This old cast iron skillet has hung on the front of the Miner’s Cabin for as long as I can remember. It was an excellent choice for wasp nests, so it got left alone by human hands. It has been on my mind for a few months that it would be fun to clean it up and actually be able to use it, and today happened to be the day for that.

After scraping out the remnants of wasp nests and dead wasps, I gave it a good scrubbing with baking soda and an abrasive pad. There was less rust on it than I had initially thought and it cleaned up pretty well. A coat of oil and about 15 minutes in the oven at 250 degrees, and it is well on its way to being a serviceable and seasoned skillet. Just a fun little afternoon project.

I tend towards sentimentality, but especially practical sentiment. How many other people have cooked meals on this beautiful piece of cast iron? And what fun to get to pretty it up and put it back into service.

I love those echoes of the past that are useful and lovely today.