The Humble Whisk--thankfulness for useful tools

As I was making waffles this past Saturday, I thought about how much I enjoy my set of whisks.  My parents brought me the set from Italy several years ago.  While they are not tools I use everyday, I do enjoy having them when I mix batters.  A feisty elderly woman I visit in the nursing home shared her disgust with me over the "wire thing" the activities director was having them use to mix a cake batter.  Give her a big spoon, thank you very much, and she would get that batter mixed.  Her comments made me smile inside.  How we like our particular tools!

What a predicament when a favorite tool starts to wear out and we can't find a replacement.  My cooking spoon gets used most everyday, and it is looking worn (especially considering that it is probably at least 40 years old--thanks, Mom, for passing it down to me).  Another like it just can't be found, though.  It is plastic, making it suitable for my non-stick skillets.  The end is flat, so it is ideal for stirring, and the spoon shape lets me use it for serving our meal.  I just don't know what I will do when it finally bites the dust.  

So, a salute to all those gadgets that make our everyday activities easier and more enjoyable and the people that created them!

Simplifying Communications

Here I am, dictionary at hand (Does that word really mean what I think it means?), joining the thousands upon thousands in the teeming world of blogging.  Keeping up communications is always a challenge, so, while my preference is for writing e-mails, I know with life picking up its pace for me recently that my letter writing is going to be more limited.  Hopefully this blog will help fill the gap between letters and let me stay in touch with those that time doesn't allow me to write personally. 

First, a bit of an introduction for any poor soul who happens to stumble upon this blog along the way: 

Mine is a quiet life, but I am learning that there is adventure to be had in the ordinary day to day things.  Here will be tales of quilting exploits, knitting discoveries, the occasional cooking experiment, and perhaps even some travel recounts as my family ventures to far off places.  So, to those I know and love, and the occasional passerby, welcome to my every-day world.