The Spatula Saga (or how God humored my frugal side)

The Spatula Saga.
As Chris is my witness, I have been operating spatula-less in my kitchen for the past while. I had a spatula. Indeed, I believe I've had numerous spatulas... no idea why I now find myself spatula-less. Most likely it got carried off by a set of pudgy hands, eager to lick chocolate icing or cookie batter and ended up, well, I don't know where, obviously.

You would think a spatula would be a relatively easy item to replace but alas, my mental library is obviously lacking storage space for details involving kitchen utensils these days. Possibly because my brain cells are being sucked dry alongside my mammillary glands. Is that what you call them? It's late. I'm tired. My brain is fried. But I want to share this fun story nonetheless. So if mammillary is not a word, show me a little grace... it "sounds" right, but looks rather funny. I digress...

I don't know how long I have been operating without a spatula but it has been a while. A friend expressed shock as she watched me scrape my cookie batter out of a mixing bowl with a wooden spoon. Truly, I had not felt the loss. I am one to make do with what I have on hand. But to avoid shocking future friends I made a mental note to replace my spatula. Shouldn't be difficult. Just do it already. Well.... I don't know what happened to that mental sticky note, but let's just say it wasn't sticking anywhere visible during my shopping trips of the past month. I remembered about the spatula only days AFTER while doing some associated chore in the kitchen.

But... the other day, I SPECIFICALLY went to a store to buy two all important items. A mop and.... a spatula. I found the mop and it's just dandy. I found the spatula(s) and stood there staring for a few minutes before leaving the store, you guessed it, spatula-less. Why you ask? Well, here's the thing. The spatulas came in a pack of three. The price tag? 6.99. Phooey. I really only needed one spatula, and I certainly was not going to pay 6.99 for one spatula. Granted, there were three spatulas. But I only needed one you see. You get my logic. Don't you? Remember, I'm FRUGAL.

Moving on to today. Totally forgot to look for a spatula at Dollarama, where surely I would have found one (or three) for a dollar. I refuse to take the blame for this absentmindedness as I was in all reality anything but absent minded. My mind was completely absorbed with the 2 month old in a football hold under my right arm, maneuvering the cart up absurdly narrow aisles with my left arm, keeping an eye on the 2 year old pushing the empty stroller up said narrow aisles, calming the 4 year old who was having a choosing meltdown (I thought it would be *fun* for the kids to have full pick of the entire store to choose ONE item; who would have known what a gong show that would turn out to be??) Okay, you get the idea, right? And that doesn't even mention the two *other* children that were with me. Yes, gong show is an apt description.

Then I hit the second hand store and find a whackload of great frugal treasures (will share pics another time). And as I am making my way to the till I pass the aisles of kitchen stuff. And remember. Spatula. Now... let me just clarify. I am frugal, but I am not *that* frugal. I mean, I really don't mind forking out the 3 dollars to buy a new spatula. That's not a problem for me. Really. The problem lies with me not having sufficient available brain cells to remember to make that purchase a reality. I pause at the end of the kitchen aisle. Should I look? No, that's just dumb. Well, what the heck? I am a redneck after all, it's not like people EAT with spatulas (um, okay, well we won't go there)or use them to clean their toilets or anything. It's a spatula for heaven's sake. I take a step up the aisle. Somewhere in the back of my mind I am using a few of those unoccupied brain cells to send up what in hindsight sounds like a completely idiotic prayer, but hey... He's cool with me. "Lord. You know this whole spatula saga. Remember how I deliberately walked away from the 6.99 spatula(s)? Do you see how frazzled I am down here? Well. Lord. It would be really nice if I could find a spatula and put an end to this saga once and for all. "

I kid you not. No sooner were the thoughts adrift and my eyes alighted on a sealed package of 3 spatulas. The EXACT same spatulas I had turned my back on in Home Hardware 3 days before. 49 cents. God is GOOD. And I don't mean He is good like a good being (which He is. obviously) but I mean GOOD in the way that Tiger Woods is GOOD at golf. Martha Stewart is GOOD at decorating... God is GOOD at surprising those who approach him simply, with no presuppositions or barriers. It was a GOOD moment. A delightful moment. And all over a silly, simple.... spatula. I'm still smiling.