When my best friend died her husband asked me what I’d like as a keepsake - I chose her wooden spoon. I think he was surprised at my choice but L loved baking and was most often in the kitchen. I use her beloved spoon now and the connection to her is palpable. I took very little from my granny’s house when she died , other than her cake tins and wooden spoon. There’s such a lot of love and powerful memories attached to these intimate objects. I’ve shed a few tears reading your post and your beautiful poem this morning x
Oh Maud, this is such a beautiful comment, thank you so much for sharing. There is something very poignant about holding something a loved one touched and used, I can imagine your friend's wooden spoon touches your heart every time you pick it up. Kitchens are such very special places for making memories, cooking and food have a way of binding people together, for me cooking is not just about giving friends or family something to eat, it is much deeper than that and I often find myself thinking of my mum when I cook, especially if I am making something I remember from my younger days. Precious memories indeed. Thank you again, Maud. x
Gosh, I enjoyed reading that. Like you, I have never thrown out a wooden spoon. These days, I rummage through the drawer to find my short handled one that has a smiley face cut into it. Feels like a friend
I agree, wooden spoons are indispensable and also very tactile and beautiful in my opinion. Like you, I have quite an assortment but can't ever remember buying one. There must be some sort of magic attached to them! A lovely poem too, Lindsey and beautiful memories of your mum x
Aah, thank you Annie. There’s nothing that quite matches up to a gold old wooden spoon is there, I can imagine your kitchen is full of beautiful, well used utensils. Isn’t it strange, I really don’t ever remember going into a shop to buy one, perhaps there is a wooden spoon fairy, Annie! ❤️🙏
I absolutely love this post. It is so beautifully written and shows the power and creativity of writing so well. Maybe an idea I will use to write about just one simple thing. Thank you as ever Lindsey ❤️
What a wonderful comment to receive this morning, Jo, thank you so very much. Sometimes inspiration is hard to find so picking one little thing can focus the mind a bit, it’s often the most mundane things that have the best stories! x
What wonderful story celebrating the humble wooden spoon, which I also would not be without in the kitchen. I have lived alone for about the last 35 years and I almost never bake, so just a couple of wooden spoons is enough for me. However, almost two years ago I got a whippet, who was just a little puppy then, and his name is Richie. Richie, who is otherwise pretty good, will steal anything he can reach on the kitchen counter, and he has made off with so many of my wooden spoons, even though I do try to remember to place them out of his reach. Just as you say, there is nothing that can replace a wooden spoon for stirring soups and casseroles, etc. Just this week, Richie got my latest wooden spoon, the second of two I bought a couple of months ago. Now when I shop for a new one I always buy two, so that I will still have one next time Richie steals the first one. Now the last two are both gone.
I will just mention that I don't have any of my mother's old cooking utensils. Unlike me, my mother didn't like cooking. She was a superb dressmaker though, and I am still wearing a toweling dressing gown she made in the 80's and a sundress, made about the same time. I wore the dress on a recent holiday and got some compliments. Mum passed away 24 years ago, but when I wear those things I feel like I am being with her, and especially with the dress like I am taking her out.
Oh I absolutely loved reading this Glenys, thank you so much for taking the time to write such a wonderful comment. Richie the wooden spoon thief sounds like a great character, I wonder if he chews them to pieces or hides them somewhere? It must feel lovely to wear the clothes your mum made and I can imagine that feeling of your mum being by your side when you are wearing the dress. My mum used to knit me a lot of jumpers in my late teens, I still have one which is a bit holey now and regret not keeping more of them. Thank you again Glenys for such a fabulous read. x
That's very kind Lynn, thank you. I think it will be a while before I write another one 🤣. Thank you for commenting, your support and encouragement really does mean a lot, thank you. x
What a lovely post to read while having my breakfast. I too have a large collection of wooden spoons in an old earthenware pot by my old Aga . And like you I have my favourites. I also have a few smaller ones in a smaller jug on the otherside of my Aga these are mainly for cakes and so that my husband who makes his porridge very early in the morning uses these as opposed to the ones yellowed by turmeric curries. But as he is the main curry maker in this house (it’s his specialty) he also uses whatever is to hand so the porridge /cake stirrers can often end up in the curry ugh!!
I have quite a few utensils from my mums kitchen too and they are very precious and very worn so don’t get used very often but I love opening the drawers and seeing them there. Loved your villanelle what lovely memories you have especially dancing with your mum in the kitchen and how lovely that memory is now in your poem.
Turmeric can be such a pain, it stains everything doesn't it Liz, I have just started taking it as a supplement and wondered if it is turning my insides orange! How lovely to have a chief curry maker, we eat lots of curries too, a good curry is one of my favourite meals and for vegetarians like yourself they really do make the most delicious dishes with just vegetables, we had a cauliflower one a few days ago, fabulous. Those small things we have from our mums are so precious, I have my mum's old aluminium colander that she had as a wedding present in 1952, I wouldn't part with it for all the tea in China. Have a good day, I am thinking now what to have for dinner! Lots of love x
Oh thank you so much, goodness they are hard! I can see why you don't see them very often, but I did actually enjoy the process. I think I will wait a while until I attempt another one! Have a good day, Juliet and thank you for your comment. x
A wonderful poem and a paen to wooden spoons. I have a small collection of wooden spoons, half a dozen, some decades in age. I use them all the time. I also have a wooden rolling pin. I tried using one made of some other material, but it broke after a few years.
What a glorious poem, all the better for its style. How wonderful to stumble across your topic, inspiration is all around.
I have to own up to breaking a few wooden spoons, I think I’m heavy handed. Although I have that has never been used and never will be. It’s signed by Jane Asher!
Such wonderful memories from a simple wooden spoon Lindsey. My kitchen walls are adorned by old rattan and willow baskets passed down via my husband’s family and mine. One is especially special as my great, great-grandmother Hannah Phillips, a mother of 5, used to walk many fields during harvest times on the farm with basketfuls of food and tea. Andrew’s grandmother however used them as linen and laundry baskets whilst I’m using them now on a daily basis to garden, shop and store things. I’m so pleased that you mention our most revered Welsh poet Dylan Thomas whose poetry is sublime in so many ways. ‘Do not go gentle into that good night’ is such a classic but my favourite is his play for voices ‘Under Milk Wood’ narrated by the late, Richard Burton. Have a listen if you have time ❤️🙏
When my best friend died her husband asked me what I’d like as a keepsake - I chose her wooden spoon. I think he was surprised at my choice but L loved baking and was most often in the kitchen. I use her beloved spoon now and the connection to her is palpable. I took very little from my granny’s house when she died , other than her cake tins and wooden spoon. There’s such a lot of love and powerful memories attached to these intimate objects. I’ve shed a few tears reading your post and your beautiful poem this morning x
Oh Maud, this is such a beautiful comment, thank you so much for sharing. There is something very poignant about holding something a loved one touched and used, I can imagine your friend's wooden spoon touches your heart every time you pick it up. Kitchens are such very special places for making memories, cooking and food have a way of binding people together, for me cooking is not just about giving friends or family something to eat, it is much deeper than that and I often find myself thinking of my mum when I cook, especially if I am making something I remember from my younger days. Precious memories indeed. Thank you again, Maud. x
Now it’s letting me comment! Just wanted to say what a beautiful poem!
Thank you very much Gina. ❤️ I think Substack has a few glitches this morning. x
Gosh, I enjoyed reading that. Like you, I have never thrown out a wooden spoon. These days, I rummage through the drawer to find my short handled one that has a smiley face cut into it. Feels like a friend
Jane
Thank you very much for your comment, Jane. Now I want a wooden spoon with a cut-out smiley face! x
I agree, wooden spoons are indispensable and also very tactile and beautiful in my opinion. Like you, I have quite an assortment but can't ever remember buying one. There must be some sort of magic attached to them! A lovely poem too, Lindsey and beautiful memories of your mum x
Aah, thank you Annie. There’s nothing that quite matches up to a gold old wooden spoon is there, I can imagine your kitchen is full of beautiful, well used utensils. Isn’t it strange, I really don’t ever remember going into a shop to buy one, perhaps there is a wooden spoon fairy, Annie! ❤️🙏
I absolutely love this post. It is so beautifully written and shows the power and creativity of writing so well. Maybe an idea I will use to write about just one simple thing. Thank you as ever Lindsey ❤️
What a wonderful comment to receive this morning, Jo, thank you so very much. Sometimes inspiration is hard to find so picking one little thing can focus the mind a bit, it’s often the most mundane things that have the best stories! x
What wonderful story celebrating the humble wooden spoon, which I also would not be without in the kitchen. I have lived alone for about the last 35 years and I almost never bake, so just a couple of wooden spoons is enough for me. However, almost two years ago I got a whippet, who was just a little puppy then, and his name is Richie. Richie, who is otherwise pretty good, will steal anything he can reach on the kitchen counter, and he has made off with so many of my wooden spoons, even though I do try to remember to place them out of his reach. Just as you say, there is nothing that can replace a wooden spoon for stirring soups and casseroles, etc. Just this week, Richie got my latest wooden spoon, the second of two I bought a couple of months ago. Now when I shop for a new one I always buy two, so that I will still have one next time Richie steals the first one. Now the last two are both gone.
I will just mention that I don't have any of my mother's old cooking utensils. Unlike me, my mother didn't like cooking. She was a superb dressmaker though, and I am still wearing a toweling dressing gown she made in the 80's and a sundress, made about the same time. I wore the dress on a recent holiday and got some compliments. Mum passed away 24 years ago, but when I wear those things I feel like I am being with her, and especially with the dress like I am taking her out.
Oh I absolutely loved reading this Glenys, thank you so much for taking the time to write such a wonderful comment. Richie the wooden spoon thief sounds like a great character, I wonder if he chews them to pieces or hides them somewhere? It must feel lovely to wear the clothes your mum made and I can imagine that feeling of your mum being by your side when you are wearing the dress. My mum used to knit me a lot of jumpers in my late teens, I still have one which is a bit holey now and regret not keeping more of them. Thank you again Glenys for such a fabulous read. x
Beautiful poem Lindsey. The villanelle is such a gorgeous form for remembrance, well done. 👍🏼
That's very kind Lynn, thank you. I think it will be a while before I write another one 🤣. Thank you for commenting, your support and encouragement really does mean a lot, thank you. x
I loved the wooden spoons too. I used to use my nan’s as my go-to, until it completely wore out and split in two!
I've never had that happen, can you imagine the meals that must have made!
Good morning Lindsey
What a lovely post to read while having my breakfast. I too have a large collection of wooden spoons in an old earthenware pot by my old Aga . And like you I have my favourites. I also have a few smaller ones in a smaller jug on the otherside of my Aga these are mainly for cakes and so that my husband who makes his porridge very early in the morning uses these as opposed to the ones yellowed by turmeric curries. But as he is the main curry maker in this house (it’s his specialty) he also uses whatever is to hand so the porridge /cake stirrers can often end up in the curry ugh!!
I have quite a few utensils from my mums kitchen too and they are very precious and very worn so don’t get used very often but I love opening the drawers and seeing them there. Loved your villanelle what lovely memories you have especially dancing with your mum in the kitchen and how lovely that memory is now in your poem.
Have a lovely day
Liz xx
Turmeric can be such a pain, it stains everything doesn't it Liz, I have just started taking it as a supplement and wondered if it is turning my insides orange! How lovely to have a chief curry maker, we eat lots of curries too, a good curry is one of my favourite meals and for vegetarians like yourself they really do make the most delicious dishes with just vegetables, we had a cauliflower one a few days ago, fabulous. Those small things we have from our mums are so precious, I have my mum's old aluminium colander that she had as a wedding present in 1952, I wouldn't part with it for all the tea in China. Have a good day, I am thinking now what to have for dinner! Lots of love x
Lovely post, I'm a real fan of wooden spoons too, though I don't have as many as you do.
Your villanelle is excellent, it's a tricky poetic form and sometimes feels forced, but yours flows beautifully.
Oh thank you so much, goodness they are hard! I can see why you don't see them very often, but I did actually enjoy the process. I think I will wait a while until I attempt another one! Have a good day, Juliet and thank you for your comment. x
You have a real way with words …… prose and poetry! I love to read what you write!
That was quick, Shirley! Thank you, that's a lovely comment to start the day!
Just happened to be on my phone! I’d like to say I’m on the ball but …… 🤣
Thank you Lisa, you are so kind for restacking x
A wonderful poem and a paen to wooden spoons. I have a small collection of wooden spoons, half a dozen, some decades in age. I use them all the time. I also have a wooden rolling pin. I tried using one made of some other material, but it broke after a few years.
What a glorious poem, all the better for its style. How wonderful to stumble across your topic, inspiration is all around.
I have to own up to breaking a few wooden spoons, I think I’m heavy handed. Although I have that has never been used and never will be. It’s signed by Jane Asher!
There’s something so very comforting about the humble wooden spoon 😊
Such wonderful memories from a simple wooden spoon Lindsey. My kitchen walls are adorned by old rattan and willow baskets passed down via my husband’s family and mine. One is especially special as my great, great-grandmother Hannah Phillips, a mother of 5, used to walk many fields during harvest times on the farm with basketfuls of food and tea. Andrew’s grandmother however used them as linen and laundry baskets whilst I’m using them now on a daily basis to garden, shop and store things. I’m so pleased that you mention our most revered Welsh poet Dylan Thomas whose poetry is sublime in so many ways. ‘Do not go gentle into that good night’ is such a classic but my favourite is his play for voices ‘Under Milk Wood’ narrated by the late, Richard Burton. Have a listen if you have time ❤️🙏