Pots & Pans and other stuff

Here are 6 pieces of the 7 piece cookware set that I bought at Walmart’s for $12.95.

Moving into this unfurnished apartment was a challenge for me.  For some time I have been committed to not buying anything that we don’t need, anything that will add to our accumulation of junk.  But here we are, needing a place to stay that was not exorbitantly expensive, and for a short period of time.  We needed to cook for ourselves, and it was too late to go back to Florida to get pots and pans.  Funny, the last 2 years I’ve brought basic cooking utensils with me (and never needed them) on our temporary assignments, and this year I didn’t.

It was not easy for me to go to Walmart’s and buy cheap junk.  In fact, I couldn’t believe how cheap stuff was.  It’s been years since I bought pots and pans and I don’t remember what they cost, but I was astonished that one plain pot was selling for $50 and up in the Bed & Bath store.  I got a whole set for $12.95 at Walmart’s.  Are they going to fall apart on me?  Is there some poisonous element that is going to get into our food?

The cheap towels I bought were a mistake, though.  John said that when he used them this morning, the water just rolled around on his body.  What good are towels when they don’t dry?!

Someone suggested that I get a big container and pack it with basic kitchen stuff to bring each time we go on these ventures.  Maybe we need to get a camper.  I guess we’re still finding our way in this gypsy life.  I tend to want to give everything away when we leave.

This apartment is not perfect, but it will be fine for our 6 months here.  The idea that you can move into an unknown area and find an affordable dream place (like the carriage house) is just that, a dream.  It might happen, but it would be luck. 

For one thing there is the constant sound of traffic when I have the window open.  When it is cool enough I like to keep the door open to the balcony so that Jubilee can enjoy the outdoors.  And she does enjoy it.  At times, if I listen to it, I can feel a stress building in me - like a yearning for silence.  But if I go about my business I often find that I have not noticed the noise at all.   I know that prisoners are able to reach this place of peace within themselves despite the constant and crazy noise that prison involves.

The smell is getting better.  When I first opened the door of the apartment the smell of cigarette smoke was strong.  Nauseatingly strong.  The man who was moving the rental furniture noticed it.  All of my immediate neighbors went into the apartment and said it was awful.  The apartment had been painted, the carpeting and window blinds had been replaced, the only place where the smell could be was in the vents.  The furniture man himself went to the office and told them how to fix it, saying that they would believe him before they would believe me.  Within an hour the maintenance guy was over with some stuff to blow through the vents.

It’s still somewhat sweet” smelling in here, but, like the traffic noise, not intolerable.  I’m going to see if they have incense at the grocery store today.  Or cook curry.