It doesn't look like anything of extreme value, but I know it makes me smile. It's one of the few things that I own that belonged to my maternal grandmother.
My grandmother died when I was a teenager. My mother had saved many of her kitchen items so I would have them when I moved out on my own. One of the things is this simple roasting pan. It's not valuable or super expensive and one can get a similar one now days. But it means something to me because it was my grandmother's.
I've used it for many years. I've cooked roasts in it with potatoes and carrots and if that isn't comfort food, I don't know what is. I wonder how Grandma used it; probably for the same things.
On St. Patrick's Day, we watched the old movie, "The Quiet Man" and in it, the Mary Kate bemoans that her brother kept "her things." I know, I know, we shouldn't attach so much importance to things, but I get her thoughts. These items were hers, either acquired or made by her, to make her house a home. I feel the same way about this roaster and many other things. Can I live without them? Certainly. Do I want to? Not really. For many of them like this roasting pan, it makes me think of my grandma. It is a tool I use to make dinner for Rodger and me. It's simple and useable and it brings me joy. As I grow older, I'm cherishing things that are useable and worthwhile having instead of collecting things because they are lovely or I like them. Maybe my priorities are changing -- serviceable is far more important than collecting for the sake of collecting. Enough is satisfactory and with it, life is enjoying the simple things.
May 15th, 2026 at 10:03 pm 1778882604
May 18th, 2026 at 07:50 am 1779090654