An Unexpected House Guest

This week I had a visit from an old friend.  Murphy...as in Murphy's Law.  You know, the one that says anything that can go wrong, will?  Dave Ramsey even teaches about Murphy in his baby steps.  In fact, it is baby step ONE.  We know from time to time Murphy will show up at our door, totally uninvited and usually unwelcome.  However, we are taught to be responsible and plan ahead for him just as we would for any other unexpected guest.  Only, I was unprepared.

First on the agenda for his visit was my dishwasher.  Now, for some reason I'm known to have issues with dishwashers.  One was even fatally struck by lightening.  I still just continue to be amazed at the Curse Of The Dishwasher (insert evil laugh)  in my home.  At least this time I was prepared.  When I purchased the current dishwasher, you can believe I also purchased the biggest, baddest extended warranty out there.  That baby is covered until 2017!  So, until the repair person can come, which will still be another week or more, I'm happily hand washing my dishes and using my dishwasher as a very expensive drying rack.  And yes, for some strange reason I wash and re-use my disposable plastic cups.  (Smile)

We also had a day or so of very steady and at times, heavy rain here.  That is when event number two came around on the agenda.  Now, while lots of heavy, steady rain did wonders to re-fill my sweet pond, which had suffered some water loss because of our dry weather, my roof didn't fare so well.  I immediately noticed a large, wet area on the bedroom ceiling. Not good. The stars you see in the picture above are left over reminders from when my sons shared the room.  They glow in the dark.  Knowing that our roof is about twenty years old, I'm sure it needs replacing, but for now if at all possible, we will opt for repairing.

That brings us to the third, and hopefully last item on Murphy's agenda.  My dryer.  I may or may not have the extended warranty on it; I'll have to check.  Regardless, knowing the lead time in getting someone out to repair it, or waiting until next payday to buy replacement parts, I know I'm looking at a couple of weeks.  Rather than complain and whine, I just very nicely told hubby that I'd need a clothesline put up and today would be just fine for that to be done.  In no time at all I had a functional clothes line strung up between a couple of trees.  I love it!  I love hanging clothes out.  I really do.  Gets me outdoors, saves on the power bill and, well you get the idea.  My sweet little Jack Russell loves it too.  And when I can't go outdoors to dry clothes, there's always creative clothes hanging indoors.

These are the everyday things that happen in my real life.  Stuff breaks.  Stuff leaks.  Life goes on, and I have to be flexible and not gripe and whine and complain.  That wouldn't do anyone any good.  We work with what we have.  We are thankful for what we have.  I'm just thankful that Mr. Murphy doesn't visit too often.