Blue Bowl

I have lots of crockery and cooking equipment in my kitchen - bowls, jugs, plates etc. Some is cheapo 'when I was a student' stuff and some, like my royal doulton and midwinter dinner services, are very expensive. But there are some pieces I have that are special not because of their cost or what brand they are but because they have sentimental value or are perfect for a particular kitchen activity.

I have a small studio ceramic jug that is used for measuring rice because a jugful is exactly what we need for two. It is also great for measuring milk when making doughs and batters. It isn't a measuring jug, its just that it is the right size for what I need it to do. And I have a wooden spoon that is my 'porridge' spoon - it is the right size for my smallest saucepan and is the one I always use.

Well, today I broke one of my blue earthenware bowls. I got given two blue bowls wth matching squat chubby mugs by my Aunt Rose when Andy and I were first engaged made in Arran. I don't know which pottery although now I have broken one I wish I did. The bowls were used for our breakfast because they are just the right size for Andy's muesli and my porridge. I have a thing about bowls - it is really difficult to find a breakfast bowl that isn't either too shallow (so the milk etc splashes about) or too deep (and your food seems to disappear into a bottomless pit). And these bowls were perfect. Anyway, I broke one today and it made me feel quite upset. I have my breakfast in it every day I am in Dundee.

I don't know if other folk also feel this way about what are inanimate objects but when you have found a piece of kit that does exactly what you want it to do and then it breaks or is lost for me that is unsettling. I guess we will now fight over who gets to use the left-behind bowl.