We scheduled countertop measurements for Tuesday, which means the new kitchen is very close to real. Thresholds are weird, supercharged, a little uncomfortable. Sometimes really uncomfortable. I have been feeling that whiny agitation in my bones this week, preparing to release this old battered workhorse of a kitchen and move into the shiny new one downstairs.

As I prepare today to feed a small throng of teenaged boys for Huck’s belated birthday celebration, it seems right to take a moment to appreciate the thousands of meals this old kitchen has served. And that’s just us! This house was built in 1924, how many families have fed themselves from these cupboards?

There are many things in this kitchen that I won’t miss, it is very much worse for the wear. It suffers from a syndrome wherein one doesn’t bother to fix the busted things because one is building a replacement soon, even though “soon” is maybe 5-10 years from when it started to fail. But as I took these photos today to document the busted drawer, the cabinets that won’t close, the scratches and dings, the permanent grime and the rot, I found myself appreciating what those things meant. Constant use for almost 100 years.

Thank you, kitchen, for your service. You have been a literal lifeline for us, and we honor you. Soon (like in the next 5 years sometime?) you will transform into a bathroom and that toilet will make more sense. ❤️