Thursday, January 20, 2011

After a long wait...


I went to the mall yesterday and I can tell you how long it has been since I was there... I got lost.  Now, before you enroll me in the Alzheimer's ward at the hospital, I must tell you that 1) we have a huge mall, and 2) I have always been directionally challenged.

Anyway, thanks to those You Are Here signs, I made my way to the store to view the stoves on their 30% off sale.  Those being the discontinued models.  (Did you know January is the best month to buy stoves?) The guy we'd been talking to was off work but he made a special trip in to help me since that was the last day of the sale.  He had one in particular he recommended and I loved it, a very nice model whose sale price put it in my budget.

Almost all the pay my husband is bringing home from his two weeks "beginning of the semester" seasonal work at the bookstore on campus is going to purchase this stove... so I did want to be very careful when spending it.  However, he has been a Quality Assurance Engineer for most of our married life (before Disability) and he has always reminded me that cheap is not frugal so instead of really cheap, I bought the nice model which was on sale.

Many of you who have followed my stove challenges will rejoice with me that I made dinner on a working burner tonight... on the right side of the stove.  We knew the stove had to take priority for this income as the last working burner was beginning to show signs of distress.  Usually I would use half of this income to stock the pantry but if one cannot cook what is in the pantry...

The delivery guys were so nice, they lost me even with a working GPS.  That happens a lot where we live but they did have a good excuse.  We had fairly heavy snow all day today and the gravel road to our house was covered over.  They didn't know there was a road even though their GPS was telling them my house was nearby.  We're used to confused visitors.  Anyway, I had to talk them to our place (thank God for cell phones in delivery trucks).

When the guys were taking our old stove out, one of them asked me if I expected the new one to last as long as the old (we figure the old stove was at least era 1970s)... he said they don't make them like that, anymore.  I hope that is not an omen. ;)

I did make one more stop at the mall before going home yesterday.  I spent the amount I'd normally spend when shopping... $1.99 for a Mountain Lodge votive candle at Yankee Candle's store.  Although I almost always purchase my (non thrift store) candles at my favorite primitive country store (she makes the candles here in town and they are half the price... as well as pure soy) but I adore the Mountain Lodge scent.

I am very thankful that my husband diligently worked the two weeks in the midst of ice, snow, and having to stand by an open door in freezing weather all day (he works security for these two weeks).  He found the best sales and I decided upon a stove we both like.  No more excuses for scorched dinners.

Picture:  Sorry for the quality but with a snowstorm outside, the inside of the house was quite dark!

22 comments:

Deanna Rabe - Creekside Cottage Blog said...

HUZZAH!

How wonderful, Brenda! It looks great and I am sure it was such a treat to cook on any burner you wanted too!

Ours is 15 years old, and is starting to have issues. We are hoping to upgrade to a gas stove this year, as we have propane heat.

I am very pleased for you!

Scrappy quilter said...

It's wonderful you got a new stove. Enjoy and happy cooking!!

Heather L. said...

YAY for a new stove!!! i'm so happy for you! I hope it works well for many years!

Anonymous said...

Brenda,

So happy & excited for you! A few years ago, I got my very first brand new stove in 20 years of marriage. I truly understand your happiness. :)

Blessings on the many wonderful meals you will make for your family.

Lori in snowy PA

Lisa said...

I hope you have lots of fun cooking lovely meals on your stove! It's a great one--I have the same one only in the gas model. I love it!

Becky K. said...

How wonderful that you have this new stove! Ours is very old but so far works just fine. I think about a new one every now and then but as long as this one works I guess that money will go to other needs.

I am thrilled that you buy soy candles from a local business. As a soy candle maker myself I always encourage people to give as much business as they can to small businesses in their neighborhoods.
(Not that I mind orders, of course, but small businesses need our business more than the big box stores).

allisamazing said...

Congrats on your new stove! I love your red tea kettle. It looks so bright and cheery :) ~Alana~

Corin said...

YAHOO! I'm so thrilled for you!

Kay's flowers said...

Congrats on the new stove, it's beautiful. I'm sure you will have many great foods to blog about and dinners to make and desserts to share with all of us. Have fun!

Anonymous said...

So happy for you Brenda! Angela

matty said...

Yah, Stove! Isn't it wonderful to have such a nice one! You deserve it! I can't wait to see what you cook up for your men!

Thickethouse.wordpress said...

You new stove looks lovely, especially with the red tea kettle on it! I know you and your family will enjoy the delicious meals that you make with it.

Little Penpen said...

Congrats! Enjoy your new stove and I hope it will last for years and years for you! Mine is probably about 17years old and looks pretty rough around the edges, but still cooks like a charm. (knock on wood!)

Marilyn in NM said...

Beautiful stove. I got a new one in December and it was not a planned purchase. After 19 years it was time to put my old kenmore to rest. Mine is gas as our house does not have 220....old house, very old house.
But new appliances always make us feel good.

Thickethouse.wordpress said...

And I should also say that I've had those stoves where the large burner goes and then another, and you keep going because you CAN use it, but always with a sigh! It's wonderful that you have this new one!

becka said...

Congratulations on your lovely new stove! I know you will really enjoy using it. The newer ones do have some nice features and it will be wonderful to have more working burners.

Joanne said...

It's beautiful Brenda and so well-deserved. I love the bright red kettle against a clean white stove...so lovely!
Long may the stove live!
Joanne at Seasonal Hearth

Debra said...

Aww... it's a pretty stove! I enjoyed reading about its story. :) Blessings, Debra

Elaine/Muddling Through said...

Hurrah for a working stove. You don't realize what a blessing that is until you don't have one. Glad yours is the working variety now!

Anonymous said...

This house had a counter cook top when we moved here. Tt had been put in this house in the mid 60s. When it finnally bit the dust we got a new one from the same good company. It only was good the first year then the bottom inside started rusting all over and the top chipping in big chunks. The burners work though!! :) That is a real blessing! It looks ugly and now only has 3 knobs and will definately not last like the first did but it still works!! :) Your stove looks beautiful. It is wonderful that he got enough work to pay for it. This sure is the time of year you want a stove for all those yummy Hot meals too!! :) Sarah

Manuela@A Cultivated Nest said...

Fantastic! I'm so happy for you! It looks like a great stove and I know it will make life a bit easier for you.

Manuela

Shanna said...

What a beautiful shiny white stove! It looks GORGEOUS with that red tea kettle. Your delivery man was right - they don't make appliances like they used to. I've found that out after having problems right off the bat with the new Maytag washer we bought 3 yrs ago [I'm surprised it's lasted that long - my original Maytag washer held out for 23 yrs!]. I continually ask the Lord to "keep the devour from us" so that we can hold onto those large-purchase items just a little bit longer.