Thank you to the little bird, who shared the great deal that she got on her washing machine. Thank you to my husband, who looked at washing machines and settled on the one mentioned by the little bird. Yesterday, our new washing machine arrived. I have washed 4 loads of laundry, so far (no, they are not all folded). For the first time in almost seven years, our clothes are coming out of the washing machine smelling clean. For the first time in almost a month, I don’t have to worry about seeing rust all over our white laundry when I open the washing machine lid. For the first time in my married life, I own a machine that was manufactured by the same company who manufactured my parents’ washing machine. Based on the price, my husband and I will be happy if this machine lasts almost seven years (like our previous machine); we will be ecstatic if it lasts longer.

Now that our washing machine has been replaced, our children are wondering what we will need to purchase next. Since last April, we have bought a new dishwasher, had our dryer fixed, and replaced our hot water heater. The children are sure that the oven and refrigerator will need replacing in the near future and they are trying to guess which one will stop working first.