It's always something; Gilda Radner used to say. I haven't posted recently due to work and Thanksgiving preparations for DD and DGD's arrival (DSIL will stay behind due to work).
So, I take off from work yesterday to clean the house and do some last minute things. And what happens to interrupt my schedule???? The gray water line from the washing machine breaks and floods a section of the back yard. It took DH and I a while to determine the problem. At least it wasn't leaking in the house. Neither of us remembered that the gray water line came out at that point (the house was built in 1985), but I dug down in the mud til I reached the pipe and thus, mystery solved. (DH is disabled, thus I dig and he supervises.)
Call the plumber, and don't wash anymore--at least 'til the flood subsides! Lucky for me, the plumber makes it out before lunch. By 2 p.m. the leak is repaired and I'm back to my scheduled "duties." Needless to say, all I had intended to do didn't get done, but things could defintely have been worse.
Holidays and house or pet troubles seem to happen all too often. There was 1990 (when the temp is in the teens--hardly ever gets that cold in Texas!) when on Christmas eve's eve the propane pipe sprung a leak, and the propane had to be cut off; thus no heat in the house until after Christmas. Thank goodness for kerosene heaters and two fireplaces. (BUT no hot water except for what could be heated on the electic stove.) Kept the house "warm enough." DH had to rent a jack hammer (when the rental place reopened after the holiday) to bust up concrete where the pipe went into the sidewalk--then the propane folks could fix the pipe. That year we put off the Christmas celebration until the following weekend (New Years).
Memorial Day 1987, the kids are on their way for a week visit scheduled to arrive in just a few hours with the then new DGD. The washing machine goes caput. Luckily the local appliance store was able to get a new washer installed before their arrival several hours later.
The day before Memorial Day, 1999, I was getting ready for our family reunion that was to be held at our house. One of my horses suffered a stroke and had to be euthanized and buried. So rather than cooking that day (as planned), I was dealing with the Vet and the backhoe man. Luckily my sister was able to come in and help with the cooking.
November 15, 2001, my Mother passed away, and DD had to handle the Thanksgiving dinner at our house. Then my Sister and I "cancelled" holiday shopping that year except for the kids. Christmas was very low key that year as we just didn't want to deal with everything. My cousin invited us over for Christmas day, and that made it a bit easier for us.
Then comes 2004. December 20, I'm finishing a quilt that will be a Christmas present. I make the last stitch around 3 p.m. I hear a crash. DH, who suffers from neuthopathy in his legs has fallen in the kitchen and suffered a double compound fracture just above the left ankle. By 6 p.m., he's in surgery getting pins and plates. Around noon on Christmas eve, he is released from the hospital. Christmas day that year was spent giving pain pills every 6 hours and trying to deal with a wheel chair in the house. He was finally able to ditch the wheel chair in March of 2005, and life went back to some semblance of "normal."
I'm beginning to dread the holidays!!!!!!
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