Wednesday, June 10, 2009

A Tedious Job



This is one of last year's pictures because, aside from stepping outside to hang up laundry and again to bring it in, I spent yesterday in the kitchen -- not, alas, cooking but taking EVERYTHING out of the refrigerator, the bookshelf full of cookbooks OFF the refrigerator, as well as removing the odds and ends on the pantry floor beside the refrigerator --- all so that John could pull the unwieldy appliance out of its place in the pantry, swing it around to get at the back, and investigate the workings and determine just WHY the wretched thing was leaking!

I'll spare you the details, (just as I chose to spare you a picture of what the mess looked like -- far too embarrassing) but the refrigerator is working again. I have ruthlessly dumped some of the odds and ends that I found in its farthermost recesses (crystallized ginger marmalade, yogurt adorned by pink fuzz, something in a jar that may be a new life form); and I have weeded out some of the cookbooks (especially those from the Fifties and Sixties with a heavy reliance on canned cream of mushroom soup) that I suspect I'll never use, as well as the stacks of cooking magazines, about half of which had fallen behind the refrigerator.

Just another exciting day in the glamorous life of a mystery writer.









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11 comments:

Pat in east TN said...

Sounds like a fun day in paradise? Hey, you gotta do what you gotta do even when you are a famous mystery writer!

Marta McDowell said...

Ah, Vicki, you and I are sympatico in housework as well. And I remember that, on housework, Emily Dickinson wrote "I prefer pestilence." But now you have room for new cookbooks. My favorite, though I'm not a vegetarian, is Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone by Deborah Madison.

Vicki Lane said...

Yep, Pat,even in paradise. . .

Actually, Marta, I think pestilence may have been breeding there in the veggie drawer, behind that limp celery.

Kathryn Stripling Byer said...

Well, Vicki, get ready for a post on the glamorous life of a poet. I've a freezer to de-frost, every single drawer to clean out and de-clutter, and we won't even get into what's in my fridge being transmogrified into lord knows what! When our fridge started leaking years ago, I too was embarrssed by what was in it. And under it. We had to buy a new one, but after all, that one was over 30 years old. It had done its job. So my husband didn't complain too much about the purchase.

Carol Murdock said...

Vick....I had to do that when the veggies started coming in so I'd have space!Feels good when it's all clean though! That John's a great handy man like Eric !

Tammy said...

Ah...reality. :-) I hate it when the 'frig goes on the fritz. Then the marathon cleaning and throwing away begins. Back after the Ice Storm, my refrigerator was completely empty by the time it was over and I had to wash it out with bleach---it ended up looking brand new! Glad you got yours fixed though. I esp. liked the part about the cooking magazines--with half of them behind the refrigerator anyway.
Tammy

Vicki Lane said...

Kay -- I'll be expecting a poem out of all that cleaning and de-cluttering.

Carol -- I am always in awe of John's ability to understand machinery and appliances. It's a mindset I don't have.

Tammy - Ah, those cooking magazines -- some over ten years old. I've bundled them up and put them in the car to take to the library giveaway table from whence they can go to lurk in someone else's kitchen. (Okay, I kept back a few -- who knows? someday I may indeed take a notion to try my hand at the cuisine of Tuscany.)

Victoria said...

Like my Mama used to say, modern inventions are great...as long as they keep working right!

Glad John could get it fixed. I remember when our old refrigerator died. Oh my Lord, I nearly fainted when I saw what was UNDER that thing. Forget about dust bunnies, I think I saw some dust Elephants under there! On the upside, I did find a cookbook that had been missing for several years.:-D

Vicki Lane said...

I suppose there are some super housekeepers who routinely pull out the refrigerator and vacuum behind it but I'm not one, alas. Dust elephants indeed!

Unknown said...

Dear Vickie,

We were in the front row last night in Hendersonville and thoroughly enjoyed it. Your talk and what you refer to as 'ramblings' made us feel just part of a discussion, not like an audience.

We live on 20 acres and altho we draw the line at cows, we do have horses and dogs and a garden which absorbs most of our attention. I 'telework' so I understand working at 11 pm under a deadline. THe farm is always calling!

Love your books and can't wait to see 'elizabeth' again!

Vicki Lane said...

Julia! Welcome to more of my rambling! I'm so glad you enjoyed last night's conversation.

Obviously, you understand what I'm about re the farm life.

So glad you like the books and I hope that Elizabeth's delayed reappearance will be worth the wait!

I think I can promise you'll enjoy Birdie's story too!

Thanks for stopping by and come back soon!