How well I know that cosmic bureaucrat. There’s some mischief at work here too. You turned my attention to the sky, with lots of good lines along the way. Chicken-cutlet arms? Also familiar.
My husband rarely takes exception to what I write (and never reads anything before it's published), but he expressed firm disagreement with the cutlet analogy, insisting that my arms look great. Perspective matters yet again.
Thanks, Mona. The new refrigerator and range we had to buy a few months ago are poorly built compared to what we lost, and I'm sure the same will be true for any new freezer we end up with. It's disheartening - but at least there are better things to notice in the world.
Sadly we all relive those moments.... Regardless of what has thawed already or in process it's not a good time... Recently we were looking at refrigerators at a local store and the retailer told us that they all were about the same and they are made mostly by the same company... I ask... which one lasts longest?......he replied...they never last 10 to 15 years anymore they're all somewhere in the 5-8 year range.... Looks like there is an enemy out there plotting against all of us, so that we cannot have a love affair with our appliances anymore...🥲
Thanks, Barry. Planned obsolescence is real, and so very frustrating! The two appliances we've already replaced are disappointing, to say the least. We are still holding out hope of finding a way to repair this one, but only time and the advise of a seasoned repairman will tell. :sigh:
When I was a young mother, I became acutely aware that major appliances routinely died on major holidays . Those, of course were the days of cloth diapers( the dryer!), homemade baby food and pumped breast milk ( refrigerator ), and deep Midwestern winter night( the furnace!). When I lived on The Eastern Shore, a freezer full of Rockfish, soft crabs, crab meat all lovingly picked and packed in a "Seal a Meal" as well as 15 pounds of shrimp, defrosted quietly over a long weekend...disastrous on many levels! But, I agree that perspective can be found in the flight of the tundra swans and the owls in December calling to one another deep in the woods.
I took great joy in line drying the cloth diapers and went without a dryer for quite awhile, but they sure are convenient in winter, when the damp, gray days move in.
The loss of all that seafood must have been heartbreaking AND horrifying! Thank goodness nature gives us ways to take our minds off our troubles, eh? Thanks, Susan.
Thank you, Elizabeth, for the good writing you share here this morning. Despite your calamity, the tale you tell is entertaining and uplifting. I benefitted from both. Happy Wednesday!
"Swan song". I love it. Birds seem so organized in their comings and goings, being right where they need to be, while we humans rely on General Electric to keep our lives humming (or thawing) along. What a tale you've told. Writing is such a great way to zoom out and show the whole picture for others to see, without our having to actually put overalls on over our PJs. Thanks.
I'm relieved, time and again, that I was born with a predilection for noticing what's going well even in the midst of what's going wrong, as well as an inclination to write it down. Life saving! Thanks for the comment, Stew, and for smiling at swan song.
Oh! How well I know the breakdown of appliances and cars! We have had both this year. Both of our cars broke down at the same time. Shortly before that, we had to replace a heater. It never ends! We may have to replace our oven soon.
I feel your pain, Shauna. Upon returning from the conference this afternoon, I noticed an HVAC service truck in our neighbor's driveway and felt a great sense of relief that it was *over there!* Here's hoping Murphy and Mercury take a holiday break. Thanks for reading and commenting, as always.
The loss of that freezer came with even deeper losses, Ann, and so much sadness. But years earlier, I also recall discovering the one in the basement, filled with defrosted and ruined stewing hens. Ugh!
I learn so much about America from your posts. It’s like you’re speaking a different language, but, like checking out an abstract painting, the gist of it gets through, the colours and textures and overall emotion.
It’s such a pain when a freezer dies. I’m so glad you found something and were able to rescue some of the contents.
Loved the memories of life and food. My oldest items are frozen herbs - definitely time to throw some of them out - and stewed cherries. Times of plenty are such a wonderful time to capture what you can.
Good luck with the rest of the household electronics. 🤗🤗
Thanks, Beth. If you have time and inclination, I'm curious to know more about which parts of this piece brought new discoveries. I recently saw a set of playing cards for sale that included "Aussie slang," and touted the opportunity to learn a new language. Made me smile.
I'm right there with you on ancient, frozen herbs. Not long ago, I finished up a bag of peppermint I'd ordered in 2004 (I only know this because of the shipping label on the bag) A pound of mint lasts a very long time. Hah!
Oh, Beth, no! I just tried to delete a comment of my own (thumb typing and it was a mess) but accidentally deleted YOURS and can’t restore it!! I’m so sorry. Here’s what I remember seeing before I botched it up:
Persimmon pudding
Corn pudding
Okra, sweet potato greens, maple syrup in the freezer, shrimp and grits
Tundra swans
Bald eagles, turkey vultures, starlings
And that your swans are black…
I have to tell you that my knowledge of and experiences with Australian birds and foods are similar. And I find it all just marvelous. Thank you for circling back and for bearing with my blunder. 🥰
Oh, and sweet potato greens are not even common here. But they are edible, so I freeze them sometimes.
Just cleaning out my emails and found where I'd saved my workings when I reread your article. Yes, those were things that I had no knowledge of.
I came back to pop them in here and found your reply! Excellent. The original reply just said 'Beth,' so at least I knew you'd read it. But lovely to see the full response. Thanks so much Elizabeth. All the best.
Looks like I’ve managed to muddle this thread! Substack and I both got confused. I thought I did successfully publish my response. Thankfully I can see that you did receive it. So glad. Hugs dear Elizabeth.
We have a printer that has managed to work for over a decade and the ink cartridges are still available. I feel this is the apex of machine-related fortune so I am sprinkling some in your direction.
(ps I enjoyed your FB check post, thought I commented but it was only in my mind, ACK!)
Blowing your good-fortune sprinkles into all the right spots, Eileen. Thank you! And I'm always grateful you choose to spend time here at all, my friend.
Those damn mutinous appliances! Earlier this year, our refrigerator decided to launch itself into full defrost mode without being asked, an experience I would rate zero out of five stars.
I can only imagine how much it sucked to endure cold and chaotic marathon of transferring whatever could be salvaged to other cold places, but I'm so grateful for your ability to spot beauty and to tuck it away for winter safekeeping. Thank you for this lovely, lovely post.
We were very fortunate to have been able to save anything at all, and to live in a place where our community of friends could help make that possible. Swans among them.
Gorgeous writing about loss layered in ordinary disaster. The freezer as a literal map of seasons is such a perfect framing, and teh line about shrimp and grits being there for emergencys captures so much about how we stock our lives. It's that casual detail that makes it real,the way breaking things always pull out these forgottenconnections to who we used to be.
Thank you so much for this affirming comment! I'm pleased to know this didn't trip and tumble into some sort of weird, anthropomorphized naval gazing. 😅
In all seriousness, yes -- we do so often rediscover ourselves when something goes missing. Joni Mitchell -- "Don't it always seem to go that you don't know what you've got til it's gone."
Oh, Elizabeth - I am in awe of your skill in turning a story of utter disaster into such a fantastic read! I'm so sorry about your freezer - we rural folk rely on functional kit like this to hoard our gluts of goodies!
I'll never forget the Great Storm of 1987 - I was twelve - when we were without electricity for over two weeks. At the time we were self-sufficient and had two chest freezers - massive things - full of homegrown meat, fruit, bread, veg - the absolute works - and in a hamlet not connected to the gas network, nearly every household relied on electricity for cooking. Not us, though: we had an oil-fired range. Those two weeks without power were probably the most sociable of my entire childhood - neighbours were coming round with the drippy contents of their own freezers, the stuff they could salvage, to cook on our range. We cooked and hosted many, many dinners made of an infinite variety of culinary combinations, and it was an absolutely amazing time.
Some stuff couldn't be saved, of course. My parents sat down and worked out an itemised list of spoiled freezer contents for an insurance claim, and on a trip to the supermarket a long time afterwards caught a glimpse of quite how much it cost to buy a container of fresh meat stock (broth)! 'I didn't add that to the insurance claim!' she said. 'All those pints of stock from homegrown meat were apparently worth a fortune!' 🤣
This is a beautiful comment and memory, Rebecca. While your parents and their neighbor friends might have been exhausted by what it took to keep the pace going, and the hope alive, during those weeks, what they all gained in return is truly invaluable. And I love that your 12-year-old self remembers it so fondly! Thank you for taking the time to read and share that reflection. I will remember it!
Loved the freezer story and can relate. There have been disasters.
Living on the coast and growing our own food, ours is essential. Family members have lost theirs, loaded with so much protein, (seafood in particular) and you can only imagine the odour!. Thus far, our old girl is trundling along. It’s an upright and once or twice a year, I will defrost, attacking the ice with a pick and pretending I’m climbing Everest as shards fall around me, building halfway up my calves. But all the food is on its rightful shelves, easy to see and hopefully (touchwood), we’ll get another year or two out of her yet.
For those who hunt or raise meat or poultry, grow vegetables or buy in bulk (as I did for many years), a working freezer is essential. The farm lost one that lived in the basement of the "big house," filled with the birds we had so carefully butchered and cleaned for stewing hens when their egg-laying lives were done. (I can relate to the terrible smell!)
I'll keep my fingers crossed for you and your old girl. I have no confidence that our replacement will come anywhere close to those old treasures.
Wow... pre-pandemic bananas! That's impressive, Elizabeth. I'm sorry about the string of failures, but it is captivating to see how in your life, the freezer holds the stories and maps to the passage of time. --> "The freezer was a map of seasons, many seasons, some too far gone to remember."
I am glad you were able to find a temporary cold zone until things can be sorted out.
As for puddings that aren't puddings.... it strikes me they may be the best!
Funny you mention non-puddings being the best, Amy. We grew up eating Jello brand chocolate pudding, and I learned to hate it, along with all things Jello. Jell-OMG no!! But the two that have become favorite traditions in my house are not like that at all. Maybe it's because they have better stories to tell. ;)
So appreciate you taking time to read and comment, and I know you can relate to the loss of an important appliance in your life. The meltdowns here have been a huge inconvenience, but what I regret most is that the replacements are more like the puddings of my childhood. The look okay until you dig into them and discover that they're not very well made.
How well I know that cosmic bureaucrat. There’s some mischief at work here too. You turned my attention to the sky, with lots of good lines along the way. Chicken-cutlet arms? Also familiar.
Thanks, Rona.
My husband rarely takes exception to what I write (and never reads anything before it's published), but he expressed firm disagreement with the cutlet analogy, insisting that my arms look great. Perspective matters yet again.
You married a keeper.
So sorry the electrical gods took to trying to smack you down, Elizabeth, but, oh, that ending. So sublime...
A writer sees. All the rest can wait. ❤️
Thanks, Mona. The new refrigerator and range we had to buy a few months ago are poorly built compared to what we lost, and I'm sure the same will be true for any new freezer we end up with. It's disheartening - but at least there are better things to notice in the world.
Sadly we all relive those moments.... Regardless of what has thawed already or in process it's not a good time... Recently we were looking at refrigerators at a local store and the retailer told us that they all were about the same and they are made mostly by the same company... I ask... which one lasts longest?......he replied...they never last 10 to 15 years anymore they're all somewhere in the 5-8 year range.... Looks like there is an enemy out there plotting against all of us, so that we cannot have a love affair with our appliances anymore...🥲
Thanks, Barry. Planned obsolescence is real, and so very frustrating! The two appliances we've already replaced are disappointing, to say the least. We are still holding out hope of finding a way to repair this one, but only time and the advise of a seasoned repairman will tell. :sigh:
I like your winters tucked away for safekeeping! Nice piece!
I like tucking away for safekeeping myself in winter. Always good to see you here, Erica.
When I was a young mother, I became acutely aware that major appliances routinely died on major holidays . Those, of course were the days of cloth diapers( the dryer!), homemade baby food and pumped breast milk ( refrigerator ), and deep Midwestern winter night( the furnace!). When I lived on The Eastern Shore, a freezer full of Rockfish, soft crabs, crab meat all lovingly picked and packed in a "Seal a Meal" as well as 15 pounds of shrimp, defrosted quietly over a long weekend...disastrous on many levels! But, I agree that perspective can be found in the flight of the tundra swans and the owls in December calling to one another deep in the woods.
Right? What is the deal with the major holidays?
I took great joy in line drying the cloth diapers and went without a dryer for quite awhile, but they sure are convenient in winter, when the damp, gray days move in.
The loss of all that seafood must have been heartbreaking AND horrifying! Thank goodness nature gives us ways to take our minds off our troubles, eh? Thanks, Susan.
Thank you, Elizabeth, for the good writing you share here this morning. Despite your calamity, the tale you tell is entertaining and uplifting. I benefitted from both. Happy Wednesday!
So glad to read this, Kim, and thank you for taking a moment to share it. Enjoy the rest of your week!
"Swan song". I love it. Birds seem so organized in their comings and goings, being right where they need to be, while we humans rely on General Electric to keep our lives humming (or thawing) along. What a tale you've told. Writing is such a great way to zoom out and show the whole picture for others to see, without our having to actually put overalls on over our PJs. Thanks.
I'm relieved, time and again, that I was born with a predilection for noticing what's going well even in the midst of what's going wrong, as well as an inclination to write it down. Life saving! Thanks for the comment, Stew, and for smiling at swan song.
Oh! How well I know the breakdown of appliances and cars! We have had both this year. Both of our cars broke down at the same time. Shortly before that, we had to replace a heater. It never ends! We may have to replace our oven soon.
I wish you the best of luck! 💛😭
I feel your pain, Shauna. Upon returning from the conference this afternoon, I noticed an HVAC service truck in our neighbor's driveway and felt a great sense of relief that it was *over there!* Here's hoping Murphy and Mercury take a holiday break. Thanks for reading and commenting, as always.
I indentfied. Our chest freezer after the barn fire but impossible to salvage anything.
Loved the birds and catching their magical sounds flying overhead. I will never forget the Tundta swans.
The loss of that freezer came with even deeper losses, Ann, and so much sadness. But years earlier, I also recall discovering the one in the basement, filled with defrosted and ruined stewing hens. Ugh!
Thank goodness for swans. 🦢
I learn so much about America from your posts. It’s like you’re speaking a different language, but, like checking out an abstract painting, the gist of it gets through, the colours and textures and overall emotion.
It’s such a pain when a freezer dies. I’m so glad you found something and were able to rescue some of the contents.
Loved the memories of life and food. My oldest items are frozen herbs - definitely time to throw some of them out - and stewed cherries. Times of plenty are such a wonderful time to capture what you can.
Good luck with the rest of the household electronics. 🤗🤗
Thanks, Beth. If you have time and inclination, I'm curious to know more about which parts of this piece brought new discoveries. I recently saw a set of playing cards for sale that included "Aussie slang," and touted the opportunity to learn a new language. Made me smile.
I'm right there with you on ancient, frozen herbs. Not long ago, I finished up a bag of peppermint I'd ordered in 2004 (I only know this because of the shipping label on the bag) A pound of mint lasts a very long time. Hah!
Oh, Beth, no! I just tried to delete a comment of my own (thumb typing and it was a mess) but accidentally deleted YOURS and can’t restore it!! I’m so sorry. Here’s what I remember seeing before I botched it up:
Persimmon pudding
Corn pudding
Okra, sweet potato greens, maple syrup in the freezer, shrimp and grits
Tundra swans
Bald eagles, turkey vultures, starlings
And that your swans are black…
I have to tell you that my knowledge of and experiences with Australian birds and foods are similar. And I find it all just marvelous. Thank you for circling back and for bearing with my blunder. 🥰
Oh, and sweet potato greens are not even common here. But they are edible, so I freeze them sometimes.
Just cleaning out my emails and found where I'd saved my workings when I reread your article. Yes, those were things that I had no knowledge of.
I came back to pop them in here and found your reply! Excellent. The original reply just said 'Beth,' so at least I knew you'd read it. But lovely to see the full response. Thanks so much Elizabeth. All the best.
Looks like I’ve managed to muddle this thread! Substack and I both got confused. I thought I did successfully publish my response. Thankfully I can see that you did receive it. So glad. Hugs dear Elizabeth.
Will have another peek tomorrow and let you know. Bed time down under. Hugs. Enjoy your day.
We have a printer that has managed to work for over a decade and the ink cartridges are still available. I feel this is the apex of machine-related fortune so I am sprinkling some in your direction.
(ps I enjoyed your FB check post, thought I commented but it was only in my mind, ACK!)
Blowing your good-fortune sprinkles into all the right spots, Eileen. Thank you! And I'm always grateful you choose to spend time here at all, my friend.
Those damn mutinous appliances! Earlier this year, our refrigerator decided to launch itself into full defrost mode without being asked, an experience I would rate zero out of five stars.
I can only imagine how much it sucked to endure cold and chaotic marathon of transferring whatever could be salvaged to other cold places, but I'm so grateful for your ability to spot beauty and to tuck it away for winter safekeeping. Thank you for this lovely, lovely post.
10/10 would not recommend!
We were very fortunate to have been able to save anything at all, and to live in a place where our community of friends could help make that possible. Swans among them.
So glad you're here, Irena.
So glad to be here! And hooray for community, human, feathered, etc.
Gorgeous writing about loss layered in ordinary disaster. The freezer as a literal map of seasons is such a perfect framing, and teh line about shrimp and grits being there for emergencys captures so much about how we stock our lives. It's that casual detail that makes it real,the way breaking things always pull out these forgottenconnections to who we used to be.
Thank you so much for this affirming comment! I'm pleased to know this didn't trip and tumble into some sort of weird, anthropomorphized naval gazing. 😅
In all seriousness, yes -- we do so often rediscover ourselves when something goes missing. Joni Mitchell -- "Don't it always seem to go that you don't know what you've got til it's gone."
Oh, Elizabeth - I am in awe of your skill in turning a story of utter disaster into such a fantastic read! I'm so sorry about your freezer - we rural folk rely on functional kit like this to hoard our gluts of goodies!
I'll never forget the Great Storm of 1987 - I was twelve - when we were without electricity for over two weeks. At the time we were self-sufficient and had two chest freezers - massive things - full of homegrown meat, fruit, bread, veg - the absolute works - and in a hamlet not connected to the gas network, nearly every household relied on electricity for cooking. Not us, though: we had an oil-fired range. Those two weeks without power were probably the most sociable of my entire childhood - neighbours were coming round with the drippy contents of their own freezers, the stuff they could salvage, to cook on our range. We cooked and hosted many, many dinners made of an infinite variety of culinary combinations, and it was an absolutely amazing time.
Some stuff couldn't be saved, of course. My parents sat down and worked out an itemised list of spoiled freezer contents for an insurance claim, and on a trip to the supermarket a long time afterwards caught a glimpse of quite how much it cost to buy a container of fresh meat stock (broth)! 'I didn't add that to the insurance claim!' she said. 'All those pints of stock from homegrown meat were apparently worth a fortune!' 🤣
This is a beautiful comment and memory, Rebecca. While your parents and their neighbor friends might have been exhausted by what it took to keep the pace going, and the hope alive, during those weeks, what they all gained in return is truly invaluable. And I love that your 12-year-old self remembers it so fondly! Thank you for taking the time to read and share that reflection. I will remember it!
Loved the freezer story and can relate. There have been disasters.
Living on the coast and growing our own food, ours is essential. Family members have lost theirs, loaded with so much protein, (seafood in particular) and you can only imagine the odour!. Thus far, our old girl is trundling along. It’s an upright and once or twice a year, I will defrost, attacking the ice with a pick and pretending I’m climbing Everest as shards fall around me, building halfway up my calves. But all the food is on its rightful shelves, easy to see and hopefully (touchwood), we’ll get another year or two out of her yet.
Hope your new one is a long-lived beastie!
For those who hunt or raise meat or poultry, grow vegetables or buy in bulk (as I did for many years), a working freezer is essential. The farm lost one that lived in the basement of the "big house," filled with the birds we had so carefully butchered and cleaned for stewing hens when their egg-laying lives were done. (I can relate to the terrible smell!)
I'll keep my fingers crossed for you and your old girl. I have no confidence that our replacement will come anywhere close to those old treasures.
Thanks, Prue, for the comment. Always a pleasure.
Wow... pre-pandemic bananas! That's impressive, Elizabeth. I'm sorry about the string of failures, but it is captivating to see how in your life, the freezer holds the stories and maps to the passage of time. --> "The freezer was a map of seasons, many seasons, some too far gone to remember."
I am glad you were able to find a temporary cold zone until things can be sorted out.
As for puddings that aren't puddings.... it strikes me they may be the best!
Funny you mention non-puddings being the best, Amy. We grew up eating Jello brand chocolate pudding, and I learned to hate it, along with all things Jello. Jell-OMG no!! But the two that have become favorite traditions in my house are not like that at all. Maybe it's because they have better stories to tell. ;)
So appreciate you taking time to read and comment, and I know you can relate to the loss of an important appliance in your life. The meltdowns here have been a huge inconvenience, but what I regret most is that the replacements are more like the puddings of my childhood. The look okay until you dig into them and discover that they're not very well made.
I love that you turned that final moment symbolic, Elizabeth. --