Mystery of the missing silverware
 

OK, flatware--it isn't silver, it's stainless steel. And I've had it for...mm, probably 44 years? It has 8 each of knives, forks, teaspoons, soup spoons, and salad forks. Not expensive--in fact, my brother got it as a premium for opening a savings account and he gave it to me! But I like it. It feels right in my hand.

So this morning I went to get a spoon for my yogurt, and there weren't any "good" spoons left. I couldn't believe we used 8 teaspoons yesterday afternoon, so I looked in the sink. Six teaspoons. Huh.

So I went back to the drawer and counted the other pieces: 8 knives, 7 forks, 6 soup spoons, 7 salad forks.

Well, I don't count my flatware every day, or even every month. It's probably been years since I've had 8 people around the table at once. So who knows how long the other pieces have been missing?

What's bugging me is...what happened to them? I poked through the rest of the drawer, but they're just gone. Did I really accidentally throw away SIX utensils? It's highly unlikely one of my children shoplifted them. I didn't leave them in a canister or other food container. I don't believe in poltergeists. They didn't get sucked into the washing machine like socks. I do not like unsolved mysteries. :confused:

I call my utensils "silverware" also. The real stuff is simply "silver".

In 44 years I can easily see 6 utensils disappearing.

As soon as you stop looking for it.....you'll find it! :rolleyes:

I don't know, but when you figure it out do you think you could let me know? I have had... I don't even know how many utensils disappear in the last year or so. I had to buy a set of twelve new forks because I only had three or four left (out of 8). I bought teaspoons at the same time. Now I'm in need of more teaspoons again and possibly tablespoons. I'm thinking maybe my drawer ate them. ;)

Seriously though, I know something had to happen to them and nobody will fess up. It's driving me crazy. My small plates are even missing. That I figure I did when I sent desserts to a family member or friend. But I never send silverware!

How do the go missing?

• Have you moved in 44 years? Maybe a spoon was left undetected in the dishwasher.
• Is (or has there ever been) space between appliances that a utensil could drop and disappear?
• Have you ever looked under the refrigerator or stove?
• Maybe you served crab legs and someone used a fork to open them. The fork got so bent it was thrown away.
• Maybe a spoon got used to work with a house plant repotting job, and got left in a shed or in the yard.
• Maybe a dinner knife was too dull to cut a piece of meat and, in a fit of frustration, got thrown away.

We're talking 44 years of use here! And just because you don't believe in poltergeists or gremlins doesn't mean they don't exist. :wink:

Those of us with MS have precious few spoons to begin with. :thud: Now we have a "teaspoon monster" that hides them from us????? Wonder if he's in cahoots with the sock fairy that lives in the dryer?

* Yup, but I haven't moved for 41 years, and I've had all 8 during that time. And I've never owned a dishwasher!
* I'll look between the counter and fridge, but they didn't all disappear since I moved the fridge out a few weeks ago--I don't think
* Yup, because the cats chase stuff under the appliances and we have to recover them. (The stuff, not the cats)
*Never served crab legs...never HAD crab legs...
*Nope, I'm the repotter and would NEVER have used a "good" spoon
*Haha, I like this one, but we're too stingy, I mean frugal, to throw away anything in a fit of frustration!

I like all your suggestions though, Sparky, you'd make a good detective. :cool:

I, for one it seems, doesnt understand how, after 44 yrs., that you have any of it still in perfect use.:eek:

I've had two sets in the last 43 yrs. and have left from the 2nd set, 2 small spoons, 6 soup spoons, 1 sugar spoon, 2 salad forks, 6 dinner forks and 6 dinner knives. I also have about 25 various steak knives?:rolleyes:

I think I have the complete set of my, inherited, sterling.

My mom and dad still had their wedding sterling set (1945) when they moved in with us in 1998. I don't think they had any missing pieces. (Too lazy to go count them)

We used to have a cat named Penny that loved to hide things so when we lost anything we would just say 'Penny did it".