WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING

BY: DELIA OWENS

TABLE DECORATORS: JEAN BRITTINGHAM AND KIM MOORE

"Marsh is not a swamp. Marsh is a space of light, where grass grows in water, and water flows into the sky. Slow-moving creeks wander, carrying the orb of the sun with them to the sea..."

"Then within the marsh, here and there, true swamp crawls into low-lying bogs, hidden in clammy forests..."

- Prologue from Where the Crawdads Sing

For our table-setting design, we wanted to depict the beauty of the marsh as Kya saw it.

A centerpiece of Kya's home, the swamp, the marsh, and the shore where the marsh meets the sea was created by Jean. It depicts the place where Kya experienced love, abuse, and abandonment. As a child on her own, Kya learned about life from the creatures of the marsh. She not only survived but thrived, found love, and became her own true self. The dock and the boat are included, her only form of transportation. The beach at one end has the quilt where Kya and Tate celebrated her birthday. The beach at the other end has a campfire, representing Kya's time with Chase. Fireflies abound over the marsh and the swamp; an insect Kya knew well.

The tablecloth shows the movement of the water in the marsh. The dishes we chose show the colors of the marsh -the beautiful light teal blue of the water - the brown on the edges - the color of the mud in the sea grasses. The flatware is the golden color of the sun on the water. The napkins have marsh creatures - sea birds, crawdads, fish, crabs, sea grass, and shells. The napkin rings are the beautiful dragonflies. The placemats are made from dried sea grasses.

More fireflies are lighting the teal goblets. Mussel shells, her only source of income, Pecten shells, driftwood, sea glass and small teal limpet shells are scattered on the table, representing the beauty of the marsh. Seabird feathers are included, a symbol of the love between Kya and Tate. Around the goblets hang the necklace Kya made for Chase. It is a Pectin ornatus shell which to Kya initially meant love and ultimately - betrayal. Beneath the centerpiece is a baguette dough bowl that can be used separately to create different centerpieces, adding beauty and versatility. At each place setting is a bookmark with the poem "The Firefly", written by Kya and in the end - read by Tate. The discovery of truth.

Kim and Jean met as Real Estate Brokers with EXIT Realty. They have not only worked together in the real estate business since 2016, but they have also supported each other in various fund raisers for their community. Kim is currently a member of the Library Foundation Board. Jean loves to watercolor paint, likes to take on artistic challenges, and knew the exact book she wanted to portray in the table setting. A perfect team!

Please vote for our table setting! Your donation will help the Ruby Sisson Library expansion!