Tuesday, November 20, 2012

A New Era...

For 62 years my mother has cherished a gas stove very much like the one above.  My dad once worked it over and ordered parts from a far away company in order to make it safe and working for another fifteen or so years.  However, this past week, the stove did some very uncomfortable things.  After a visit from a local repairman who Ahem! made a part for the oven from a gutter  outside the house....  I tried to bake my dear sister/cousin an ooey gooey butter cake.  The whole endeavor took about two hours, and the cake was barely done.  Then Sunday after I lit the oven with my trusty match, we both smelled gas.

Then came the foolhardy part....  kind of like riding with an alcoholic who has only had a "few"...  Mom wanted the stove to be okay so much we tried lighting it several times.  Once my breath was enough to ignite the fumes in the oven's coils...  That feels like magic!  But is a bit disconcerting if one's face is right there...  Later, even the burners atop the stove performed similar pyrotechnics as they poofed up about six inches from a low blue flame, make a huge "pop" and went out...  Mom called the time of death about eleven a.m.

I have ordered us a new gas stove to be delivered on Friday morning.  My son and I wheedled my mother into keeping her beauty and not sending her to the ditches.  I plan to wheel her into the extra room/pantry/laundry room off the kitchen...  If anyone could see the disarray in there, they might wonder how that Thanksgiving Miracle is to take place...  I dunno..  I just plan.

Our meal is to be on Friday, and again my cousin/sister is saving the day by bringing an electric roaster for Mr. Turkey who is sitting politely in his pan in the  refrigerator.  We are using electric oven, microwave, and crock pot to create our Thanksgiving meal.  The new stove maybe will be here in time to finish the trimmings, and maybe not...  and maybe just in time to really cause a delay.  Luckily our only guests are my son and my dear friend...  both will understand.

While I am thrilled to have a new stove to enjoy, I am equally happy not to have to say goodbye to our queen of the kitchen....  I am so nostalgic...


2 comments:

Helen said...

Couldn't believe the coincidence! Just last night (they arrived really late) installers took away my almost 20 year old gas range, installed my BRAND NEW gas range. Warming drawer, convection oven, five burners ...
I am in cooking heaven. Enjoy yours!!!!

Happy Turkey Day.

Becky K. said...

So sorry for the end of that particular stove but excited for you on the upcoming adventures and deliciousness which will surely come from the new one.

Your Thanksgiving meal will make memories....you know, the year the stove died and we made the BEST turkey in a roaster kind of memories.

Have fun!