November 4, 2010
While I pursue the Thanksgiving theme I was struck by an odd coincidence. We have a collection of odd sterling - wedding gifts, hand-me-downs, thrift shop treasures and eBay bargains. We have pickle forks (very handy at Thanksgiving), cake forks, ice cream forks, cruets, ladles, salt bowls, punch bowls - a vast compendium of serving implements from another time. Lady Marjorie would perhaps smile sadly at the assortment of napkin rings - which I hasten to assure her I only use for the most ceremonious occasions. She thought napkin rings were so middle class - clearly showing that the family did not have the facilities (or the staff) the wash napkins between meals...
As I was drawing today's offering, Gentle Readers, I was listening to Bill Bryson reading his new book, At Home. He was discussing the development of silverware. As I was drawing this wacky fish knife (that I will soon have a child polish for the Thanksgiving ritual) I was shocked to learn that fish knives have no purpose - they do not cut fish any better than any other sort of knife, and that most forks have 4 tines. Whoops. He had nothing to say about ice cream forks...

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