Sunday, March 3, 2013

I think I need help.

I am not a house-keeper sorta gal.  I prefer to be outside doing anything, rather than chasing down dust-bunnies.

Given that, I don't know what came over me today.

It's not just that I cleaned out the cupboard with the "good" dishes, it's what happened when I came across grandma's condiment stand.  I don't know what else to call it.  It's a ornate silver stand with matching cut-glass salt, pepper, oil and vinegar containers.   It comes from a time when salt was scooped from a its container with a tiny spoon.  Anyway, I digress.  The stand and the silver tops on two of the containers were black.   They'd been like that for years: tucked toward the back of the shelf.  Their blackness had never bothered me before.

So I didn't understand when I took it out from it's hiding spot, rooted around under the sink for "Silvo", got out the rubber gloves, gathered up some soft towels, opened the back door for ventilation, and started polishing !   I was so overwhelmed with a need to get into all the nooks and crannies, that I dismantled the whole damn thing, taking off microscopic, ornate screws and carefully giving them a cleaning rub too.


W.T.F. was I doing ?!!

That's not me.  I don't polish silverware.

You can imagine my alarm, when I caught myself going downstairs, gathering up mom's enormous spoon collection, and gleefully, yes, I said "gleefully",  taking it upstairs, where I spread it on the counter next to the now reassembled condiment stand.


An hour later, I was still standing there, vigorously polishing and sorting spoons.   I've been carting those spoons around since mom died in '07, allowing them to languish tucked away in untouched boxes in the storage room.

Why polish them now ?


After reviewing them, I decided to keep about thirty spoons: less than half of her collection.  The ones I kept all have meaning for me, or I know what they meant to her.  Like the one from 1956 from the church choir she once sang in with her beloved mother.  Two of these (below) with marvellously ornate tops, commemorate the Queen's Silver Jubilee (1977) and Charles and Dianna's wedding (1981).


After two hours of cleaning I called my friend Lynne, to see if she'd be willing to take part in some sort of intervention.  Instead, she laughed and gave me a few tips on how to get the left over cleaner out of the tricky spots.


I still don't know what came over me, but as long as I don't make a habit of it, I'm  pretty happy with the result.

14 comments:

  1. Syb, this is also known as nesting.....take 2 aspirins and call me in the morning....lay down until the feeling goes away!!!!

    I suspect I know why this is happening....we can surmise over plinko

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    1. Oh, I know why this is happening. I've had four "boarders" in my house and now just have one. I suddenly feel that if I clean and tidy, things will STAY clean and tidy. When the last boarder is gone in June, I will be alone for the first time since I retired FOUR years ago.

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    2. Fantastic! I know that feeling. Having hours of work demolished in moments makes it less inspiring to do it again. I have a lot of unpolished silver as well. I hope to get back to it one day.

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    3. For a second there I was scared you were going to ask me to polish YOUR silver. ;-) How do the hours of work get demolished in moments ??

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  2. Maybe the urge to thoroughly polish silver only comes once, twice or thrice in a lifetime? Having time available for a project can be an opportunity for a lovely stroll down memory lane. Your pieces are very pretty and it was smart of you to get pictures of them when they are all polished and gleaming – now you'll have a record of this rare occasion.

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    1. I am happy to report that the urge to polish has now passed Barbara -- BUT I just emptied and cleaned another cupboard.

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  3. It is called spring cleaning.
    It hits with a wave and does nt stop until you get some fine weather and start gardening.
    Good luck
    barb

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    1. Barb, I think you've hit the nail on the head. I'm now wanting to start painting. We better hope the weather stays lousy till I'm done.

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  4. When you run out of cleaning, you are more than welcome to head over here! I haven't been hit by the bug yet.
    I always loved those condiment sets!

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    1. You're too late Sara, the mood has passed. ;-)

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  5. Did the spirits of your mother and grandmother take over there for a while? I don't believe in that kind of thing, but if I did, I'd say they were trying to tell you something.

    Nice job, by the way.

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    1. Thanks. Happy to say the urge to polish has passed. ;-)

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  6. Glad I didn't miss reading this little polished gem! lol. When we find ourselves doing things like this, intervention may be needed. I found myself cleaning the BASEBOARDS in January. I mean, that's insane. The baseboards haven't been cleaned (errr, have they ever been cleaned?) It is kind of energizing to be doing something new & different, though, isn't it?

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    1. Wow. The baseboards eh? Wish you lived closer. We could have an intervention together, though I fear it may be too late for me. I was up until 3 am yesterday painting and cleaning. I fear I may have been taken over by one of those alien pod people.

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