Every kitchen, I have been told, has a "catch-all drawer." Though I doubt that everyone is as disorganized as all that, it certainly would have been true for our kitchen, except for the fact that we now have TWO catch-all drawers in our kitchen, given that the first one was full to overflowing long ago. The second one nears that point, and thus it will soon require that someone do something about that. The logical thing would be to dump the drawers, transfer most of the contents to the waste bin, and start over.The main trouble with that is that every time we throw something out, two days later we want that very item. And this is true even if that item has not been used or even seen in several years. Why do we do this? There are three hardware stores within a mile of our house, and there are probably no items in the drawers that would cost more than seven dollars to replace, and most of them a buck or so.* Ooh, empty drawers! What a concept.
Yet the idea of empty drawers brings to mind this as well. BBBH frequently refers to the kitchen as a one-butt kitchen, which I have come to realize is her way of telling me to get out of it. She bemoans the fact that there is not enough storage space, there is not enough counter space, and so on. My suggestion that storage space could be better utilized if some of the items were, well, disposed of, is not well received. See previous paragraph in re what happens when something is discarded. Also, remind me to keep my mouth shut about the kitchen.
*Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without.
Word of the day: disorganized
7 comments:
No matter the size of the kitchen or the number of drawers, the occupants of a house tend to expand their belongings to fill the space. More drawers -more junk.
We have a junk drawer too...but only ONE. And either Joe or I gets frustrated with it about once or twice a year, thus leading to a major overhaul....and tossing. (We are willing tossers) But...stuff just sort of gravitates to that darn drawer! Ugh.
I love the "One Butt Kitchen!" We have one of those! I think I shall use that term moving forward. Thank you, BBBH!
Definitely 'one butt kitchen'. We have a small kitchen and while husband does not assist in preparing meals he does help with clean-up. It always seems when I am doing mad crazy things in the kitchen he needs to be in there for some reason. Oh heck, even when he is helping with clean-up he manages to be exactly where I need to be. It's a no-win situation.
There are 2 shallow drawers in the china cabinet in the dining room - those are our junk drawers - stamps, extra keys, nail clippers and assorted stuff like that including replacement hands for a clock we haven't had in years. (Interesting that the clock came with extra hands.)
I have to be extra careful when delving into our junk drawer. There are items in there that could hurt tender hands.
Vee, immutable law: clutter expands to fill all available space.
Lin, BBBH says you are welcome to the expression. Perhaps a catch-all drawer is a good idea, after all. At least the stuff is not lying around who knows where.
Grace, we had to laugh. BBBH says your experiences with a husband in the kitchen mirror hers exactly. I have found myself in need of an extra hand now and then, but I've never known a clock to need them.
Chuck, care is always warranted. I noticed yesterday that I had inadvertently place a butcher knife sharp up in the knife drawer. Not good.
That's why we a knife block in the kitchen with a slot for each blade and one for the steel.
Chuck, "But the countertop-- I don't have enough counter space now."
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