.

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  30. Avatar
    Anonymous

    O my gosh, that's terrible, Sara! I wish there was something you could do to be repaid — the mail service is just lousy. Sending warm thoughts your way.

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  31. Avatar
    Anonymous

    Oh gosh that's horrid. It's so hard to see such lovely pieces, with even lovelier memories attached to them, shatter because they were not loved in the way they should've been. I hope you succeed in not only repairing what you can but rebuilding the collection and building more happy memories. Sending lots of this vibes over the pond to you. Bisous ma belle amie. Bonne courage!

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  32. Avatar
    Anonymous

    How awful!

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  33. Avatar
    Anonymous

    My heart goes out to you. I live in a household where, um… some others… are not as careful of my well-loved crystal, china and other family heirlooms. I've come home to find repairable treasures in the trash. So sorry for your losses. I hope the shipment was insured, at least?

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  34. Avatar
    Anonymous

    I hate this so much! It literally makes my heart hurt. 😦 Could you do something with the china after it's pieced back together like put them in their own shadow box frames (if you don't think you could eat off of them)? I don't know how many pieces there are, but maybe like the ones that turned out best or the ones that you have the fondest memories with?

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  35. Avatar
    Anonymous

    Oh it's horrible, just horrible. I got the chills reading that last part about the family dinners. I'm so sorry!!!!!big hugs & send you positive gluey vibes 🙂

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  36. Avatar
    Anonymous

    Sarah Louise, I understand that your heart is broken. I am so sorry, dear friend, that it happened to such a wonderful girl like you. I feel really horrible seeing beautiful things broken in general but when it is personal it is just awful.I can suggest you immediately do something pleasant to yourself. Treat yourself somehow.

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  37. Avatar
    Anonymous

    wow. i can't imagine. that is very disappointing. i'll be thinking of you today.

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  38. Avatar
    Anonymous

    That sucks! Perhaps you could make some art? Maybe top a table with the random pieces?

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  39. Avatar
    Anonymous

    Oh my word, I'm so sorry to read this. Just terrible. Bad bad delivery man. May bad karma follow his careless bottom around… 😦

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  40. Avatar
    Anonymous

    On no! I'm sorry. What a bummer. Sending happy thoughts your way from snowy Boston.

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  41. Avatar
    Anonymous

    I”m so so sorry I think my heart just broke for you 😦 I hope you let them know…even if they can't fix it – just tell them how disappointed you are 😦 But one day…your great grandkids will be all “when my great gma moved to so so all of this china was broken and she spent so much time and superglued it all together, and it's still in the family!”….so that is kind of special right??

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  42. Avatar
    Anonymous

    Oh that is just awful 😦 You poor thing 😦 I hope you feel better soon. Preferably after a very angry abusive phone call to the delivery company. Just think though, when you buy some crystal for your family one day, they will get passed down and become heirlooms too 🙂

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  43. Avatar
    Anonymous

    I am so sorry to hear about this. The sentimental value is priceless. Yes definitely check out Replacements.Perhaps you can make some mosaic pieces and still be able to enjoy the patterns and colors – just a thought…Sending lots of happy thought your way!!! Mimi

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  44. Avatar
    Anonymous

    I am so very, very sorry…my heart is heavy for you. I say we send your photos of your family heirlooms to Waterford and see if we can get a pity-gift/shipment for you. Stranger things have happened.

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  45. Avatar
    Anonymous

    I'm so sorry, Sara! Nothing can replace sentimental value, but hopefully you'll be able to pass down the salvaged and new ones to your children, and the delivery guy won't be so careless. I hope everything begins to look up! 🙂

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  46. Avatar
    Anonymous

    omg.Please tell me they were insured! I am so so so sorry. Just so you know, Replacements.com is a GREAT website/store in North Carolina, but I do not know if they ship internationally.OXOX

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  47. Avatar
    Anonymous

    oh I am so sorry to hear about all of that damage!! Nothing will ever replace all of the future memories those beautiful pieces will not be a part of. I am so happy to find your blog (wish it was on a happier note though…frown) I am following now and looking forward to reading more about your exciting journey.

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  48. Avatar
    Anonymous

    that is sooo sad. Im so sorry for your loss:( hope your able to salvage some.

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  49. Avatar
    Anonymous

    Oh poor you. That's terrible. Maybe leave the supergluing until you're feeling better. You'll be more patient then. Hugs XOXO

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  50. Avatar
    Anonymous

    Sadness Sara 😦 My heart goes out to you. All you have to do is holler and I'm sure we'll all send massive amounts of super glue your way. Also, find the delivery guy and punch him in the nose. It might make you feel better. Hugs

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