I’m amidst spring cleaning and purging of unwanted items. When I was in my kitchen cleaning out drawers and cabinets, I began to seriously debate butter knives. I have six butter knives and six steak knives. Do I really need to keep the butter knives? Can all my cutting while eating needs be accomplished with just the steak knives?

Show of hands:

Who thinks butter knives are necessary for everyday use? Who think butter knives are outdated?

And while we are talking about knives…

The week of Mother’s Day sees three kinds of posts:

  1. Those who ignore it completely
  2. Those that embrace it fully
  3. Those who remind us that maybe we shouldn’t be celebrating Mother’s Day

Every time someone writes something disparaging about Mother’s or Mother’s Day, they are writing against women. If a man writes something bad about mothers/mothering we call him a misogynist and cancel him. If a woman writes something bad, we call her a feminist and put her on the cover of a magazine. Why do we feel the need to sabotage ourselves? I have a rocky relationship with my Mother- this does not mean that I don’t think others who have better relationships with their Moms shouldn’t talk about it- in fact, I’d say it means we need to talk about it MORE. We know how bad parenting can affect us personally, so shouldn’t we work on it? To begrudge someone because you lack something they have is envy. If you live your life envying others, you will never be content or happy. You will just be the person who is looking for something external to make their life better. Why do we feel the need to tear down something that someone else might be proud of?

And while we are still talking about knives…

A few weeks ago someone told me to stop following them because I wasn’t positive (there will be a full post on this in a few months). The other day I saw that this blogger had posted the most negative comment on someone else’s blog. I made a very passive aggressive comment back to the blogger. Not my finest moment, but maybe if we find something bad about another, we should look to ourselves to see if we are the same way.

86 thoughts on “Anything Can Happen Friday: Knives”

  1. I have trouble buttering my bread with a steak knife so I would keep the butter knives. Others may feel differently. (Also I never give a visiting child a steak knife as they can be dangerous)

    Liked by 5 people

    Reply

  2. I think you need a few butter knives . And I think the Mother’s Day social media battle is bizarre and dysfunctional like so many other social media battles. Can’t we just be happy for other people?!

    Liked by 7 people

    Reply

  3. I use butter knives & steak knives for different things so I would say to keep all 12 knives.

    Regarding Mother’s Day:

    It’s a day to honor any woman who has been a mother to us whether by birth or circumstance.

    It’s not a day to bash women or praise the single dads who “do it all”. Why must people force a holiday to meet their criteria. There’s no law that says we have to celebrate or even pay attention to every holiday that pops up on the calendar or our social media feed. If the celebration doesn’t apply to you, please feel free to go about your day as you normally would.

    END RANT

    Liked by 4 people

    Reply

  4. First, you do need butter knives. Steak knives can be too aggressive when buttering soft rolls. How embarrassing it would be for you should a guest ask for a butter knife, “Do you have a butter knife? I need to butter this delicious roll.” And you would have to reply, “I had butter knives, but I gave them all away.” This would put the guest in such an awkward position. He or she would surely need a moment before replying so as to remain polite. Mother’s Day – I didn’t post on it this year, not purposely ignoring it, but rather just busy with other stuff. Whatever people do with regards to this is fine with me. Lastly, I would not ask someone to stop following me; I would just remove them from following. Of course, the person can follow again, but it may be awhile before he or she notices. I hope you keep the butter knives.

    Liked by 4 people

    Reply

    1. I actually have two sets of flatware…a “good” set that’s service for twelve including every accessory they have, and the everyday set my family uses. We almost never have bread with a meal, so I don’t think my husband would mind

      Liked by 3 people

      Reply

  5. Butter knives could never be outdated, in my opinion. It’s the easiest way to spread not just butter, but peanut butter, etc. Mother’s Day was too sad for me this year. My sister burying her son just a few days before put a damper on everything. But the family was very understanding, since we were all grieving. I do have to say that I think Mother’s Day can spur a lot of different emotions from people. We need to be understanding of those who maybe didn’t have (or still don’t have) a good relationship with their mom. Everyone’s story is different and should be respected. Now regarding the person who asked you to unfollow them for not being positive…that’s ironic. Asking you to unfollow them is a pretty negative way to act!

    Liked by 5 people

    Reply

    1. I’m all for understanding. However…I don’t like the notion of dismissing something cause things aren’t equal. We are a world of haves and have nots, and we need to learn how to deal with our own inadequacies without belittling others. As to the comment from the blogger…yeah…I know…

      Liked by 2 people

      Reply

  6. Keep the butter knives – just chiming in! I understand your frustration, however. I’m a mega purger – meaning: it’s part of my everyday life, but then there’s times when the urge to purge possesses me with overwhelming force. When that happens, it’s way too easy to toss (actually everything but the most tattiest of stuff gets given away in some form) anything in my sight. Case in point: those butter knives would be targeted for at least a re-placement to another area of the kitchen and/or keeping just 4 or 6 in such a fury. However, my mature self tames the purge-urge at such times and takes a breath, steps away and then focuses on other stuff to wildly purge before returning to the scene…
    I’m no New Yorker, but our living conditions are tiny, too so I get it about those bulky, space hogging butter knives. HA!

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

  7. Total opposite here: 6 butter knives and 0 steak knives. Almost no meat lives here and on the rare occasion a butter knife works fine. Would you use the steak knives for spreads then? The shape is not conducive for spreading in my opinion- but perhaps you don’t need that feature. Honestly LA, you do you and put surgical scalpels in your drawers if you like! I am leaving the rest of the post alone given my current irritated state of mind.

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

    1. I think I’m keeping one knife for spreading. To be fair, I’m not much of a spreader… and the irritation…obviously I’ve been irritated this week

      Liked by 2 people

      Reply

  9. I guess I am not clear on what constitutes a butter knife. I have regular flatware knives that can spread butter and have a bit of aeration for cutting. Steak knives pretty much only come out for steak. We keep a small spreader with the butter dish for buttering toast in the morning.

    I ignore Mother’s Day like I ignore just about every other “holiday.” And I mostly ignore posts about them, too. To each his/her own!

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

  10. We have two drawers full of cutlery and use much of it. The little knives, which I presume are butter knives, are used to spread things both in the kitchen and on the table. I’d hate to live without them.

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

    1. I’m trying to think about my spreading needs. I have a little butter serving palate I’ll call it. Thinking I can get rid of five butter knives and save one for spreading purposes

      Like

      Reply

  13. The butter knives have me in their corner – as for comment disparagers whether Mother’s Day or otherwise they can …well you know what. Holidays such as these including Valentine’s Day and birthdays have never been a big deal in our lives here so….

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

  14. I like both my butter knives and steak knives. I don’t eat red meat so a steak never, ever enters my kitchen. Even so, I always use those knives every day. They are perfect for cutting sandwiches, slicing avocados etc. And What would I do without my butter knives? I also use them daily. In fact, if I need to stir my coffee I’ll often use a butter knife when a teaspoon is unavailable. So I love all my knives. Plus they match my every day flatware . And they look pretty when I open my flatware drawer. My fancy flatware is housed in an antique English flatware cabinet. Yes, an 18th century cabinet made exclusively for silverware. It houses my grandmother’s silver, my fancy gold flatware, and handed down silver serving pieces. I treasure everything in that cabinet. Nope, I couldn’t part with any of that. When I die, my sons can decide if they want it. But, I love knowing that I hold a key to my ancestors and how they lived in their handed down possessions. Plus, I enjoy looking at that cabinet and I know there are family treasures inside. It puts a smile on my face whenever I look at it.

    I also love Mother’s Day. I get sentimental about it because my mom has passed on, but it’s a day where my grown sons visit no matter where they are and applaud me for raising them well. And yes, I gladly take all the kudos for a job well done. I worked really hard at raising my children, being a working mom and doing the majority of it on my own. So now that I’m in my 70’s I can bask in the warm glow of appreciation. I was too busy to do that in my younger days.

    I raised my oldest as a divorced single mother in the mid 1970’s and that was no easy feat. He grew up to be an extremely caring man, a good husband, great father and is a wonderful son. My youngest lives out of state, but he drove down and spent the week with me. It was glorious to have him home for a while. He’s amazing too. His father died when he was in college and he’s done so well in his career. He’s a caring and kind man as well.

    So yes! I love Mother’s Day. And anyone who pokes fun at it is, in my opinion, is not aware of all the challenges it takes to be a good mom. Life is never easy for any mother. So people who don’t get that are naive or clueless when it comes to understanding the value of what it takes to be a good mom . And while all mothers aren’t perfect, the majority of them work really hard at trying to be the best mom they can be. The job deserves respect. So I say, YES, celebrate mothers! Why not? Let’s appreciate the women who have nurtured us. Yay Moms!

    Liked by 4 people

    Reply

      1. I so agree. We are ALL unique. I remember going to the play Auntie Mame in the 1950’s as a little girl and wanting to be just like Mame when I grew up. She was so much more exciting than my own mother. ( Especially the 1958 film version with Rosalind Russel). As it turned out I was probably a combination of creative, dramatic Mame mixed with a bit of my mother and a little dash of actress Donna Reed. (Who was considered the ideal mom in the late 1950’s), and also added with a touch of hippie rocker chick.
        You are correct,, in that we are all different and I believe we all are a blend of a variety of evolving motherhood styles.

        Liked by 2 people

  15. Knives are like ammunition to a gun. I am well aware that we have guns in the home but they don’t work unless triggered. As long as you know how to hold a knife properly, you are good. I know what you mean. The other day, I was cleaning my work room, and I hid the pair of scissors as I thought they might be sharp and someone unwittingly might pick it up and do something with it. I have had a few more aggressive children in my mix this year. Summer is almost here.

    Liked by 4 people

    Reply

  16. Oh my gosh, someone actually told you to stop following them because you aren’t positive enough??!
    I can’t think about knives for I am having trouble wrapping my mind around that. LOL! And honestly I am glad you responded to them leaving a negative comment. 😊

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    1. She didn’t like a blog I wrote…felt personally judged…and lashed out at me and told me to stop following her…whatever…though the hypocrisy kind of annoyed me

      Like

      Reply

      1. Crazy! Are we not adults on here! If she felt judged that is her problem and maybe there is something she needs to change. But how is her lashing out at you being positive?? Hypocrisy for sure. And now I can’t help but be very curious about the blog post.
        But I will wait to hear more about it from your coming post. 🙂

        Liked by 2 people

      4. LA whoever told you to stop following her was weird. First of all her response to you was unkind. Who needs that kind of toxicity anyway. Unfollow her asap! Lol
        You are entitled to your viewpoint. No matter what. I had a FB friend who friended me because I was in a British Mystery group on FB. We both liked several PBS and Acorn TV shows and she thought we had a lot in common. Well she friended me on FB but then saw I supported a woman’s right to choose and she evidently didn’t.. She went wild on me and unfriended me. I kinda was surprised but then SHE friended me. (I don’t friend anyone first unless they are related to me.) I sure wasn’t going to change my political beliefs because she shared an interest in British mysteries. People are weird sometimes. Just keep being you.
        Also, Everyone has bad days. I know after a chemo session I either get really emotional and sentimental, or everything in the world bothers me because the chemo heightens my senses so that physical or emotional pain becomes intense). So my blog answers might vary on days when my chemo side affects are glaring. But hopefully I’m not ever rude. (Gosh I hope not. Opinionated perhaps, but never intentionally rude.) This person was clearly mean to you. No excuse for that behavior!

        Liked by 3 people

      7. The blogger felt personally attacked by one of my posts…but sometimes you have to wonder why you feel attacked

        Like

  17. You must have hit a nerve. In my opinion that’s a good thing. Meanwhile I had peanut butter toast for breakfast and used a butter knife. I have too many that don’t fit in the drawer though.

    Liked by 4 people

    Reply

  19. I don’t like spreading butter or mayo, etc. with a steak knife so I use a butter knife. We still have too much silverware in general though. Hubby has a couple of “favorite” utensils that we have to keep separate from the rest so no one else uses them – LOL.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

  20. Good for you for calling the negative Blogger out! If they didn’t want you to follow or to follow you — FINE, but AS YOU SAID, then they shouldn’t make negative comments themselves if they criticized you for it. My goodness… let’s be adults, right! 🙂

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

    1. You’re poem was an ode to your mom specifically because of your shared love of horror movies. You didn’t say that mothers don’t deserve recognition because all they did was give birth

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  23. Butter knives are much understood. They have a purpose and carry out their tasks well, as do Steak Knives. I will also admit to using my mother’s butter curler from the ’40’s : it’s fun, is a talking point and impresses at dinner parties. And if I’ve cooked all day for a dinner party I want to impress.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

  24. I was happily unaware of the types of Mother’s Day posts. With all the things going on in the world, that is something people want to throw their energy into? Just be nice, everyone!

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

  25. I vote for butter knives…..I find steak knives too thin and sharp to get much butter on and I love butter, besides butter knives are fancy and I like fancy. I was unaware of the great Mother’s Day post debate too. Your last paragraph blew me away – someone told you to stop following them??? What kind of negativity is that!

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

  26. First, butter knives are needed and necessary. I am not a fan of steak knives for buttering toast. Second, completely agree. Third, I love when people label you as negative for being clear, authentic, and speaking your mind. Their comment about you shows us way more about them, than you. All one has to do is read your blog to know who you are; and it’s not a negative person, etc. My takes tonight. Have a great weekend, LA.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

  27. When I got married it was still kind of a thing to buy a set of “good silverware” which I have in a box and used to use on holidays. One of these days I will just take it out of the box and use as my next set of silverware. It has a butter knife. Otherwise I just use a regular table knife,.
    Ditto your thoughts about the Mother’s Day posts.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

  28. Has that specific blogger not learned the golden rule – if you can’t say something nice, don’t say (write) anything at all? Yes to butter knives. Yes to Mother’s Day (and however you personally feel about your Mom) and yes, to standing up when needed. Good post LA

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in:

Gravatar
WordPress.com Logo

You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. ( Log Out /  Change )

Facebook photo

You are commenting using your Facebook account. ( Log Out /  Change )

Cancel

Connecting to %s