‘They ate together with glad and sincere hearts.’ Why don’t we?

New homes are being built near us, as in many places up and down the country. I can see them from our bedroom window.

I can only dream of living in one of these places – they’re completely out of my price bracket, but still, I couldn’t help but have a nose around the show home. I got ready for this exciting excursion by looking up the details online. After all, if you can’t afford something, it’s reassuring to know how much you can’t afford it.

No table!

The plans for the house perplexed me. There are spaces for work, watching TV, sitting on sofas, sleeping, showering, and even cooking. But no space on the plan to eat. At least, no space for people to eat together. No dining room – and these are big houses! No kitchen table – and these are big kitchens.