The Old Spoon
OCD sometimes pays off! (July 5, 2016)
Somehow, I lost my favorite old spoon!
I have no idea where I got it from, and it’s not as if it was of great value, but I know I enjoyed using this particular spoon a LOT! I’ve treasured it for many years. It grieved me terribly not to be able to find it in the process of cleaning up and washing dishes many times.
I had searched the kitchen drawers to no avail. I wondered whether somehow I or someone, a visitor, might have unknowingly tossed it in the garbage while cleaning off a plate, and my old but much loved utensil was now laying forlorn and dirty in a messy dump somewhere.
That miserable thought brought back a terrible memory from my early working days while still in school. My Mom found me a job in the household of the County Sheriff. It was a mansion, in my young eyes. We were a working class family and these folks had money and status.
I believe I was mainly hired to do some nannying of two children. I had a little room of my own upstairs in a wing of the big house. I was to do a little serving of “elevenses” (a snack around 11 am, lunch (it was called dinner), afternoon tea around 4 pm, and sometimes help the other staff with dinner, (called “tea” in my own home) as well as serving in the dining room and cleaning up in the kitchen. I had other cleaning and polishing jobs to do also. I was kept very busy!
I remember being asked by the lady of the house one day if I would please see to ironing her husband’s shirts. She was frustrated by the task. It was an honor and I remember being complemented personally by the man on the nice condition of his shirts. He very much enjoyed the change.
One day, the family had a big dinner with guests and all the best dishware and silverware was brought out and used. It was hustle and bustle, preparing, serving and working in the kitchen afterwards, and we were all tired, but it got done.
I have a memory of being complemented during the meal on the the rice served, which had originally been wet and sticky after cooking, apparently as usual, but I had remembered a little trick and popped it into the oven to dry it out, so that it was much nicer. It was duly noted by the husband at dinner. The secret was revealed. Rice could be nicer.
The very next day I was “on the carpet”, so to speak, by the lady of the house, because some of the best silver cutlery had apparently gone missing after the dinner. I was horrified. A search had been carried out. It came about that it had been found in the garbage and I was the only one, being new on the scene, who could have done such a dreadful thing.
I had no recollection. Oh, the shame! I was mortified and losing my job. I cried. The lady of the house sent me home directly.
I believe my mother and this lady, or my mother and the Sheriff himself, met and talked about the matter, because I was eventually allowed to go and make my apologies and was soon restored to my position at the big house. My relationship with the lady of the house was often uneasy, but the Sheriff was kindness personified.
I had forgotten all these memories from another time and place. The loss of my favourite piece of cutlery brought it all right back to me, so I have digressed in my own cutlery story!
To continue….I have been on a search of thrift stores and garage sales for a replacement spoon, fearing the fate of the old spoon. Occasionally I would find something reminiscent in some way but not exactly right.
The old spoon had a very definite big “bowl” shape. I don’t know if it had been manipulated somehow into that shape, or whether it was my design, but it was unusual and it felt good to eat from it. I wanted to find something similar, and though I found a few potential replacements, they did not “feel” the same in actual use. Nothing satisfied in quite the same way.
The bowl on some spoons might be big enough, but the handle was not quite the right shape, not enough curve, too long, etc. (I’m really picky!) However, it did seem like I was getting closer all the time to my goal of replacing the much loved spoon.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Later on, the same day I wrote this, I decided it was time to do a general clean up around the house, not my favourite thing to do, or even a very frequent task. Something I decide I must do every once in a while when it gets unbearable! Dishes filled the sink (not many because I live in a small space, but enough to disturb my peace of mind), assorted garbage overflowed three small containers, living room, bedroom and bathroom, and the smelly one under the sink needed changing too. I was determined to start with those two tasks, dishes and garbage.
Dishes really did not take long and pretty soon the dish rack was full of nice clean dishes. But of course, my old spoon was still missing. I don’t know how many times I had searched the kitchen drawers, but one more time could not hurt. No, no favourite spoon 😦 Oh well. Counter space! YAY!!!!
Now here’s the thing. Sometimes my OCD tendencies, combined with this memory I just shared with you about the lost silver, prevent me from just tossing the garbage out, especially the paper type ones. I can toss the kitchen one out, but the others I usually have to take at least a quick look through to make sure nothing slipped in that should not be tossed. Things have fallen in those ones in the past, so I am careful to look before disposal.
Bedroom one, checked and emptied. Bathroom, checked and emptied. Now for the living room one that sits by my chair. Things often fall into it from the arm of my chair or from the edge of the couch. I had not emptied this one in a while.
I’m checking it and yes, I found the hydro bill I had been missing! How did that slip in there? No matter, glad to have found it again.
I’m almost to the bottom when I come across something hard and shiny, something metal. Oh my GOODNESS!!!!!!
It’s…..
a…………….
SPOON!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Wait! That’s not THE spoon, is it? Can it be? I examine it closely, and there it is! Yes, that’s it! The old spoon I love. The spoon I have been missing seemingly FOREVER…..
I let out a squeal of delight, and then laughed out loud at how ridiculous this must look. Me, wide eyed and happy, grinning like the proverbial Cheshire Cat, almost hugging this old spoon, like an old friend that has been gone out of my life and has returned suddenly.
Well, I took it over to the sink, washed it up, and put it away to await the pleasure of being used again. All was now right in my world.
When the time finally came to use my spoon…..AAAAH!
That’s what I had missed.
My perfect spoon 🙂
AJ ❤
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Lovely story!
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Thanks, Gwen ❤
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