Wick-Ed

So we had a lovely Easter at my sister's home. I was tearing the lettuce for a salad, chattting with her and her sister in law. We began talking about candles, and who makes the best ones. We voted for Illuminations, she liked PartyLite. Suddenly, my sister ran over to her mantle and held up one of her recent purchases, excited as could be.

"Look!" she cried, with what looked to be one of those silver candle snuffers.

"I thought you already had a candle snuffer. Is there something revolutionary about this particular one?"

"No, it's a wick cutter."

"Huh?"

"You know how you have the big candle jars and you can never get down in there to trim them right? Well, this cuts it perfectly every time."

I just goggled for a second.

Now, I love my sister. She isn't even a rabid consumer-type. Usually she will not purchase something without the utmost planning and thought. It seems, though, that candle related accessories are her blind spot. I had no clue that someone could conceive of so many items pertaining to candles and candle care. Did I just make up a term? If so, my copyright is at the bottom of the page.

But have we gotten so lazy that we as a society have the need for an automatic wick-trimmer? Delving in with a pair of scissors is half the fun of maintaining your candle. Even the snuffers just seem a bit pretentious. I mean, unless you have asthma, is it that difficult to just blow them out? Are the two seconds extra it takes to do it "manually" going to make all that much difference in your life?

There are apparently two types of candle users, and I would be classified as low-tech.

I like my lopsided, unevenly cut wicks.

They have personality.

Or so I like to tell myself.