Friday, July 6, 2007

Cuts Like a Knife

I celebrated my 25th anniversary two days ago. No, make that three days; it's after 1 a.m. as I write this. We decided to get married on July 3rd because it occurred halfway between Bonnie's times of the month that season. Only when friends started complaining about us messing up their holiday plans did we realize we had picked the day before the 4th of July.

Duh.

The 25th anniversary is supposed to be the Silver anniversary. Since a quarter of a century really is quite a milestone, I considered buying something silver for Bonnie to commemorate this day. But then I didn't buy her paper on our paper anniversary (that's the first one if I remember right). I don't remember what I did buy her, but it certainly wasn't paper.

There are all sorts of other materials specific to the special year you and your honey are celebrating having been together. I don't remember what the other materials are. Just paper and silver. I think gold is eventually accounted for sometime during your years of dwindling strength. Some nosy busybody developed this list. It was probably a jewelry store. Well, actually it was more likely some store like Macy's or Gimble's. They sell/sold jewelry. But I believe they also sold stationary - which is assuredly what was intended for the paper anniversary. They also sell or sold leather (I'll bet one of those special years is named for leather), glass and crystal, and china. Yep, I'd say Macy's or Gimble's is a good bet for the authors of that lovely little tradition.

But really neither Bonnie nor I are very traditional. So I bought her some very lovely gold (yellow, not white) earrings with deep blue-green opals inset. She loves them. I knew she would.

Bonnie bought me knives. Now when you think wedding anniversary, and most especially when you think landmark wedding anniversary, you naturally think knives. Don't you?

Let me clarify. These are no ordinary Ginsu knives. These are made by Kai in Japan. They are virtual Samurai Swords of the culinary world. They are exotic looking with sinuous lines in both handle and blade and their bite is much better than their bark. I've never cut with such a sharp blade in my life. Ripe tomatoes melt at their touch. Whole onions dice fine in about ten strokes. We had in-laws over last night and I made fajitas because it was the meal with the highest number of things needing to be cut to little pieces that I could think of. I was in an ecstasy of chopping and slicing and dicing and mincing.

And I am a pro - I never drew blood. Bonnie draws blood just looking at knives. She's promised not to touch these, but I know she will as soon as my back is turned. And there will be blood drawn then. She'll drip crimson into the vegetables or meat or sandwich she's cutting at the moment. She'll throw away the contaminated food and clean up the knife and cutting board and hope I don't notice her bandaged wound. And then she really will shy away from my blades for a while. Until she gets brave and reckless again.

I got two knives that belong to a set of nine. I also got the knife block that holds all nine of them - a beautiful bamboo block that sits proudly next to my old Hinkle block. The two blades sit in their slots to the left side of the block with the other slots empty. I'll fill them. One by one, or occasionally two at a time, I'll fill those empty slots. I'll create more temptations for Bonnie.

I love my knives. Come over for dinner and I'll slice something up for you.

2 comments:

Mrs. Pallagi said...

You might be slicing a turkey for Mike and I this Thanksgiving! :)
-Mindy

Bonnie said...

Just wanted all to know I haven't actually used the knives, but I have washed them twice and was able to avoid slicing and dicing myself.