At the age of eighteen I went off to university with a trunk full of stuff – but not necessarily the stuff I needed. Indeed, I quickly discovered that I was going to have to do a bit of my own cooking (no food was provided in halls of residence on a Saturday night… goodness only knows why). And so, I made my way to Woolworths and purchased some essentials – a plate, a bowl, some cutlery, a small saucepan and a wooden spoon. Over the years the crockery got broken, the handle fell off the saucepan (although only about four years ago) and the cutlery disappeared into anonymity amongst all the knives, forks and spoons in the kitchen. But the wooden spoon survived.
For 33 years I have used that wooden spoon regularly – it has stirred sauces, beaten butter and sugar to make cakes, pressed fruit through sieves, agitated baked beans as they heat (often in that original little pan) and been played like a tiny fake guitar by Mr Snail. Its colour changed over the years and recently flaws had stated to show. I’ve certainly had my money’s worth out of it and its environmental footprint has been tiny. So, I was sad but unsurprised when It finally split into two as I was washing it the other day.
oh dear
So farewell old faithful spoon… when I bought you I could never have envisaged you (or me) getting so old. Your final contribution to our household will be that your cremation will provide energy to heat the water for a cup of tea.
And hello brand new spoon – not wooden this time, but bamboo. I wonder how long you will last.
do you think it will outlast me?
The Snail of Happiness 
nanacathy2
/ December 3, 2018Lovely story of your sturdy spoon. I can beat it though- mine must be 40+ years. We bought a frying pan when we were students in Manchester, still going strong 45 years old.
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The Snail of Happiness
/ December 3, 2018Oh I’m jealous… perhaps you treated yours better than I did.
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Laurie Graves
/ December 3, 2018Like Nana Cathy, I have wooden spoons that are over 40 years old. And I will be sad when they go. May your new spoon last for many, many years.
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The Snail of Happiness
/ December 3, 2018I do have another that I think my mother gave to me and this one may be older. I will be very interested to see how well the bamboo does in comparison.
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Laurie Graves
/ December 3, 2018Yes, yes!
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Nice Piece of Work
/ December 3, 2018Made me smile 🙂
My parents bought a little General Electric fridge in 1961, in the UK, and brought it with them to SA in 1970. It’s never stopped working and never needed a repair – still going strong! Small and dated (vintage?), it’s the sweetest thing – and born in the same year that I was….
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tialys
/ December 3, 2018I trust Mr. Snail will still be able to get a tune out of the new one.
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thecontentedcrafter
/ December 3, 2018RIP wooden spoon! I have a now retired wooden spoon that I stopped using several years ago as it had become thinned and fragile looking, but I couldn’t bear to throw it out. It is the spoon my baby daughter used to play drums on the pots and pans with……….. She is now 49.
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wybrow1966
/ December 3, 2018I have a wooden spatula of about 30 years – does that count!
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Ann Pole
/ December 3, 2018Love it! I’ve my mums table spoons – no longer ‘spoon’ shaped, but precious all the same.
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Wild Daffodil
/ December 3, 2018Farewell faithful spoon – honoured to the last!
I still have 6 Sabatier kitchen knives and a Kenwood Mixer that still works perfectly all given to me as wedding presents in 1972. The mixer has always sat on my kitchen worktop and feels like an old friend. My fridge/larder is 42 years old, another faithful friend.
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The Snail of Happiness
/ December 4, 2018I love these long-lived things in the kitchen. I only got round to buying a free-standing mixer about 10 years ago, but I’m hoping it sees me out (it’s a Kenwood).
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TammiePainter
/ December 4, 2018Who knew a spoon could stir up (sorry) such fond memories. i have a wooden spoon from my great grandmother, but am too afraid to use it. A woman from Mr Husband’s work, however, took some wood from a maple tree we had heavily pruned last year and carved us a spoon from it…I’ve already stained it with turmeric to a lovely yellow :))
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The Snail of Happiness
/ December 4, 2018Oh, I love a turmeric stained spoon
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arlingwoman
/ December 4, 2018I have some wooden spoons that must be…oh, from the 80’s. I love things that last like that. I hope your bamboo spoon lasts as long!
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The Snail of Happiness
/ December 5, 2018I used it for the first time last night – hopefully the first of very many
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KerryCan
/ December 5, 2018I love seeing the comments–how attached we all are to our old spoons and whatnot! I’m the same–I can look around the kitchen and feel nostalgic.
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katechiconi
/ December 6, 2018I have no idea why I didn’t get a notification for this post, but I’m here now 🙂 I’m not sure I have any wooden spoons that old, but I certainly have my favourites: one large, one small and two different spatulas. Mind you, I have two Le Creuset casseroles which are now 37 years old and going strong still and I use my mother’s rolling pin, now aged to a satiny smooth perfection. Who knows how old it is, but I suspect it’s lasted so well because of regular applications of buttery pastry or scone dough 🙂
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The Snail of Happiness
/ December 6, 2018I hope that I last just as well as a result of regular encounters with buttery dough!
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katechiconi
/ December 7, 2018It should keep your surface smooth and glowing, if the rolling pin’s anything to go by!
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woodenservingspoonset
/ February 8, 2019I have some old pair of wooden spoons and great memories with it. Keep posting stuff like that!
Hope you will have great experience with bamboo spoon 🙂
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The Snail of Happiness
/ February 8, 2019It’s doing fine so far!
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woodenservingspoonset
/ February 15, 2019So true.. 🙂
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