A High Gas Bill, A Cold Kitty, and Etiquette


I thought this was a pretty night sky the other evening. 

We had some good solid rain on Sat night - I enjoyed it. I've been keeping the house quite cool after getting my PG&E bill - It went up $163 in one month. Plus my electric bill went up by $90. I'm turning the heat off at night - throwing an extra blanket on the bed - and keeping the house at 67 during the day. It's not so bad, once you get used to it and I sleep better in cold temps anyway - although I do seem to be aching more. In the evening, I microwave a heating gel pack and place it under the blanket when I am sitting on the sofa and it really helps. 



Of course, Susie really knows how to keep warm. She covers her little face and nose. She has been laying very close to me at night in bed and one night she wanted under the covers. During the day, she gets in between the covers on the bed - and the bed has been made - So you go in, and see this "lump" on the bed. The other day, she stayed there all day. 




I'm always grateful when my dear husband helps out with the dishwasher - I've been noticing that the smaller salad forks (as well as the teaspoons) are always with the bigger ones in the silverware drawer.  All piled up on top of each other. I finally asked him about it and he says he can't tell the difference. and,

"Why do we have so many forks and spoons?"

I showed him, there was a difference in size. He wasn't impressed. 

"Why do we have to have those little forks anyway?" 

I told him, one is a salad fork and the other is a dinner fork.  He doesn't get it.  

Am I the only one who uses the smaller fork for a salad? 



Salad Forks vs Dinner Forks



My mom was very big on etiquette at the table, with the napkin on her lap, no elbows on the table, the dinner plate, the salad plate - cup and saucer, etc. So I picked it up from her, from a young age by setting the table. I don't recall her ever actually sitting me down to teach me. 

I don't think younger people even know about table etiquette anymore and I've noticed. Sometimes I feel like I am a dinosaur. All the things I was taught or picked up on as a child, are of no use anymore. 

I could put away half of the forks since they never get used by anyone except for me. Makes it easy on the husband when putting it all away. 


Here's one:  Cloth napkins, paper napkins, or a paper towel? 

I prefer cloth napkins for special dinners but for day-to-day, I tear off a piece of paper towel and use that as my napkin. 



24 comments:

  1. You keep your house cooler than I do, mine is at 69F. Yes, I know I'm in Canada and we normally use celsius, but we didn't switch until I was about 10 and room temperature is still 72F for me. Talk about being a dinosaur. Cats are smart, they've figured out the way to keep warm.
    I use a small fork all the time, not only for salad but for my entire meal. Ditto with small spoons. I'm not sure if it's because bigger utensils feel too big in my mouth or what the issue is. (Lots of people would tell you I have a big mouth...so who knows). I use paper napkins; I pick them up at the dollar store so they're usually themed for the season or holiday. Just a bit of cheeriness.

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    1. Before the bill I kept it at 69 - and now we're down. I hope I can see some improvement.

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  2. I have noticed that a lot of people of all ages don't put their napkin on their laps anymore. I have always done it, I guess it is just ingrained in my head. I have actually more than once been asked if I need a napkin because they do not see it on the table.
    My grandmother had the big Emily Post etiquette book at her house and I used to read through it when I was at her house. My sister in law got to it before I did when my grandmother died. My mom
    suggested I ask her for it when she found out I wanted it but I never did.
    My dad always wanted to eat his meals with the salad fork in his later years so we would always give him one when getting out utensils for dinner at my folks house.

    Leslie

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  3. Well, I have to agree with your husband, because I just use the big forks for dinner and salads. But I think that's nice that you don't let traditions die, especially the ones your mom passed on to you. When I was growing up, we had one towel for the dinner table, and my sister always laughs about that. So, I would have to say paper towels. But they are so expensive, and I get tired of buying them. My heating bill went up this month too. I think it's great that you are trying to improvise. I tend to get cold, so I guess I'll have to pay a little more during Winter. Susie looks like she's all curled up and nice and cozy.

    ~Sheri

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    1. If I have salad on my plate with my meal I use the dinner fork. I use it only when I am having a side salad or dessert.

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  4. I usually tear off half a paper towl to use as a napkin. Even though we have napkins! What a funny conversation between you and your husband, it gave me a laugh. I do have both dinner forks and salad forks. BUT they are not used in the way intended. I use the salad fork all the time, because the dinner one is too big and the handle keeps falling off the edge of my plate. Phil prefers the larger dinner fork though. You are so right about etiquette, it is almost totally out of use now! We could do with more of it. Your kitty is so sweet! Ours sleeps this way too.

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    1. Yeah that's what we do too. I used to use the small forks and spoons for my boys when they were little.

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  5. Sensible cat staying in bed all day!
    I've got a muddle of forks in the fork section - but mainly use the large for everything so I could easily get rid of the small but they are useful for grandchildren. We call them Dessert forks over here

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    1. Yeah I use the salad/dessert forks for both. But if I have salad on my dinner plate - I won't use 2 forks - I'll stay with the larger one.

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  6. I do like to set the table properly for "real dinners", like Christmas, Thanksgiving, Easter, Birthdays, anytime we have company, etc. And yes, I will use salad forks when we have salad. I also use them for desserts. I use paper napkins most of the time, the cheap kind that come in the large packs. But for company dinners and extra messy stuff like spaghetti or lasagna I will use the larger dinner size napkins, still the paper kind, but they are much nicer. Occasionally, for special dinners like Christmas or Thanksgiving I will bring out the cloth napkins, or if I was having a special tea party I would use cloth. But I don't like having all that extra laundry when it is just us. And yes, the napkin should go in the lap. My mother taught me how to set the table properly and I have always tried to do it, but now it is just the two of us and we often sit in our recliners with a TV tray and eat and watch the news or a program we enjoy together, so it doesn't really matter. LOL. We keep our heat set on 69 and our AC on 77. Our electric bill (we are all electric except for our stove, which is propane) went up by about $50. per month on the budget plan, thanks to our current government. Very hard to manage on a fixed income. But I really don't like our house any colder or hotter, so I keep it set at those temps. And here in Florida we can have heat in the mornings and back to AC in the afternoons. Thankfully our thermostat is automatic and goes between the two without me having to keep resetting it. Your kitty looks cozy!! I loved this post. I'm glad I'm not the only one who knows the difference between a salad fork and a dinner fork. Also we like soup spoons for most everything we eat with a spoon, but if I am setting the table for dinner I use the regular teaspoons, unless we are having soup. Bye for now!!

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    1. I appreciate a well set table. I always notice. We're the same way - it's just the 2 of us so we don't go all out anymore.

      Well we were colder than normal last month so I had the heat going and I'm paying for it now.

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  7. Definitely use salad and dinner forks. My husband would just ignore the salad fork ;). I use paper napkins for all but really nice formal meals. I also was taught that no one started to eat until the lady of the house sat down and picked up her fork. That tradition seems completely gone…even my husband needed reminding. Hilogene in Az

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    1. I just use the paper towel and fold in half unless we have company. On holidays I will use the cloth napkins.

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  8. Dearest Debby,
    Guess all over the country we are facing higher amounts to pay for heating, cooling, electricity and food!
    Makes us realize that several people must be really suffering because of it.
    Yes, kitties love a soft and warm beddie... The 'help' us when we're making the bed, changing the duvet cover and in winter I've been using our cotton flannel with a flat sheet below it. Pieter takes his night meds for his heart and they make him transpire on his upper body only—for a couple of hours only. So he pulls down the entire duvet and uses his beech towel wrapped around and the sheet.
    Our Dido loves to get under the duvet and snuggle against my belly but never for long. He then gets out and goes to the back or in–between the both of us...
    Our Tiggy–Tiger girl sleeps like Susie and I often do myself as does my 2nd brother. Funny habits!
    No, we have not turned the heat down as both of us need it for feeling comfortable.
    As for your table etiquette and use of silverware—so very true.
    Nowadays there is way too much thrown out of the window and for NO reason except maybe laziness. Religion is out, proper dressing (out of respect!) and sure enough table manners are GONE with the wind.
    Kudos to your Mom and so sorry that you did not get her Emily Post book but it seems to be emebedded in your mind.
    Both of us have actually never gotten accustomed to the paper plates, cups and napkins culture of the USA. It was such a stark contrast when coming from Europe and still is, even though less as they imitate the USA. Paper towels we use a lot in our kitchen!
    One of these days I have to FINALLY do my post about different forks, knives and spoons. Again, the European silverware is so different from here and I wonder WHY?!
    Did write my post about tea cups and coffee cups and it is the most visited one. https://mariettesbacktobasics.blogspot.com/2013/04/difference-between-coffee-tea-cups.html
    Hugs,
    Mariette

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  9. I worked at a fancy restaurant in college and every table we set was with the salad forks, the dessert spoons, shrimp forks, the works. I even learned when to use demitasse spoons. Maybe places like that still use them all.

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  10. My husband would not see the difference in the forks either and if I put two by his plate, would push one away and ask why it was there. Of course, I put only one fork anyway. For years, we used only cloth napkins, I found so many at thrift stores. I love to wash and fold them. We somehow got away from that and now use paper napkins or a paper towel folded. I still put my napkin in my lap. Enjoyed this post.

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    1. I always notice that on holiday dinners. Everyone but me, just pushes the other fork or spoon to the side. I place my napkin on my lap as well. It's second nature.

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  11. We keep our furnace at 67 to save money. I use paper napkins except holiday dinners when I use cloth ones. Janice

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  12. That certainly is a beautiful night sky! It's ridiculous how expensive utilities are this year! We keep our heat at 67 and then 65 at night. Most of the winter it's a little too cold to turn it completely off. We had a cat that used to crawl under the covers of the made bed too! We always use the little forks when we run out of big forks! I didn't know the little forks were for salad! We use paper napkins mostly, I buy them because I have a cute napkin/salt and pepper shaker holder on my table.

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  13. Ken uses the big fork for everything. I on the other hand use the smaller fork for salad and cake.
    We keep our heat set at 68 in the living area and 66 in our bedroom. Even though our house is small we have have 2 zoned heating.
    Do use cloth napkins for special occasions but for every day we too just use a paper towel.

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  14. Nice napkins for fancier meals and when the boys are home. Paper towel when we eat something sloppy every day.

    It is not only young people that don't know table etiquette, I had a fellow worker (she was the librarian in the school I was an Aide) who didn't know what side of the plate spoons, forks, or knives went on. One day I changed all around and she had to go back and change all to the wrong way..... Never tried to help her again.

    God bless.

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  15. Beautiful photo for sure. Our utilities went up too! Summer and winter. We have salad forks, but we keep them together and use all forks the same. I use a nice paper napkin for daily use. I agree with you on etiquette - not sure if it is taught anymore. Your cat is ADORABLE!

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  16. Since I don't serve food in courses I don't bother putting out two forks for each of us. However, the small ones come in handy for desserts.

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