The Case of the Missing Pyrex Dish and Other Mysteries

I like to think I have a fairly orderly home. I have enough home organization books where I SHOULD have an orderly home. However, sometimes my system of order simply is not enough and things go...missing.

Last Saturday, Ron was craving a batch of his special whole wheat waffles. He is the specialist in our family and always makes the batter. He looked for the cookbook containing the recipe and could not find it anywhere.

"Loralee," he called from the kitchen as I was standing in the laundry room at the other end of the house washing some clothes, "Have you seen the whole wheat cookbook?"

"What?" I called back. "I can't hear you."

"I said, have you seen the whole wheat cookbook?"

"No," I replied. "I never use it."

"Well, you know where EVERYTHING in our house is."

Well, how could I fail this challenge. I went through both cupboards containing our assortment of cookbooks. (How can one family accumulate so much recipe goodness? And I have even gotten rid of some over the years.) Alas, the whole wheat cookbook was not there. I admitted defeat.

A couple of days later, I noticed that one of my 13 x 9 Pyrex dishes was also missing.

"Emily, have you seen any stray 13 x 9 pans lying around the house--say in your bedroom?"

She hadn't. I tore cupboards apart. I cleaned out the refrigerator in the off chance that it might be hiding amongst the bounty there. I checked the big freezer thoroughly. No pan. I even checked areas of the kitchen I would NEVER store such a pan. It was not there.

In defeat, I bought another Pyrex baking dish when I bought the Easter Candy.

A couple of days ago, I noticed that the top to my replica Ten Virgins oil lamp that my mom bought me in Israel is missing. I looked all over the place for it. It's no where to be found.

This morning, I was gathering up all the towels to do a load of laundry. I knew that we had three kitchen towels just itching to be washed. Only two were in the kitchen. At this point I thought, maybe we have a ghost (or kleptomaniac) in our house.

And then the mysteries began to be solved.

I opened up the cupboard holding the powdered milk and there was the missing whole wheat cookbook.

Later this morning, I opened up the drawer holding the potholders and there was the missing towel.

A few minutes ago, Ron came in the house from the backyard.

"You'll never guess what I found outside," he said.

"What?" I asked.

"The 13 x 9 glass dish. I found it on top of the water barrel of all places."

I have no ideas how it got out there. Emily and Ron don't remember taking it outside. (Why would they?) And unless I was sleepwalking, I KNOW I didn't do it. That's one mystery that may never be solved.