Ghosts of Kitchen Past

The stove is gone now. When Lawrence took the old range hood down Saturday and we pulled the stove out, it revealed the remnants of various kitchen remodels. I had planned to take some pictures of it.

It was all still visible: the wallpaper that was in the kitchen when we bought the house, some of the original (I think) Congoleum tile, the material we covered the wall with a year or so after moving in … then I took a nap last night.

When I woke up mid-evening, I found this instead.

The mother had painted the wall!

“That looked too ugly to put something brand new against,” she said. And I had to laugh because she chided me because I hadn’t run the beadboard backsplash – that will now get covered up – all the way up the wall.

Um, maybe because there was a RANGE HOOD there and I couldn’t reach it! Yeah. That might be why! Sheesh.

She is mourning the loss of the old stove, particularlyAfter her friend came to get it yesterday. Let me ask you:

Would you roll a mud-encrusted dolly through someone’s home, especially if you were there to pick up a major appliance for free? And, would you casually throw a storage drawer from said appliance about 10 feet into the back of a truck?

Both these things happened and it greatly upset the mother. The first thing, the dirt, actually pissed me off. I mean, it took 10 or 15 minutes to get it vacuumed and then cleaned off one of our throw rugs where they had walked over it and ground it in.

We’re not just talking a little dirt here. You could expect to see a little dirt on a dolly, or cart or rolling luggage. I'm guilty of tracking a little when I don't check luggage or my scrapbooking cart. But no. This bordered on major excavation!There was a pile in the driveway. Another pile on the front porch. And whatever was still left by that time left at least six smaller piles spread throughout the house. I’m sorry but that’s just plain ignorant.

And then, after remarking how it looked like brand new, she just stood there while her boyfriend heaved the unblemished drawer into the back of his truck – where it clattered with the dolly. I’m not sure if it dented it or not, but it sure could have.

She’s interested in taking the refrigerator, too, if my godmother decides she doesn’t want it. I have to say, after yesterday, I’d almost rather put it in the alley.