Tuesday, July 16, 2013

Remember These?

             Don’t know about you, but I’m not fond of those Facebook posts that picture a gadget (usually some kitchen knickknack) and say, “Do you remember these?” I guess the posts are meant to evoke warm fuzzies for days gone by, but  I just roll my eyes. More often than not, I not only remember the item but am still using it.
            I’m not a hoarder. In my house, trails don’t meander through stacks of used newspapers, and closets don’t bulge with clothes from thirty years and thirty pounds ago. But for some reason I form strong attachments to kitchen utensils. I don’t mean to, but you know how it goes: One day you’re peeling potatoes, and the orange plastic handle on the peeler crumbles in your hand, and you think, “Wow, I got that peeler for a wedding shower gift thirty-nine years ago.” Then you think, “The same time I got the avocado green hand mixer and the harvest gold colander and funnel I’m still using.” You decide maybe it’s time to update, but, heck, by now your old stuff practically qualifies as “collectibles.” If you throw it out or donate it to the thrift store, the next thing you know, you’ll see a reproduction of it selling at Cracker Barrel for big bucks. Or you’ll see an original version of it selling at an antique mall for even bigger bucks.
            Of course, I may have gone to the extreme in saving a couple of items. If you look closely at the picture, you’ll notice that my set of measuring spoons—ca. 1974, the year I got married—is missing the bowl off the tablespoon. And my yellow plastic measuring cup set is missing the one-third and one-quarter cups. And if you look really close, you’ll see the one cup is missing the handle. But that doesn’t mean it’s not useful. I need it to guesstimate one-third and one-quarter cups. Besides, it has seen me through four kitchens and two remodels. You can’t just toss out loyalty like that.
             I’ll admit a few years ago I received a nice set of stainless steel measuring cups and spoons for Christmas. I didn’t throw out my old ones, though. I figured they’d come in handy if I needed to measure something and the new ones were in the dishwasher. I figured right. But today in TJ Maxx I made a tough decision. In a moment of stoic practicality, I purchased brand new sets of cups and spoons. The old ones are now retired from service, but I have yet to throw them out. I’ll have to ease into it, comforting myself with the knowledge that the colander, the funnel, and the mixer are still on active duty. 

                      
 Have useless gimcrack you can’t part with? Share with a comment on my blog. Or I'll even welcome it with a picture on Facebook!
 

8 comments:

  1. I try to get rid of things and then I sneak them back in the drawer.

    BTW my son explained those click if you remember pages. They're just a gimmick to get lots of likes because them they can sell those pages as high volume and make money.

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  2. Ha! I've had the same thoughts about saving them for Cracker Barrel. My issue isn't just with kitchen do-dads, though. I keep clothes WAY longer than I should.

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  3. Throw them out???? That's what shadowboxes are for, Dee Dee - retro wall art! After reading this I had to run to the kitchen to make sure my old plastic melon scooper (do you know how LONG it takes to make a watermelon's worth of melon balls???)is still snug in it's place next to the metal one with the release handle - the one I actually used once (that's how come IIIIII know how long it takes to for a watermelon)!

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  4. Remember Corning Ware? Their colorful products once graced my table years before I had a microwave. Everyone I knew in the 70's and 80's had several pieces. If I'd known how useful the dishes would be in the microwave, I would never have sold them in my first garage sale. Now I look for their replacements, but prices have risen.

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  5. Those kitchen thingies are very valuable, obviously durable, and filled with the mojo of meals whipped up over time. I have some bowls from my mother in law that I use every day. I recently saw some at an antique store for almost $200! Now I like them even more :)

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  6. So I'm a tad late on this reply, but I totally understand that some things are just not replaceable, despite modern updates. For example, I've kept my husband around for over 20 years,even though there are quite a few newer models out there. It takes a long time to break-in a guy and train him properly, and he's still working well despite a few nicks and dings. He's also probably worth a lot more than when I got him, since technically is IS an antique. :)

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  7. LOL!I'll be keeping my older model hubby, too. But maybe I should be worrying about whether he'll keep me. There are also newer models of wives out there!

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    1. Oh he WILL keep you! Too much shared history missing in those new models :)

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