Wednesday, July 8, 2015

Thinning the Herd: Making Friends With the Cow

Years ago, many years ago, one of my friends, someone I knew but perhaps not well enough to be considered a very close friend, came to visit. She stayed with me for several days, at her own invitation.

In my kitchen was a butter dish, one that my grandmother had just given to me, and in it I had butter. But unlike a conventional American style butter dish, where the domed portion is on top of the flat platter, this butter dish was reversed. The base was the deep dish and the top, a flat piece of glass with an embossed cow, more like something you might find in Europe. I loved my new butter dish and thought it a culinary, and artistic, masterpiece.

My house guest turned over my butter dish, explaining that I was using it incorrectly and that, in fact, the cow was to be facing downward, with the domed dish on the top. I did not think this was correct and explained that my dish was different and that I liked it just the way it was. I righted the wronged butter dish and went about my day.

The next day I found the cow face down in my kitchen. I turned her over.

Bessie was face down on day three, and once again, I turned her over. When the house guest appeared in my kitchen I asked her to please quit overturning my butter dish; at this point the butter was a shamble and the cow confused. "But you are using it the wrong way, that looks ridiculous", said the house guest.

I do my best to be the kind of friend that would never turn over your butter dish.

2 comments:

Nellie said...

It sounds like you have a real treasure in that butter dish. {Not so sure about the friend.:-)} I hope the dish is still in your possession.

northsidefour said...

It is, I still have old Bessie and I am happy to report that none of my friends flip her over, she remains on top!

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