Festive seasonal salt and pepper shakers.
Cole: I hate our salt and pepper shakers. (the other night at dinner)
Me: Excuse me?
Cole: I hate our salt and pepper shakers.
Me: All of them?
Cole: All of them.
Me: You hate all our festive, seasonal salt and pepper shakers? That is pretty harsh. Even the flamingos?
Cole: Mom, I feel like I’m going to flatten them every time I pick them up. How do you expect me to shake this?
Me: They are a little delicate. You have to be gentle.
Cole: Mom, salt and pepper shakers are meant to be turned upside and shaken.
Me: Gently. What about the peacocks? Those are sturdier.
Cole: I broke the plume on one.
Me: You did? That’s awful. How did that happen?
Cole: I used it.
Me: You are too rough with things. Can it be glued?
Cole: Mom, we need useful salt and pepper shakers.
Me: I love our salt and pepper shakers. What about the seahorses?
Cole: (cue: rolling eyes): The salt has one hole. One hole. Why can’t we just have regular salt and pepper shakers like a normal family?
Me: So ordinary. You always loved Mr.and Mrs. Leprechaun.
Cole: They don’t work. The stoppers fall out when you shake them.
Me: They are so cute.
Cole: Mom, they are just supposed to dispense salt and pepper. They aren’t cute when they swamp your food with salt or pepper.
Me: (sigh) What do you suggest?
Cole: I could order some beautiful, earthy, wooden salt and pepper shakers from Amazon. They would go nicely with your pottery and be a real asset to any meal you fix.
Me: They are going to be ugly, aren’t they?
Cole: I will be able to pick them up without worrying about a wing or a foot breaking off. They will work.
Me: Fine. But the new shakers are an early Christmas present.
Cole: Mom, it’s August.
Me: I’ll remember. And speaking of Christmas, during the holidays we use Mr. and Mrs. Claus. Or no deal.
Cole: Fine. I can order them?
Me: Go ahead.
When the package arrived from Amazon, Cole was as excited as the day I finally admitted the toothpaste tube was empty and agreed to a new tube. Do you think I’m spoiling him?
When did it happen? When did my cute little boy who loved switching out the festive, seasonal salt and pepper shakers grow up and become such a guy?
Odd Loves Company!
The video is cut off at the end because my phone rang and I felt Cole had more than made his point.
For the record: I do not collect salt and pepper shakers, I just enjoy a pretty table and I am of the opinion that my seasonal salt and pepper shakers while not all together useful are festive and add to the ambiance of my table.
Very funny. I think a compromise is in order. Use the sturdy, manly salt and pepper shakers for everyday and use the festive ones on the actual holiday or maybe the day before, day of, and day after the holiday.
Those flamingo shakers are fabulous but I would worry about everyday use. Guys can be such brutes.
Guys are brutes and that is the problem. Thank you the flamingo shakers are fun.
Compromise seems to be the way to go so I will do my part to make the transition to the new ugly shakers as smooth as possible but it is not going to be easy.
Cole is right. Salt and Pepper shakers should be big, and shake worthy. Looks like he picked out a good pair.
Traitor! Ha, wait until the next time you need Sunday dinner help.
Cole is ungrateful for your providing a festive way to season his food???? What is wrong with him? I love them! I have a couple sets of teapot ones I could contribute… Just saying. And the new one, IMHO, is ugly.
I know! Where have I gone wrong? Tell me? Tea pot salt and pepper shakers? Interesting. Sniff, our new ones are so ugly. Of-course, Cole is insisting they are useful and attractive in a simple way.
Those salt and pepper shakers are so cute. Geri ^ is right use them for special occasions. Cole might appreciate them more if he doesn’t have to use them everyday. I’m impressed that you were using the good stuff instead of putting it away for special occasions, but s/p shakers take a lot of abuse. The new one’s are nice but they lack cute.
Good point. I bet he misses my fun shakers but no matter how he fusses they are put away until the next holiday or right moment of my choosing. I use and wear everything, I’ve never been a fan of waiting for special occasions to pull out the good stuff.
Ordinary best describes the new s/p shakers.
Sorry to side with the guys here, but perhaps Domer is wearing off on me. I, too, love the big, manly, useful S&P shakers!
Not that seasonal ones aren’t cute. But they’re not practical, and I’m a very practical Virgo. Corks shouldn’t come out, users shouldn’t have to worry about breaking a beak or dumping a shakerful of salt onto one’s mashed potatoes. You get my drift, right?
Sigh. It’s tough sitting on the fence!
Fine. Be that way. I agree about the corks but a gentle shake does not lead to a beak falling off. I am raising a brute. :-D.
Ok. I’ll admit he looks a little silly shaking salt from the flamingos. It might not be so awful having ordinary salt and pepper shakers for everyday and using the FUN ones for holidays and Holy Days of Obligation! 😀
As a collector or s/p shakers I will offer the opinion that there is room for both the manly and precious s/p shaker. As suggested above one can be used for everyday and the others for special occasion.There is no reason a “guy” can’t learn to shake a flamingo gentle as well as take aim with the more industrial strength shaker. Stoppers are easily replaced. Both are practical depending on the situation and circumstance. Cole should be grateful that he does not have to dispense his seasonings with silver spoons dipped gentle in a tiny bowl.
It’s good not collect, I have boxes of s/p shakers that I’m slowly but surely giving away and only keeping few favorites. I’ll look and see if I have an Odd one that I can send you.
Enjoy your posts.
Thanks for dropping by Peggy! Obviously this is a subject you know a lot about so I appreciate your impute and will be sure to mention to Cole about little bitty silver spoons! And your right both kinds of shakers are practical depending on the circumstances.
Odd shakers? Intriguing.
Glad you were in our odd neighborhood.
Maybe he could knit seasonal covers for the manly shakers as a compromise.
After all these years and that never even occurred to me. You are so smart! Now step away from the Waldorf organic chocolate—way back…. 😀 Do you knit?
P.S. Come to think of it….this could be a very funny joke. Wheels turning 😀
I love the idea of knotting covers for the salt shakers.
Me too! I put the wheels in motion. I’ll keep you posted 😀
After reading all the comments about knitting covers I have to share that we had some of those grinding ones that always leaked salt and pepper on the table when they were not in use. Aaron said we needed to figure out a way to trap the salt and pepper so I made little fabric cozies for their “bottoms”. I can still see them—-the fabric was a light blue plaid and I just sewed some elastic around the top to secure them on the shakers when they were not in use. So the cover is not far off in my mind. The ones we have now we got in Australia and they are the battery operated kinds with lights because you know it is important to see what you are grinding onto your food. They also came with little saucers so the excess falls into the little plastic saucer—-the cover turned into a saucer! So if I could make cozie bottoms I am sure you can make seasonal covers!
How did I miss your comment!! I will look for battery operated s/p shakers…so glad I did not miss it entirely
all salt & pepper shakers have a place & purpose. those are mighty cute seasonal shakers, but for everyday use, i believe something more sturdy would work better. i’d be afraid of ruining the sets! remember……i am a function over form type person!
by the way, merry christmas, cole!
Hahahahaha.
I have the solution….. Place the new ones in front of Cole to use, and you use the ones of your choice. Walla… problem solved.
Walla. Could work!