Love that Small Kitchen Appliance

A small kitchen appliance isn’t usually on my list of things that I love. However, my crock-pot has a way of reminding me of the love from special people in my life.

I have read that our olfactory senses ignite memories. When I smell roses it reminds me of grade school. My great grandmother wore a perfume called Roses, Roses. But usually the smell of food does not evoke this strong of a memory for me.

I was making a pork roast in the crock-pot for southern style barbeque sandwiches when the aroma hit me. I explored my memory bank, then I took another long sniff and I remembered.

In 2001, Tim and I took a six-week motor home trip around the country. We drove to many of my speaking engagements. For several weeks we were parked in Tim’s dad’s neighbor’s driveway. Tim’s dad had a lung removed and needed our help. It was a working trip, so I would prepare dinner early in the morning. I would put a beef roast, pork chops or pinto beans in the crock-pot in his dad’s house.

One day I noticed his dad lumbering across the grass towards the motor home. I immediately ran to the door and asked if he was okay. He told me that he needed to get out of the house because of the crock-pot. I wondered what might be bugging him about it. He said it smelled so good that he couldn't stand to stay in there. It was making him hungry!

I had taken the crock-pot with me on the trip and really felt a connection to it. It finally wore out and I bought a new one. Some of my kitchen appliances I bond with and others I don’t. The new crock-pot that I have owned for the last several years hasn’t become one of my favorites. Yesterday, I bought a new crock-pot and wondered what I would do with the old one. Then I received an email through the website, Freecycle that someone needed a crock-pot. Voila!

Today’s gift was giving away my old crock-pot to someone who will be able to make even more love with it. Hopefully, she and it will bond and create many happy memories.

In Giving,

Robin