Stove-Up
The Merriam-Webster dictionary definition of stove up: suffering physical discomfort caused by injury, illness, exercise or overwork: BATTERED, WORN-OUT
My stove…is stove-up!
The right rear burner does not work, and the oven requires creative, bake-time mathematics when setting the temperature. A once glossy white enamel stove top is now chipped revealing the dark skeletal frame…a likely result of repeated banging of pots and pans.
For months, the topic of replacing my stove has dominated my conversation with family and friends. My ongoing rant begins this way: The stove is 20 plus years old and I have lived with its limitations for at least five of those. Successful meal preparation depends on the use of four burners. Thanksgiving turkeys require accurate baking temperatures to achieve crispy, golden skin!
With each sentence, my voice becomes louder with building emotion, battling the one fact that cannot be disputed. The stove still works.
I am stove-up…with my stove!
The struggle of want versus need is real. I want a shiny, new Food Network gas stove in my kitchen. Delicious meals, prepared without concern of time and temperature, will insure my immediate summit to chef status! Cooking is one of my favorite activities and proper equipment is a necessity.
On the other hand, I do not need a new stove…the stove still works. The conflict begins once again. Where will the stove go if I replace it? Words like recycle, donate and throw away come to mind, and I struggle with all three. Recycle and donation drop off centers are overflowing with discarded items. If this appliance is thrown away, where is “away”?
Away is the landfill…a grim thought.
Everyday there are moments of conflict with our “stuff”. We talk, argue, build a case for what it is we want/need to do.
Today, the stove stays with me until her last burner gasps. I find gratitude in three working burners and the opportunity for brain teaser baking games to enhance my mental acuity.
And the right rear burner becomes the perfect trivet to showcase the cheery, hopeful sunflowers.
A win for Mother Earth.
