When good appliances go bad...
...there's a lot to be thankful for.
When I came home from shopping for a week's worth of frozen unhealthy foods for Steve, Jacy, David, Marley, and Sam to enjoy over the next seven days, I found that our large freezer (which is in the garage) had died. From the forensic evidence, I'd guess it died last night or yesterday afternoon. There was a stream of melting ice cream, orange juice concentrate, and beef blood mixed with the run-off from the freezer frost on the garage floor. Thankfully, it didn't stink yet.
Joan and David grabbed garbage bags and tossed the ruined food. Thankfully, there wasn't a lot because for the past few weeks we've been using the freezer more as an overflow area, rather than as a resource for storing provisions. Joan got rags and hot water and cleaned the garage floor. Thankfully, she did it with a helpful, uncomplaining attitude.
I started cleaning out the freezer section of our kitchen refrigerator. It was due for a clean-out, so I was thankful to be able to do it before I left on my trip. I stacked the new frozen food just purchased on the clean racks and in the empty bins. Thankfully, it all fit perfectly.
I'm thankful for the years of faithful service that freezer gave us. We bought it used fifteen years ago from another Marine family. They had had it for about 6 or 7 years, and they sold it to us for $150, which was a huge amount of money for us. We had four children then. As the years went by our family grew to nine children. We moved that freezer nine times. We enjoyed the luxury of making meals in advance and freezing them. We enjoyed the luxury of buying organic food in bulk through various co-ops for almost eleven years, and freezing almost a month's worth of food at a time. We took advantage of food sales, and stocked up on frozen items. Several times we thought that freezer was on its last legs, but we were always able to eke a few more years out of it.
I don't do bulk cooking anymore. I haven't been in a food co-op for 10 months. I have six children at home, but three of them eat 5 or 6 meals a week away from home. Next year I'll have 5 children at home, and two of them will still be eating quite a few meals elsewhere. Steve may eat 3 or 4 suppers at home each week. Our family food needs are shrinking, not growing. I think we'll try living with only the freezer part of the fridge for a while.
Steve will take to door off the old freezer this weekend and haul the freezer out to the street for the rubbish man to take away. And we have a lot to be thankful for.
When I came home from shopping for a week's worth of frozen unhealthy foods for Steve, Jacy, David, Marley, and Sam to enjoy over the next seven days, I found that our large freezer (which is in the garage) had died. From the forensic evidence, I'd guess it died last night or yesterday afternoon. There was a stream of melting ice cream, orange juice concentrate, and beef blood mixed with the run-off from the freezer frost on the garage floor. Thankfully, it didn't stink yet.
Joan and David grabbed garbage bags and tossed the ruined food. Thankfully, there wasn't a lot because for the past few weeks we've been using the freezer more as an overflow area, rather than as a resource for storing provisions. Joan got rags and hot water and cleaned the garage floor. Thankfully, she did it with a helpful, uncomplaining attitude.
I started cleaning out the freezer section of our kitchen refrigerator. It was due for a clean-out, so I was thankful to be able to do it before I left on my trip. I stacked the new frozen food just purchased on the clean racks and in the empty bins. Thankfully, it all fit perfectly.
I'm thankful for the years of faithful service that freezer gave us. We bought it used fifteen years ago from another Marine family. They had had it for about 6 or 7 years, and they sold it to us for $150, which was a huge amount of money for us. We had four children then. As the years went by our family grew to nine children. We moved that freezer nine times. We enjoyed the luxury of making meals in advance and freezing them. We enjoyed the luxury of buying organic food in bulk through various co-ops for almost eleven years, and freezing almost a month's worth of food at a time. We took advantage of food sales, and stocked up on frozen items. Several times we thought that freezer was on its last legs, but we were always able to eke a few more years out of it.
I don't do bulk cooking anymore. I haven't been in a food co-op for 10 months. I have six children at home, but three of them eat 5 or 6 meals a week away from home. Next year I'll have 5 children at home, and two of them will still be eating quite a few meals elsewhere. Steve may eat 3 or 4 suppers at home each week. Our family food needs are shrinking, not growing. I think we'll try living with only the freezer part of the fridge for a while.
Steve will take to door off the old freezer this weekend and haul the freezer out to the street for the rubbish man to take away. And we have a lot to be thankful for.
Labels: family
posted by Laura at
4:05 PM
1 Comments:
OH, who'd have thought the death of a freezer would make for such a bittersweet post. We are heading into the time of acquiring a freezer, and I know that all too soon the day will come when it stops working... and we won't have a need to replace it. Bittersweet, indeed. But what a beautiful life you've lived in the process. I hope to look back and say the same.
Dy
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