Keeping favourite things - even if they’re broken

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A comment by @BarBaraPrz just reminded me of this. A couple of years ago I was visiting a friend one morning. She also had another friend visiting at the time and was making us all tea, for which she was heating water in a kettle on the gas stove. When the kettle was boiling she gingerly picked it up with the aid of a tea towel and carefully poured the hot water into the teapot, while simultaneously blowing away the steam. This seemed a rather odd way to do it but I thought perhaps it was some sort of Romanian tradition (she’s Romanian, obviously!) Her other friend, also Romanian, thought it was some strange new habit she had picked up. I only found this out afterwards of course, because at the time neither of us commented but simply watched in some bemusement. Only after she had made the tea did she tell us that she had to go through this peculiar ritual because the handle had fallen off her kettle! She loved it so much, having brought it with her from Sweden, that she didn’t want to throw it out but had to use the tea towel to protect her fingers from the heat while also blowing away the steam so it didn't burn her hands. We did laugh! Luckily she still had the handle, so with the aid of a pop-riveter I found among my Dad’s things (thanks Dad!) and a couple of long rivets donated by a nice man on Freegle (thanks Nigel!) I was able to repair it for her and it’s still going strong. All rights reserved. © Text and image copyright Fleur 2022.