The gift of two bowls.

Photo from Amazon.com.

My husband's Aunt Arlene died probably 4-5 years ago.  Before she passed away, she moved in with her daughter, Jackie.  As she was getting rid of her house and belongings, she gave something to my mother-in-law to give to me-- two Kitchenaid mixing bowls.

You see, Aunt Arlene was a baker.  She made my sister-in-law's wedding cake.  She probably would have made ours, too but my aunt was already making it.  I'll never forget the gift she gave to me for our shower-- baking dishes and utensils.  She gave me two pyrex pie plates, a sifter, the crust rocker thing that I can't recall the name of right at this moment and some lovely kitchen towels.

I still have everything she gave to me and I still use them.

If you own a Kitchenaid mixer, you know how wonderful the bowls are.  I purchased my Kichenaid mixer at Target on Black Friday years ago when the sales started at 6 AM.  I got the last mixer on the shelf.  I paid $169 for it, but saved $90.  I proceeded to the parking lot where I called Hubs and started crying that I couldn't keep it.

"I swear that you better not return that mixer.  It's not like you don't use mixers and you've gone through 2 already.  You'll have this one forever and I'll be mad if you return it."

You should know that my husband never tells me no, but probably because he knows that I don't purchase such things for myself.  He was right.  I had mixed my way through two stand mixers already and maybe a third, better branded one would be better.  It has been and I regret the regret.

Aunt Arlene knew that I bought myself one.  I don't know if we chatted about it or if she asked.  At any rate, she gifted me those two additional bowls.  I have used them for everything.

I use them as the mixing bowl they are labeled as.

I soaked my blood-stained shirt in one after I got home from having my little niece stitched back together.

They are the go-to bowl for garden harvesting.

They were just used this afternoon to hold the bottles of dye for tie dying.

Aunt Arlene was a wonderful woman.  I know that Janeen and Aunt Patti would agree.  Before she passed away, she made all of us afghans.  We have ours on the couch.  It's nice and toasty in the winter.

How thoughtful it was of her to pass the bowls along.  They will continue to be used-- for everything.    And yes, I think of her every single time I pull one out.