The Indispensables

Happy Valentines .....and moving swiftly on.....

I wrapped a present today and unexpectedly I didn't get tangled and mangled with the sellotape. My big solid sellotape dispenser that I bought in the January sales has transformed my life. I love it. A little love affair with a sticky tape dispenser. Pull the tape and with a simple downward motion you have a neat little piece of the sticky stuff. No lost ends, no wishing you had a third hand. Faithful to the sticky end.

It got me thinking what other non electrical gadgets do I have in the house at 88 which enhance my life. What little domestic love affairs make life sweet? What are my indispensables?

My airer or Sheila's Maid is my number one love. I lay wet washing over it's horizontal wooden poles and pull the pulley, leave it high and there to dry. I can't resist shouting 'Hoist the main sail' as I pull on the rope to heave ho it upwards. No need to waste electricity on a drier. I love it. It is so simple. No hanging pots and pans and dried flowers from my airer. It's there for the fundamental reason of drying.

The only downfall is that although it's in a great position over a long radiator which dries the clothes quickly, that position is in the walking path of everyone who enters the kitchen. Tall bodies have to duck and weave the towels and long and short bodies alike get a look at the family's underwear. Kind of a variation of airing your dirty laundry in public except it's clean and we don't have too many scandals to air. Very unromantic.

I don't get that many letters nowadays other than bills and certainly no love declarations. When I do receive a handwritten missive I get quite excited. I use my wrought iron letter opener, shaped at the top in a heart. My friend bought it for me a long time ago and I love it. It's an over used phrase by William Morris but nevertheless a good one: "Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful." This is useful and beautiful. It elegantly rips through the top of the envelope and I dip in for my letter. I unfold it. I feel I'm in the golden olden days, opening a letter sent from some far away continent. I've just put down my buttered toast at breakfast after the butler has brought the post in on a silver salver, dressed in my beautiful crinoline.....that is I am in the dress and not a cross-dressing butler....that is not a cross but probably a very happy butler... intriguing thoughts.

What are your favourite love of your life, non-electrical domestic life enhancers?