Daughter #1 and I just returned from a trip to Wisconsin to visit kin. Driving to Wisconsin, our first day was clear and sunny. In the afternoon, while talking with Daughter #3, she mentioned fog. She and Grand #1 were driving home to Appleton from picking up the oxygen concentrator for my use, and they were driving in fog. Fog immediately descended on us driving east on I-80 about 400 miles away from where they were driving! Power of suggestion?
Every New Years’ Day, we often think about our blessings. Those that we know we have received. And, maybe, those that have been ignored. I know that I’ve been told y’all before that I do feel blessed with the family and neighbors and friends that surround me and make my life special.
Here’s another epistle about such a person. A person that you’ve heard about before, but his good deeds bear repeating. One night in December, I was doing my laundry. I often do my laundry at night since my power supplier instituted a new rate schedule making electricity consumption more expensive during the daytime. And, because I stay up until midnight, anyway, it’s easy for me to take care of loads of laundry between 8 pm and midnight.
I installed my first load of laundry, started the washer, and went back up stairs to my computer. I always set the timer on my phone for thirty-five minutes to remind me that the load is finished. And, so, when the timer sounded, down the stairs I went. Only to find the workroom floor covered in part with water! Now, understand … I’m old! I knew that I could not take care of this mess on my own. Also, understand I don’t cry very often – why would I? I live a blessed life. But when there are things that happen that I seem to have no power over, I end up in tears!
My assessment of the mess was that: 1) there was, indeed, water on the floor; 2) no more water seemed to be pouring onto the floor; 3) there was no way I could possibly take care of this mess; and, 4) the only person I knew to help was Keith, the person in my life who has helped me take care of my house since Larry has been gone.
I knew he was probably somewhere between slowing down and getting ready for bed. I called and left a message about the mess, and that I didn’t know what to do. He immediately returned my call, listened to my situation, and told me he’d be over as soon as he was appropriately dressed for a mess cleanup job. We talked about needing a shop vac. I have a shop vac – that hasn’t been used for more than eight years. But, I thought it would work.
While I waited for Keith to arrive, I searched the garage for the shop vac and it’s pieces and parts. There seemed to be pieces and parts for more than one machine, so I waited for Keith to arrive before attempting to take everything down stairs. He sorted the different pieces, deciding what to take down to the mess. When we got to the basement, he agreed it was, indeed, a mess, but it could be solves. First, he asked if I had shut off the water ? No, I reasoned that I didn’t see any more water coming on to the floor than what was already there. Lesson #1: I should have shut off the water at the main source (at the shut off that he had installed some years ago).
Years and years ago, the washer’s drain hose (located at the back and bottom of the washer) came loose. That was the first time we had water in the work room. Gallons of water. I have plumbing in my basement that is as old as the house which was built in the 1980s. There is a stand pipe to which the washer water used to be pumped and drained, but it developed a problem of spitting the waste water out onto the wall and floor. To eliminate that problem, I had a sink installed by the washer for the wash water to drain into through the washer’s hose. And, I reasoned, because of the old plumbing and because of the lint that washing generates, it would be wise to use a lint snare on the end of the hose; Larry always bought them at the hardware store where he worked. It fastens with a nylon natural cable tie, secured very tightly over the end of the drain hose catching that lint as it comes out of the washer into the sink and keeping it from the old drain pipes. As the lint snares fill after many washings, the snare is replaced; I use pliers to bring the tie to a very snug fitting around the hose because my fingers are not strong enough.
Keith checked the hoses that feed water to the washer. No problems. No leaks spewing water. He checked the “drip pan” that is under the washer to catch any errant water drips. No problem. It was dry. Then, he checked the hose that drains into the sink. There in the bottom or the sink was the lint snare. It had come loose from its mooring around the drain hose and had plugged the drain in the sink! Even though I thought I’d been keeping an eye on the snares, assuring they were safely secure, it was obvious that I’d been remiss in my responsibilities. Gallons of water had spilled over the top of the sink and flooded the floor.
Lesson #2: Explore all of the possibilities for the mess – before panicking. After figuring out the source of the problem – then, panic!
Keith used the ancient shop vac and picked up most of the water. He carried the water up the stair, not wanting to pour it into the sink for all of the extra floor lint to go down the drain. On his recommendation, I will purchase a new shop vac – for the “next time” it is needed. I did wonder where one takes a big old shop vac to get it out of the house. Can it be recycled? Keith suggested putting it on the curb – after all, it does still work.
Lesson #3: Be extremely thankful that I have patient people in my life willing to help this old person in a crisis. I do thank Keith for his help, and his family for understanding that he takes that time to help someone like me!
Be Safe and Be Well
The Cranky Crone
Thoughtful comments are appreciated.
This year, I thought I would take stock of what I do and don’t do at Christmas, any more. I find that I don’t do more than I do do. Sometimes, this makes me sad. Truth be told, so many of these things were things that Larry did for the holidays.
This past week, I’ve had the pleasure of listening to the Civic Center building carillon. Volunteers from all walks of life spend their precious holiday time going to the Civic Center in downtown Denver to entertain the visitors to the Center by playing holiday music for almost an hour. Some of them, like my friend, have been doing it for years.
Sometimes, this happens. I get to 8:40 at night on Tuesday and suddenly am hit with the realization that I have a BLOG to write. Talking with sister Clara in her Texas (I’ve told you that we talk every day – sometimes for more than an hour), it hit me. BLOG! Capital letters – BLOG! I asked Clara what I should write about, tonight. I have four hours before I post for tomorrow’s Cranky Crone News. Only four hours. It takes that long to edit and correct a blog – usually.
Her response was quick. Write about waking me up from sound sleep just to talk. “You mean, Waking the Bear from her Lair?” Good idea. So here it is.
Dear Readers,
This month is a set of three acrostic poems for the holidays.
M
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Christ Child.
Holly.
Reindeer.
Immaneul.
Santa Claus.
Trees.
Mistletoe.
Apples with clove spices.
Sleigh.
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Candles in the menorah.
Helper candle that lights the other eight.
An event celebrating the dedication of the Temple.
Undeniably delicious latkes.
Kids play dreidel and win gelt coins made of chocolate.
A band of Jewish warriors of the Maccabees, who regained the Temple.
Hanukkah is another way to spell Chanukah.
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Kinara – a candle holder.
White, Black, Yellow, Red (and all hues in between) – all can celebrate.
African and American cultures.
Nation, race, family, community – strive for and maintain unity.
Zawadi is gift giving.
African heritage dancers.
All may join.
Jose Alberto Dueñas
CEO
Einstein Bros. Bagels, Panera Bread, Caribou
JAB Holding?
1720 Bellaire Street
Ste: Skybox
Denver, Colorado 80220
Subject: Policy of no seats at Einstein Bros. Bagel Stores
Dear Mr. Dueñas:
Years ago, I worked at National Jewish Hospital (remember that I’ve had a varied and chequered work career) teaching children who had quite literally been kicked out of first grade. The five children had rejected being in the classroom to which they were assigned; at that time, there were only two classes for the children (first through eighth and high school) who were all patients with respiratory disease, such as asthma. Having been rejected by the children, the teacher was allowed to reject the children. I was hired to teach these children in a separate classroom.
The Left Leg and the Right Leg walked to the Tahoe.
“I’m so excited,” said Left Leg. “This means we are going somewhere. I’m sick of being in that house for days and days. I’m glad she is well enough to go out, these days.”
“Yep. I’m real tired of this. We can’t exercise. We can’t go up and down stairs, easily. We can hardly walk. I think we’re losing our grip,” replied Right Leg.
And, the conversation continued.
Years ago, when I was the school super in a small Eastern Colorado town, my school librarian was expecting her fifth (I think, fifth) child. When a school district is as small as mine, it is not always easy to find new staff members. So, you keep them, if possible. As well, child care is not as available as it is in the big city.