Tuesday

After all the excitement with the gas stove, last night, both my daughter and I slept well.  I woke up at 6:30 a.m., feeling wide awake.   I boiled the water for my tea in the microwave instead of on the stove   and I was ready and waiting for the gas company service technician by 7:00 a.m.  While I waited, I emptied a couple of the buckets of water that had collected overnight from the drippy kitchen tap and used the water to water some of the plants in the front garden (I really need to find a new plumber - the person I used to call is no longer available; I called the company that fixed my water heater, but they said they specialize in water heaters and don't do regular plumbing repairs).  

When I went outside to water the plants, I saw not one but two white bunnies playing near the sidewalk!  They seemed to be smaller than the white rabbit that comes to my back yard; I don't know if these are new bunnies or, perhaps, they are the ones neighbor S's daughter mentioned seeing some time ago?  Just how many rabbits are there running around my block?

The gas service technician checked out my stove and was amazed that my stove is 27 years old!  He said these stoves have a life span of about 8 to 10 years!  He said I have kept my stove well maintained.  He checked everything and didn't find any gas leaking and couldn't find what might have caused yesterday's "whoosh" sound and the reason for the flame to go off.  He did say that, sometimes, a bit of ash or debris might clog an opening which would result in a blockage and a build up of gas which might then burn like a fireball.  Maybe that's what happened, last night and then something cause the flame to go off?  But, he checked for clogged openings and couldn't find any!

Even so, he brushed all the burner parts where the openings are for the gas to come out and turned the stove on and off while he checked for gas leakage, etc.  He checked the oven, too, and said everything seemed OK.  He did seem a little concerned by the fact that the self-ignition on one of the burners is no longer working (I usually light that burner with a lit candle), and on one other burner, the flame only lights on one side (although the openings are not blocked; I usually just blow on that burner and it causes the flame to light all around).  These are minor inconveniences as far as I am concerned, but, maybe they are reasons to be concerned?

The stove has a sealed top which doesn't allow the technician to check what is going on underneath the burners, where the wires are, etc.  According to him, getting a manufacturer recommended technician to come out and take the whole stove apart would not be worth the cost because the stove is so old.  

I was told I could continue to use the stove, but, his recommendation was to get a new stove, because once these sort of burner issues show up, they might continue to be a problem.  Plus, with gas stoves, one can't be too careful.  My daughter has been telling me to get a new stove for at least a couple of years, so, I guess that's what we will do!  My only concern is if a new stove will fit in the space between the two cabinets!  I remember the trouble I had with the new fridge not quite fitting into the space the old fridge occupied!  The space we have for the stove is exactly 30 inches wide and my current stove is 29 1/2 inches wide!  All the similar stoves I looked at online said they were 30 inches wide.  I am hoping that they will be just that half inch less than 30 inches!  Otherwise, we might have to do some kitchen remodeling and I am not sure if I am ready for that!  I would, however, like to get a new vent hood to go with the new stove.  The one I currently have is not quite as old as the stove, but, it is almost 24 years old and it looks grimy no matter how much I clean it.

In the meantime, we left the old stove be and didn't use it, today, at all!  Instead, I cooked a fish curry (with frozen pollock fillets) and green beans from the garden (we had picked almost a pound of green beans!) in the electric skillet!  I also made a salad with one of the small zucchini my daughter picked today - I made it the way I made cucumber salad - thinly sliced, with salt, pepper, and lemon juice.  My daughter, who normally doesn't like raw zucchini, said it was very good!  Dinner was rice with fish curry, sauteed green beans, and zucchini salad.  

I spent most of the morning on the family room sofa sitting up with a cushion at my spine and my legs stretched out on the sofa.  As I told my daughter, I felt less of an invalid while lying propped up on the sofa than propped up in bed!  Besides, I could look out into the back garden from the window and see the plants and the birds, etc.  There was a very territorial mockingbird who must have a nest nearby because it was dive bombing at one of the garden cats and pecking at it!  The poor cat was trying to run away from the bird!  

But, my daughter was worried that my leg pain might return because I was up and about.  So, in the afternoon, I went back to the bed and sewed on the quilt that I am repairing.  Aunt C called while I was doing that and we had a long chat.  Aunt C is in her mid-80s and occasionally repeats a story, but, I don't mind.  Sometimes she'll ask me if she has told the story earlier and I always say that a good story is worth repeating!  LOL.  Later, I chatted with friend R.

Today, I am grateful for:
- The stove is safe to use, although a new stove has been recommended
- The electric skillet which is earning its keep!
- Another good, pain free day
- Green beans from the garden
- All what I was able to do today!

Today's joyful activity was looking out at the garden and enjoying the view!

Plans for tomorrow include M's visit to tend to the garden.  

How was your day and what are your plans for tomorrow?