Grandma's Kitchen, continued

This Tuesday - a bittersweet day in our house - our new IKEA kitchen arrived (in boxes, of course) and I am flooded with memories of Grandma and Grandpa redoing their kitchen when I was about 10 or so? I remember the new cabinets, sink, stove, fridge, and thinking it was all so exciting. I was there the day they installed it and I shopped with Grandpa for that toaster oven they both just loved... didn't want to get a microwave at that point, he wasn't sure he cared for that kind of stuff, he said. But the toaster oven was prized. Grilled cheese sandwhiches, yummy.

I am also struck by how Grandma did so much with so little. I think I remember their kitchen installation so much because I cooked with Grandma so much when I was there. I remember laying out the bread on the new countertop and thinking it was so much easier to clean than their old one. I also remember Grandpa saying that he was the dishwasher in the house, and they didn't need a machine to do it. Hmm. It strikes me as I think of installing our new kitchen how much more gadgets we have now and so much more convenience but our meals are so less complex than they used to be. I complain about my counterspace - hence the island we bought - yet Grandma had very little counterspace and managed to do a lot with it. Of course, she also had a window over her sink, something I miss desperately in our townhouse.

So I am inspired to do much with my little kitchen. I, of course, have a microwave AND a dishwasher but maybe Grandpa will forgive me these luxuries =)