Broken
Everything at our house is currently broken. Our heater is on the fritz, both vacuum cleaners are completely useless, the kitchen light and the cold storage closet are out, the computer is giving me fits and won't post pictures to my blog, and the ice maker doesn't work. The biggest blow to the household economy is the dishwasher. I was minding my own business while it was running, when I heard a pop and saw a wisp of smoke come from the faceplate. Not a good sign.
Now you don't have to feel too badly, because we do have another dishwasher downstairs. I've been commuting all the dishes up and down to clean them, put them back, clean them again, and so on. But the dishwasher was, once upon a time, voted the Appliance Most Likely to Save Our Marriage (probably the year was 1999, and it resulted in the great Cuban Tithing Blessing dishwasher which is another story for another time). In the intervening two weeks since it busted (don't get a Bosch in a square state -- too time consuming to find someone who knows how to work on it) we've had guests come for the weekend, tons of food to cook, and a dish-intensive science project; I'll tell you about that if I can ever post my pictures again.
The only silver lining in this is that we haven't been sick. We have been strangely healthy this whole winter season, and I'm so grateful that we're paying repair men instead of co-pays and that we don't lose any sleep with broken appliances like we do with ear infection season.
My sister had a boyfriend who once said that heaven wouldn't be worth much if he couldn't have a good sneeze. I thought he was a nut bar. Eventually I have come around to seeing his point, that even things we take for granted about our body are miraculously useful and even satisfying (as opposed to not being able to sneeze when you needed to, for example). Then there was a woman in Spain who claimed something even more outlandish -- that getting sick was a wonderful thing because it let you know that your body needed rest, and it made you so happy to be healthy again. As a missionary who was supposed to work 77 hours a week, I didn't want to hear about getting sick, much less could I enjoy it! Now that I have the luxury of spending a day in bed, I can see her point too.
And I must be getting older, because I am thinking of my broken dishwasher and ice maker in the same terms. It's nice that they'll be fixed soon, because I'll appreciate them more, at least at first. Just like Rob feels now that I'm over my first trimester. He walks in and says "You made dinner! You're standing up! You helped the kids do their homework? I can't believe it! My wife is back!" So the odd broken day may actually increase my gratitude.
Now you don't have to feel too badly, because we do have another dishwasher downstairs. I've been commuting all the dishes up and down to clean them, put them back, clean them again, and so on. But the dishwasher was, once upon a time, voted the Appliance Most Likely to Save Our Marriage (probably the year was 1999, and it resulted in the great Cuban Tithing Blessing dishwasher which is another story for another time). In the intervening two weeks since it busted (don't get a Bosch in a square state -- too time consuming to find someone who knows how to work on it) we've had guests come for the weekend, tons of food to cook, and a dish-intensive science project; I'll tell you about that if I can ever post my pictures again.
The only silver lining in this is that we haven't been sick. We have been strangely healthy this whole winter season, and I'm so grateful that we're paying repair men instead of co-pays and that we don't lose any sleep with broken appliances like we do with ear infection season.
My sister had a boyfriend who once said that heaven wouldn't be worth much if he couldn't have a good sneeze. I thought he was a nut bar. Eventually I have come around to seeing his point, that even things we take for granted about our body are miraculously useful and even satisfying (as opposed to not being able to sneeze when you needed to, for example). Then there was a woman in Spain who claimed something even more outlandish -- that getting sick was a wonderful thing because it let you know that your body needed rest, and it made you so happy to be healthy again. As a missionary who was supposed to work 77 hours a week, I didn't want to hear about getting sick, much less could I enjoy it! Now that I have the luxury of spending a day in bed, I can see her point too.
And I must be getting older, because I am thinking of my broken dishwasher and ice maker in the same terms. It's nice that they'll be fixed soon, because I'll appreciate them more, at least at first. Just like Rob feels now that I'm over my first trimester. He walks in and says "You made dinner! You're standing up! You helped the kids do their homework? I can't believe it! My wife is back!" So the odd broken day may actually increase my gratitude.
Comments
Congratulations on the new baby!I am so happy for you.
I love reading your blog - you have always had a "wonderful way with words!"
I loved this entry - it is so true. I have found that there are certain days when I have said "yes" to too many things -- one of my kids will get sick. I then remember my priorities and adjust them and say a little prayer of thanks.
much love,
anne
Sorry for all the broken stuff! Glad you're all healthy. And much congratulations on getting through that first trimester.
Oh, and I like both Felix and Jasper (tho' I voted for Jasper.) Felix makes me think of tidy men and cats
and Jasper makes me think of a dog , but none of those associations make me dislike either name.
I have been miraculously healthy this winter, too. Nigel had a touch of a cold, but nothing serious. The kids have also been healthy. I'm thinking that my absolutely filthy house is building up their immune systems.
Yeah, being sick and being broken helps us appreciate when things are going well, but I'd rather not have to go through it.