The blog with NO TITLE. Seriously!!!

If you have been on Anthem Ridge Drive recently, you may have seen Jerry and me wandering around the neighborhood in our bathrobes carrying towels, shampoo and conditioner. A strange site to behold in a lovely country club community. Reason: we have been without a hot water heater since November 18, and today is December 5. The home warranty company we have used since we moved here in 2008 has really been wonderful about replacing or repairing items until recently. We’ve always thought it was a good investment at only $77 a month. After doing the math, the numbers confirm we have come out ahead of the game. But this latest mishap has been rather discouraging. We are just so grateful for neighbors and friends who have let us use their showers, and we appreciate all the offers from many who know of our plight. If we could keep this gig going, we could save a fortune on water bills by just driving around the club showering at different homes😹😹😹 But seriously, this has not been fun. First, we were told on November 18 that no one could come out until the 25th. Since we were going to be vacationing for 6 days in the Ozarks at Big Cedar Lodge during that timeframe, we didn’t want to impose on anyone here to housesit, waiting for what could be 4 to 5 hours, for the company to send out their plumber. We accepted from Pruett Plumbing the next best offer of December 2 which was three days after our return from vacation. So when December 2 rolled around, we were ecstatic, believing that hot water was soon to be in plentiful supply in our home. Unfortunately, the plumber informed us that he had to order a special part and didn’t know when it would arrive. Sigh……. On December 3 we we were informed the part was in, but unfortunately Pruett Plumbing had no one available to install it until December 6. We are now praying that TOMORROW, YES TOMORROW, sometime before noon, we will once again have hot water.

My dear Jerry has quoted many times one of his favorite scriptures from James 1:2 ”count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.”

All I can say is while the hot water heater fiasco has been a real pain, it has been a reminder to celebrate Thanksgiving every day for all the wonderful conveniences that we enjoy and frequently take for granted. I doubt we will ever take water, hot or cold, as something that we deserve, and we hope to always be grateful for this luxury, especially here in Arizona where water shortage could become a serious issue! We shared a few laughs thinking about how really funny it would be if we had to build a little bonfire in the backyard to heat up water and carry in buckets to fill the tub. We contemplated what our ancestors must’ve gone through when they were traveling via covered wagon and didn’t have the luxury of a warm bath or shower. I was reminded of growing up the youngest of six on a farm in West Central Minnesota, where the summers were humid and the winters were brutally cold. We didn’t have indoor plumbing until I was about 10 or 11 years old. Even then we had only an old-fashioned clawfoot tub to bathe in, but no shower! We managed to survive the good old days and now have a much greater appreciation for all the blessings that God has blessed us with over the years.

I really couldn’t think of a good title for this blog so I’m asking you, my loyal readers, to send me a suggestion for the title and I will then gather a couple of book club friends to decide which is the best title. The winner will receive a special Christmas gift from Jerry and me. Please participate and make this fun for all of us.

In closing, I have to share that I have asked Jerry to please hold off on prayers for any trials to come our way to strengthen our faith and give us more joy. I have all the joy can handle right now🙀🙀🙀And patience is definitely not my strong suit!

May you have a wonderful Christmas and Hanukkah season, and continue to be thankful for many blessings, especially the love and kindness of friends and family!

The not so serious Charlotte