Coveting Thy Neighbors Front-Loader

When our dryer went up in smoke last week I was thankful my home hadn't burned down.

Today I have an issue...

When things in my life have ever broken down (or spontaneously combusted, as it may be) my gut-reaction is to replace it. Out with the scorched. In with the new!


I'm slowly learning when things go awry in life (or the laundry room) there is often more than one solution. The best part? In the process of the final solution, you may pick up a skill or two.

Or at least your husband will.

For instance, The Mister could write volumes on how to repair a washing machine when it goes out. Or how to replace a sink. Or fix stucco when your wife backs her car into the side of the house.

He might call it : Fixing the Mess She's Got Herself Into.


I'd call it: Helping him see his Mr. Fix-It potential.

He's handy around the house... especially when I give him the time to figure things out; when I give thought to what might be another (less expensive) solution.

When my dryer set itself on the path of a slow burning inferno I put this lesson practice. I wasn't going to rush to the department store, I was going to let my man handle it! Wasn't that amazing?

Well, no, actually it wasn't.

Enter the front-loader.

This morning, after a laundry-lapse of 84 hours it was time to call on the kindness of our neighbor.

Mrs. E is a wonderful lady who I've written about before. She loves on my kids, is kind to my man, and has generously treated us as family. She gives treats to my dog, cuts fresh flowers from her garden for others to enjoy, and she has the most beautiful front-loading washer and dryer I have ever seen.

This morning I walked across the woods, arms straining to carry a basket full of laundry, with school-girl giddiness. I had been there a couple years back when the delivery truck pulled up Mrs E's driveway and unloaded the precious metal machine duo. I've been eying them ever since.

I'm just gonna spill my guts to you this morning and admit I made a wish right then and there, that my machine would die... so I could get a match-set too.

Before you judge, just remember, that was before I was using my powers of messing-things-up for good.

Honestly, this pearly white, energy-efficient, super-capacity, intelligent-timing, moisture sensing, with 9-cycles and 6- temperature settings might as well be my neighbors ox or donkey.

Have I mentioned how quiet it is? How it practically folds the clothes for you? How I have done four days worth of laundry in less than four hours because of its amazing ability to dry a load of laundry in less than hour?

I want  am enjoying that machine.

The Mister ordered the new parts he's replacing for our old dryer. They should arrive in the mail today or tomorrow.  I'm pretty sure its going to fix our issue.

The question is: Will it fix mine?

Happy Monday!