Not your typical Thanksgiving post.
|27.Nov.2008See the pencil?
If you think this might be a handy way to hold my pencil so I can record the number of washes I completed yesterday, you are way off track.
The pencil is there because somewhere, somehow, there is a washing machine demon. This particular washing machine demon likes to crawl into my washer just about the time the entire household runs out of underwear and panties.
A pile of laundry closely resembling Richard Dreyfuss’ creation in Close Encounters of the Third Kind (sans the mashed potatoes…maybe) was soon to partake in the weekly cleansing ritual about the time this demon showed up.
The washer filled with water.
The washer agitated.
Then? It stopped.
FULL of WATER.
No spin cycle.
No drain.
Just stopped.
I spent an hour playing games with the knob, pulling it out and pushing it in, trying to figure it out. And then, thinking if I could watch it go through the cycle and figure out why it was stopping, I stuck a pencil into the little hole thing-a-ma-bob.
Surprise, surprise.
The cycle continued as if there never were any problems.
The plastic pointy-end that normally sticks down in there isn’t broken, so I have no idea what the problem is, but for now…in order to arrive at our family Thanksgiving dinner clothed, I washed the multitude of loads with the lid left up and the pencil stuck in.
“Momma, is the washing machine supposed to splash you when you walk by?”
That’s what Kenny asked when he went into the laundry room to get dry clothes from the dryer.
If it ain’t one thing its another.
Did I mention the hole Jeff had to patch in the bathtub? The kids probably bathed in it a dozen times before we noticed a hole the size of a quarter.
“Any of you noticed there is a hole in the bathtub?”
“Um…yes.”
“And you didn’t tell us…why?”
“Cuz the water stayed in okay.”
Riiiiiiight.
It now looks like we stuck a wad of grey bubble gum on the side of the tub; we’re classy like that.
And did I mention the sour carpet we had to rip from Kenny and Mer’s closet because we ‘think’ the water seeped there and settled? No? Well, there’s that…
Believe it or not? There’s more.
And yet, on this day…on this day when I need more than two hands to count the incidents that are piling up?
I AM THANKFUL.
I am thankful for a rigged washing machine.
I am thankful to mop the floor around it as it sloshes water out when agitating my clothes clean.
I am thankful for a patched bathtub.
I am thankful for running water.
I am thankful for my home.
But those things? They are NOTHING compared to my thankfulness for my Savior, the gift of my husband, and the blessing of our children. I am so very THANKFUL my parents moved HERE to be near us. I am thankful for the need to once again address the question of my weight – because it means I HAVE FOOD to eat.
Life is good.
Quirky, but good.
And I am so thankful for it.
Happy Thanksgiving Weekend Y’all!
24 Comments
mommyknows
I blogged about laundry too! You’re a blessed lady with loads (no laundry pun intended) to be thankful for.
Happy TG.
MK xo
Robin Grant
My husband (the appliance repairman) says you need a new lid switch. If you lived in southern California, it would cost you around $150 to fix it. Your pencil/mop idea is much cheaper. Happy Thanksgiving Eve!
Melanie @ MelADramatic Mommy
When so many have lost their homes, I’m grateful for my needs painting, new carpet and a new fireplace home too. Happy Thanksgiving!
Venus
I had that same problem. My washer is in our unfinished basement. It had a kids plastic clothes hanger in the hole for a while. Now the button just stays down, I might even be able to close the lid and have it spin. I haven’t even tried, I am just so used to washing the clothes with the lid open. Oh, my old dryer had a broken button too. It would automatically turn on when you turned the dial and shut the door. I was helping a friend to laundry and couldn’t figure out why her dryer wasn’t turning on. I was so used to NOT having to push the on button that I just stood there staring at her dryer until she told me “you have to push the button.” Duh, that is like laundry induced stupidity!
OMSH, I have been enjoying your blog. I followed you over here from PW’s sight where I was reading your homeschool stuff. Thanks for sharing.
Venus in MA
Venus
I mean “site” not sight. Must have been doing too much laundry again.
chocolatechic
Oh, I have been there numerous times.
God is so faithful, and I am so thankful for that.
I sure hope that you had a great day.
Leigh
Happy Thanksgiving! You’re right – there is so much to be thankful for!!!
jen
I have that same washer; mine doesn’t have that demon, but it has it’s share of others, like the drip that doesn’t happen all the time – arg!
Domestic Chicky
I have the same demon in my washer – I pulled the little rubber washer from around the pointy thing, and just stuck the fabric softener bottle on that corner. Not pretty, but it works great!
Have a great holiday weekend!
Stacey_CrimsonPurl
THE best THANKSgiving post I have yet to read! Your house sounded like mine last week when it was falling to pieces!
But you are right I thank GOD for blessing me!
LizC
I think it’s the washer–our little lid switchy thing broke, too. My brother took the washer apart and just permanently depressed it, so now we can all open the lid and watch it spin if we want to. Fun, fun, fun!
Life is good, isn’t it?
Mrs. Wilson
Great things to be thankful for! It’s weird to me how Thanksgiving is HUGE down there, and not so huge up here. It comes and goes and there’s not big shebang (shopping/media-wise). I’d love to spend a Thanksgiving in the States just to have the experience. One day. Yesterday my husband was thankful for American Thanksgiving Football!
Anneli
…at least now I finally got the answer to the question; “Would a washing machine still run if the lid was open, and if so, would all the water come splashing out?”
I seriously think of these things sometimes.
Amy
hahahaha! As soon as I saw this picture I thought to myself…why didn’t I think of that? I remember a time when I had a washer like that and I sat there with my finger holding that button down :) Amen to having our needs met. Happy Thanksgiving :)
Gayle
Happy Thanksgiving weekend to you and your family!
Mr. OMSH
Preach on Sister…! Isn’t it amazing how our attitude and perspective on ‘experiences’ and ‘problems’ effect us? I should always be thankful…
OMSH, thank you for writing this, and role modeling / reminding me of the attitude I need.
I love you Baby.
Weddings on the Strand
Attitude and Perspective ARE the words. Yes, life is DEFINITELY quirky. God knows I most frequently have no idea why things happen. Faith is: God knows!
Sandra in Phx
See now THAT’S what I needed when my washer wouldn’t work…a pencil. I only had a screwdriver and it didn’t work nearly as well. See, you ARE brilliant.
Elizabeth
It is nice to see there are normal people in this world. We get so caught up in the media version of Thanksgiving, that we tend to forget the real things in life — Our Saviour, our families, our health and home. Thanks for sharing your Thanksgiving with the rest of us.
Kelly Rice
I am new to your blog but was amazed when I read about your washing machine mishap. Believe it or not, the very same thing happened to our washer on Thanksgiving Day. We, too are well behind on laundry and I was just discussing the idea of going to the laundry mat since we cannot get a serviceman out until Monday.
I’ll have to try the pencil trick. Thanks for the tip.
God bless.
BTW- I love your stance on homeschool. My boys are not yet school age but I am already in the ‘planning’ stages of this venture. And to be honest, it scares me to death. Yet, I know …”all things are possible with Christ…”
Laura
My household is in month 12 of the ‘great appliance death of 2008′.
The most noticeable are the appliances in the ‘near death’ state: our refrigerator with the penny jar holding the door closed and the oven with the bungee cord holding it’s door closed.
I applaud your ingenuity in ‘fixing’ your washer.
moobeema
Thank you for reminding me to be thankful too. Loving your posts over at PW!