Yesterday we were extremely lucky that our daughter came by when she did. I’ve had two stoves in my kitchen for over 40 years. I love them. I can bake a ham in one oven and bread in the other while cooking 6 or 7 different side dishes on the cook tops for big dinners. Yesterday I had gotten up and was deciding if I wanted to cook eggs for breakfast when our daughter called about coming to pick up something. When she opened the front door she smelled gas. It had filled the house. I had a head-ache but was not aware of the gas. My husband was still asleep. We opened up the house and called to get help.

The gentleman from the gas company came in just a few minutes. The gas registered 10 somethings on his meter. I suspected one stove was starting to have problems but both stoves had gone bad and were leaking deadly gas. He climbed his way through storage in the basement and turned off the gas to the kitchen. He kept monitoring the gas level until he was sure the problem was resolved. I give him high praises for coming promptly, finding the problem, fighting his way through my messy back room in the basement, and staying until our home was safe once more.

When I woke up yesterday I thought, “Thank you for another day.” I never realized how easy it would have been to turn on my stove’s burner to cook breakfast and that would have been the end of us or at least me and our home. Our daughter was supposed to come the day before but didn’t make it. If it hadn’t been for her, well, you know what would have happened. Things must happen for a reason. In the afternoon we went shopping for a new stove. So it all ended well.

If you have any old appliance that you think of as old faithful, you might want to rethink that. They may work for years without any problems. All it takes is one little thing and it can turn your home into a death trap. I’m not saying you have to go out and buy all new appliances, just be aware if they start acting up. A friend of mine just told me this week about a buzzing noise she had in her hallway. She thought she was going to have to hire an electrician to redo her wiring. All it ended up being was her doorbell had gone bad. She was lucky, too.

I’ll close today by telling you how blessed I feel to still be here to share with you another day. Until next time, be safe, be healthy, and be happy.

Bonita (Bonnie) Eaton

Vienna