Silverware

My 88-year-old grandma, whom we call Gigi, came over yesterday.  She is cleaning her house and brought me a few silver serving pieces.  I smiled and nodded through the lecture on how to keep silver clean.  Gigi is a stickler for untarnished silver.  I have heard this lecture many times.

As she wrapped up the lecture she looked at me.  "Now," she said. "Do you have silverware?"

I tried not to let the panic show on my face.  "Yes, Grandma.  I have silverware."

When I was in my teens, Gigi relaxed from her high pressure university job by going to auction sales.  She collected several sets and when I was 13 or 14, I was allowed to pick out my own set.  Grandma knew who had which set and as she auctioned away, she added to mine.  I was underwhelmed owning silver at 14, but I carted that silver to all my single girl apartments.  When I got married, I started digging it out for every little guest who came by for grilled cheese.  Why not.

Gigi has personally washed and dried my silverware at every Thanksgiving dinner at my house for the past 10 years.  As I said, she is a stickler for clean silver.  If you wash and dry it right away and put it back in its plastic in its case, it stays nicer longer.

It's not unreasonable for an 88-year-old grandma to have a lapse in memory.  Think of all the things you'd have stored in your brain by that time.

It's just unreasonable for my 88-year-old grandma to have a lapse in memory.