You know that funny feeling you get when you sense something is missing or at least not where you left it, but you’re not really sure? Time passes and you forget about the could be missing thing because you moved on to something else.
We removed our suspended kitchen ceiling, the hundred and fourteen-year-old brick chimney, and brought in the new appliances. I temporarily installed the new (built-in) dishwasher and prepared to roll our aging portable dishwasher out of the house.
For a forgotten reason, I once needed to remove part of the cover where the water supply / discharge hoses and electric cord go through the back of the roll-around dishwasher cabinet. I suppose that made the opening an attractive curiosity for some, enticing enough that I pushed my cable camera through the opening to peak inside.
Resting in the darkness at the bottom of the cavity was my missing and forgotten tape measure, a plug-in multiplier, one Phillips and one flat screwdriver; all former occupants of a little tool drawer next to the sink where the dishwasher would be parked when in use. How could those things have gotten into the back of the dishwasher? One or two grandkids top the suspect list. Review a previously solved mystery here.
I spotted a friend at church today. We’re friends because we have Multiple Myeloma cancer in common. He’s a few years ahead of me on his cancer journey. He was kind enough to meet with me before I had my Stem Cell Transplant and share his transplant experience.
Two people can have the same cancer and the same treatments,
but not have the same results. Knowing
that, it’s still interesting, somehow comforting, to talk with someone who is
treating the same cancer you have. They
may provide a glimpse into your future – or, maybe not.
A Stem Cell Transplant is not a cure, but can buy precious
time. My friend is years past his
transplant and the cancer is again advancing.
He’s had radiation for the tumors that have recently developed, and next
week he will begin an experimental chemo treatment. If it helps, he’ll probably take it the rest of his life.
You know that funny feeling you get when you sense something
is missing or at least not where you left it, but you’re not really sure? I’m reminded that I may have somehow misplaced
my normal life expectancy. Did
I? Maybe.
Time has passed and perhaps I’ve realized new expectations.
There is an old house in Newberg that will soon be torn down. It will be removed to make room for a development. It’s the last house on South River Street, next to the rail road tracks. Jacob and Katherine Dressel moved into that house with their nine children when they arrived in Newberg in 1928.
On The Way To Oregon
My
grandmother, Verna, was one of the nine finding her new home here about a week
before her 13th birthday. Her
nine-year-old brother, Levi, would many years later become a father-figure to
me and a grandfather to my sons. My
first grandson is named after him.
I
remember Levi saying, “In those days, River Street was a tough neighborhood,
and the farther south you went, the tougher it got – and we lived at the
end of the street.”
My mother was born in the Dressel House
Before
the house was to be demolished, some of the siding had been removed. A tree feller working there walked over to look
at the open wall. It had been filled
with sawdust for insulation.
He noticed something sticking out of the sawdust and carefully pulled it out to discover it was a very old envelope marked, OFFICIAL ENCLOSURE. The return address printed under a canopy of wings read: Jimmie Allen Flying Club.
The
envelope contained a letter confirming the recipient’s membership in the Jimmie
Allen Flying Club, an official Membership Card, and a pair of engraved metal wings
(like an ID bracelet).
The Air Adventures of Jimmie Allen was a radio show about a sixteen-year-old pilot. Targeting kids and teens, it was broadcast from 1933 until 1937.
photo courtesy of Darin Sturdevant
It wasn’t until that evening when the tree feller was examining this treasure with his wife, that he noticed the name of the new Flying Cadet – Dale Dressel – brother of the tree feller’s grandfather – Levi.
You
might shrug this off as a small-town coincidence but consider the odds.
Darin, the tree feller, knew that generations ago, the Dressel family lived on south River Street, but he didn’t know the house.
What
are the odds:
Of Darin felling trees at that house
Of Darin felling trees at that house after the siding on that wall was removed
Of Darin felling trees at that house after the siding on that wall was removed, but before the house was demolished
Of Darin spotting and retrieving that envelope that had been encased in the sawdust, in the wall, for at least 87 years (and would probably be bulldozed within the next few weeks).
And, a bonus mystery: Darin said the envelope was not at the bottom of the wall cavity, as if arriving there before the sawdust was added, and it was not at the top of the wall cavity, as if placed there after the sawdust was installed. It was in the middle of the wall.
The last of the nine Dressel siblings died on Valentine’s Day. My Aunt Florene’s passing wasn’t just the end of a generation, it marked the end of an era. She was the youngest of the nine, arriving in Newberg when she was just 18 months old.
The
reception at her memorial service was much like the long ago Dressel Reunions at
Zion Lutheran church on River Street.
I’ve attended those family reunions since I can remember, and Aunt
Florene was always there, usually in the kitchen, one of the key figures administering
the event.
Outside
of family gatherings, my family didn’t spend time with her family, I have no
specific memories of her, except that she was always there.
She
cared for her sister, Emma, checking in on her daily, cooking, driving,
delivering, and visiting, until Em’s death at age 99. It seems not long after that, Florene became
the care receiver. She was living with a
granddaughter and family when she died about a week ago, a month short of age
94.
Lately, I’ve been cleaning out my file cabinets. Not digital files – hard copies in folders, in hangers, in drawers. Papers I have not looked at in years. How did I collect these volumes?
I discovered many useless, worthless pages I could part with, although some are so old, they may be accruing a vague historical value.
There are also important documents I must keep – Titles, Certificates, Warranties, etc. Some documents represent personal memories; I want to keep those. I must keep those. It’s a comfort to know they are there, safe in the folder, in the hanger, in a file cabinet where they will remain until something big happens.
It occurred to me when we were resting Aunt Florene’s beautiful wooden casket on the straps holding it above the protective concrete vault, that placing there, a physical body no longer needed (in a casket, in a vault, in a cemetery) was a bit like me filing away my precious, hard copy memories. I don’t want to give them up, so I store them safely in a place of honor, a place where I won’t forget them.
Darin
brought the Jimmie Allen Flying Club envelope, letter, and wings to Florene’s
memorial reception and gave them to Dale Dressel’s son, David.
It
was a sweet moment.
photo courtesy of Darin Sturdevant @ Premium Quality Firewood
When our refrigerator quit working at Christmas, we temporarily replaced it with the old one stored in the garage. Two months later, we purchased new appliances for the (just begun – finally!) kitchen remodel. Diane favored black stainless steel. I suggested Fire Engine Red – we went with black.
Our previous frig had magnets covering about 80% of its face: statement magnets, car show dash plaque magnets, Robin’s Orlando soccer team icon magnet, multiple Mickey Mouses (Mickey Mice?), cat magnets, magnets holding comic clips, magnets holding new wisdom’s, old profundities, and the kitchen remodel ideas list. There were magnets holding pictures and magnets that are pictures, like Kaydia’s Disney frame magnet picture from 2004.
I
counted fifty-eight magnets displayed proudly, like Pins, Metals, and
Ribbons blazed across the chest of an exceptionally decorated war hero. They made that individual refrigerator (a
model owned by hundreds) – uniquely ours.
But,
as our friend, Vicky, used to say, “Well guess what.” Magnets won’t stick to black stainless-steel.
Maybe…. Double stick tape?
These new appliances come with great new features, some curious warnings, and user qualifications. There is a Mt Dew drawer that keeps my favorite drink colder than the rest of the frig – just the way I like it! But, the Owner’s Manual warns, “Do not allow children or pets to touch or go near the drawer.” We’re on the same page – I like that, too.
The frig will chime an alarm to tell me if the door did not close completely. I wonder if that relates to the Intended User clause in the manual: This appliance is not intended for use by persons with reduced mental capabilities (who don’t close the door?).
The manual also directs: Keep children away from the dispenser. Children may play with or damage the controls. Keep flammable materials and vapors such as gasoline away from the refrigerator.
The list of Do Nots includes: Do Not store explosive substances in this appliance, Do Not put animals inside the appliance, and Do Not light a candle to remove odors in the refrigerator (yes – it is written!).
The Trouble Shooting section of the Owner’s Manual includes: “Hold the mouthpiece of your phone in front of the speaker that is located on the right hinge of the refrigerator door.” Doing so, I imagine, would allow a voice to yell, “A person with reduced mental capabilities has two cats, a can of gasoline, and a candle in this refrigerator, and is about to light the candle! Dispatch Police and Fire to this address immediately!”
I’m thankful that medically, things remain stable. I can live with that. If you’re still reading – thank you.
Another
Christmas gone (so quickly). Did the radio
really start playing Christmas music in October?
Our Grand-kids greeting an electric snow man
Our kids and grandkids were here. It was nice to have them, we made memories. The only certain casualties were one refrigerator and three washing machines. Okay, it was three washing machines if you count the one that quit one week after everyone was gone. What are the odds?
We brought in the old garage refrigerator for a temporary replacement. I felt lucky to quickly find a used washing machine. It was the same model as ours, we could use the first one for parts if needed.
Our fancy Christmas lights this year
When we got home from dropping the last of our family at the airport, my wife gathered up all the sheets, blankets, pillow cases, comforters, bath towels and more, and began washing.
Just like our old washer,
our new – old washer suddenly refused to execute the spin cycle. I tossed the sopping wet load into the shower and front loader-ed the rest of Mt Laundry into the bathroom – which was now a giant laundry hamper.
We began searching for a replacement wash machine. I found that you can pay (almost) as little or as much as you would like for a washing machine. I also learned that beginning in 2015, new wash machines had to meet new government standards (an Integrated Modified Energy Factor) which mandated them to use less water and less energy. These restrictions were tightened again in 2018.
I discovered that quite a few people believe these regulations produce appliances that are more expensive and less productive (but they save water and energy – and so save the planet!). I can’t speak from personal experience because our machine was built well before 2015. Apparently, some folks are repairing and keeping their classic wash machines.
We purchased a new one (washer #3) at a well known Scratch and Dent Outlet, brought it home, hooked it up, and resumed mining our giant laundry hamper. That machine quit working and was returned in less than one week.
Did you know that a washing machine, much like a car, has a motor, a transmission, a clutch, and brakes? Thanks to some helpful on-line videos, I suspected, verified, and repaired the clutch of washer #2 for less than $10. We’re using it for now, and hope to sell it and do the same repair on washer #1.
If we need a new refrigerator
and we are on the verge of remodeling the kitchen (YES – REALLY!), we may as well take advantage of a 4-piece appliance package price – now.
We shopped around and found the best deal. There would be even more advantages if we made this purchase with that store’s credit card. With the sale prices ending soon, we applied for the card and were approved.
Although approved, we could not use the card until it arrived in our mailbox. The day before the sale ended, the card had not yet arrived, so we transferred funds to our debit card account and clicked the Process Order button to buy the appliances.
Our bank’s Fraud Department froze the account.
I appreciate the good work they do. We told them this was a valid charge and they un-froze the account. The store notified us our card had been denied, we said it is clear now, try again. They tried again and it was still blocked.
We called the bank again – banking hours have ended, call tomorrow (the last day of the best price). Reaching the bank again resulted in multiple phone calls over confusion about secret Key Words, and which Key Word was associated with which card holder.
This same day,
the store-credit card arrived. I signed onto my appliance order page and changed the payment method to the new card. While online, a store representative phoned me to try to clear up the bank/fraud/card issue. I told her I changed the order to use their new card. She said, “I see while we were talking, your order/charge was updated and approved.” Yay! (The yay was me).
Blog Post Disclaimer
Although they scored more ink – appliance issues are not the Christmas memories I will cherish.
My January Multiple Myeloma and Prostate Cancer test results showed no change.
