THE FORGOTTEN ANTIQUE DUTCH OVEN

I bought my townhouse in Horseshoe Bay two years ago to serve as a winter home while living in Seattle. When my daughter and grandbabies moved to Austin from Seattle shortly after closing on my Horseshoe Bay property, I became a full-time resident. The only reason I lived in Seattle was to be near my daughter and grandchildren after I retired, but the Hill Country was where I always wanted to live when I no longer worked. While the temperature might sometimes get chilly in the winter here, we don't have six to seven months of continuous rain without any sun. Admittedly, the one summer I spent hiking in the magnificent Cascades was an unforgettable experience!

The previous owners of my townhouse were a husband and wife who were residents of Colorado. They enjoyed spending occasional long weekends in Horseshoe Bay. When she died from cancer, he quickly sold their boat and a wholly furnished townhouse, including furniture, linen, cookware, glasses, cleaning material, light bulbs, appliances, etc. This worked for me, as I wanted to avoid the trouble and expense of moving my furniture from Seattle. Over the years, I've made a habit of giving away furniture because I was either moving or wanted to make a complete change in decor. Various family members can attest that their married lives started with my former table.

I have ignored the contents of several of the closets for the past two years. Besides, after I added some of my belongings to the closets, there was little room left. The crammed closets began to bother me, as I feel better when things are organized and uncluttered. The activities I've been involved in this past year have left little time for any tedious tasks that need to be done at home. I now have some downtime, so those closets are finally in perfect condition. I gave away many of the items left over from the previous owners in the main closet to a hard-working young woman starting out life on her own (20 gallons of paint, 2 comforter sets, a complete set of dishes, pictures, a new coffee maker, electrical heater insert for the fireplace, air purifier, etc.). There is now so much room in one of the closets that it could transform into a windowless sitting area! After getting the closets in order, my next task was to tackle my small yet disorganized kitchen. I brought with me from Seattle pots and pans along with glasses. I began my kitchen cleanup project by boxing 30-40 glasses for donation. As I reached into one of the far corners of a cabinet, I located a Dutch oven that may have been forgotten by the previous owners. The Dutch oven is a Wagner Magnalite produced in Ohio sometime between the late 1930s and 1950s. The pot is made of heavy-cast aluminum and magnesium alloy. At one time, it was promoted as having an oven on top of your stove because the heat was evenly conducted from the bottom to the sides of the pan.

Think of all the delicious meals the previous owner probably cooked in the now-pitted and stained Dutch oven! In the winter, when their children were small and even after they were grown and had their own children, she probably cooked a beef stew or chili or made a delicious pot roast with potatoes, carrots, and onions. When the family gathered at the table, they enjoyed each bite while laughing at something funny someone said or did. Now, the kitchen is deserted, and visits from my family and friends are far too infrequent. Besides, I'd much rather spend time with them at the pool than in the kitchen cooking! The Dutch oven has been placed in a box to be saved for the next garage sale to raise money for scholarships. Perhaps another woman or man will snag this once-treasured piece of cookware, and a family will once again gather around grandmother at the stove as she stirs the stew while teaching a beloved grandchild how to cook.