My Salty Mom

I have a great Mom, full of personality. She comes up and hangs out here at Cedaroma Lodge in the Spring and Fall and helps out on transition days in the summer. While Dad and I do the more physical of the jobs like putting in the docks, Mom tends to take on the headier projects requiring a bit more thinking and memory and even some organization.

This year as we add salt and pepper shakers, with salt and pepper in them for each of the cabins, Mom indicates this is her job... she will fill them, place them and generally manage them for the summer. I am tickled, glad that she has found a niche project she can put her unique talents to... Bravo Mom.

Two days ago we are having one of those rambling conversations as we organize the new stuff to go into the cabins and are looking at an spread of 12 sets of salt and pepper shakers, each different in design, number of holes and size. I ask mom which is salt, more or less holes. More, of course and I agree. More of course.

Today we go to the Farmer's Market, then the grocery to get the pepper, (I already have salt) and to a thrift shop. On the way out the door of the thrift, I notice a 10 piece kitchen set that includes salt and pepper with a blazing S for Salt, P for pepper. Salt has one hole. Pepper has 3. I am shocked. I show Mom. She thinks the set is wrong and clearly has been placed at the thrift for this fault.... I don't know.

We get home and look at the project. We test the process. Yes. Salt needs fewer holes, it comes out easier. Bigger/More holes for pepper. I go about my work. Mom goes about salting and peppering the shakers.

Oh the pain... Some have cork stoppers we can't get out and one I even push inside the shaker. As the process should be wrapping up, I discover a few sets that somehow ended up mixed up and we had to fix them. Mom is so frustrated the anger has already left and it has become a bit of a comedy. I help, we switch them all up and make everything right. Mom delivers a set to each cabin. You would think that would be the end of the story wouldn't you...

But wait, there is more! I join them for dinner in Cabin 3 and Mom proudly provides the newly filled shakers. Since this set has equal size and number of holes, I shake the first into my hand, see it is salt and set it back on the table, taking instead the pepper and give it a few generous shakes. Surprise... it's salt. I can't believe it. No way... I go back to the first shaker. Maybe I shook it wrong. Nooooooo! It's salt too. She silently hands me the pepper mill and I grind fresh pepper on my veggies and dig into a delicious dinner. Thank you Mom!