Fine, You're All Really Smart

Yes, they were salt cellars. As almost all of you knew, apparently with no confusion whatsoever. I guess my knowledge of antiques was sub-standard before living here, because I didn't know what they were.

In fact, that big salt cellar used to be just sitting on a windowsill as decoration. I had no idea it was for salt until the MiL took it down, washed it, and filled it with salt for the kitchen table. That's the one that sits at the table for communal salting at dinner or whatever. The smaller ones are the ones we use for dinner parties. Every person gets his or her own, which means there's none of that irritating jockeying for salt.

I especially hate when I'm at a big table of twelve people or something and I really want the salt but it's on the other side of the table and I don't want to interrupt conversation to ask everyone at the table to pass the salt all the way around to me. Individual salt cellars are so much better.

Salt cellars work much better than salt shakers at Blackrock. It's just too damp here, and the salt inevitably clumps and refuses to shake out. Even with rice in it. Salt cellars are the way to go.

Okay! Enough with all the formal stuff. Back to your holiday weekend and your barbecues and beer or whatever that almost certainly will not include cut-glass salt cellars.

Happy holiday Saturday, duckies!