Thanksgiving Burn-out

That oven and range of mine got a real work-out this past Thanksgiving holiday. Wednesday, we had a big turkey dinner here for the missionaries and friends at our house. We started doing this on Wednesdays before Thanksgiving because Buck wants to cook a bird even when we go elsewhere for Thanksgiving day. He gets grumpy when he does not get his turkey for sandwiches. Thursday, we went to dinner at a friend's house with the daughters and California grandchildren on my side. Friday, we had another big Thanksgiving dinner for the family on Buck's side. By Saturday, we were turkeyed out.

My 20+ year old oven was burnt out. My first clue was when I could not get the heat regulated for the quick bread I tried to make Monday. First, the bread was not baking fast enough and was raw inside even though it had been in long enough. I put it back in a little longer and adjusted the temperature. The next thing I knew, everything was burnt black top and bottom. (No pictures--take my word for it.)

Specifically, the temperature knob for the oven fell apart while I was trying to adjust the heat level for the quick bread. I guess those all day pie, turkey and casserole baking sessions on Wednesday and Thursday put it over the edge.

I called all the appliance repair places. They were very kind and did not laugh when I told them I wanted a part for a stove that was on model close-out when we bought it over 20 years ago. A few said they were not able to find anything on the internet. No kidding. Before I called them, I couldn't find anything on the internet, either.

Someone suggested we get a universal knob at a big box store that sells appliances. We did. This knob fits "MOST" stoves. It did not fit ours. It may say it is on "Broil," but, trust me, that is the "off" position--at least as of the time this picture was taken. Yes, I can turn the oven on and off. However, if I twist the knob just so, it slips to a different position for "off." So much for accurate heat regulation.....

Buck tried one last company that assured him they could order in the original factory part for our make and model of stove. I cringed when Buck told me that after tax and shipping, the cost for that little piece of plastic came to over $50. But, with new stoves starting at over $1,000, we both agreed that a new knob at $50 was cheaper than buying a whole new range.

Speaking of searching the internet, our little people kitty Archie decided to hop on the table and keep Buck company while Buck was working on his emails. After walking across the computer, Archie plopped himself down to take a nap. That tail of his is so long and fluffy, it practically covered the entire keyboard.

It's Cold Outside

Through the good weather, even our "indoor" kitties prefer to spend most of their time outside, coming in only to eat. Only Archie likes to take his morning nap in the house. Once the weather turned cold for the first time a couple of weeks ago, all three decided they would rather be in the house. Suddenly, Buck and I had a hard time finding a place to sit.

Bootsie decided she needed to nap in my favorite place on the couch (the nerve of her!) Then, because she liked that spot, later Archie, then Precious decided they would try to beat her to it. More than once I have been faced with the choice of pushing a sleeping kitty off my spot, clearing my computer, books and other junk from the other half of the loveseat in order to sit, or dragging my sewing chair out into the living room. I usually mutter a few empty threats and then leave sleeping kitties lie.

Archie still prefers Buck's side of the bed, although he also likes my spot on the loveseat and Buck's chair, too.

Precious started out in what I call "four corners." It is the one place in the hallway where, without moving her body, she can see the front window, the back sliding glass door, Buck's desk in the side bedroom, and, if she cranks her head around a little, she can see what's going on in the kitchen. Although, like I said, once she realized the other kitties thought Mom's seat was the best, she snuck up on the pillow on the loveseat as often as she could.

This last rainstorm, no one has wanted to go out. The cat box has seen a lot of action. Even our Archie who much prefers to go outside to do his business resorted to his favorite indoor emergency place. His former owners tub-trained him, so last night Buck found a little "kitty-kiss" in our new hall bathtub.

It has been cold. But with Buck busy doing all his firewood thing, he has not had time to clean the chimney flu or bring in the firewood box. So, no fires in the woodstove yet. This morning at 8:00a.m. it was 62 degrees in the house. I'm okay with 68, even 66 degrees, but that was too cold. I felt motivated to do a load of wash and bake something just to heat the house a little. No way, though, am I turning on the furnace and running up the utility bill--not yet!

Then I try to keep things in perspective. I think about those millions of people back in New Jersey, New York and Connecticut who have been through Hurricane Sandy and two major winter storms. They have been without power for two weeks. This is nothing. My thoughts and prayers have been with them and the utility workers who have been struggling to restore power to everyone back there. I am so grateful right now that I live where the weather is mild in comparison.

Changing the subject, Buck and I harvested some sweet potatoes from a field a block away (we are in the country. Our blocks are big.) The farmer had already harvested the field for commercial purposes and is waiting for the vines to dry before he disks what's left under. There are still a lot of culls remaining and the farmers don't mind people coming to get them for personal use.

Look at those sweet potatoes! There is nothing wrong with them except they are a little small. I have been handing them out like crazy to friends.