We rent a small house in a small town.  I am a mom that works as many days as she can but overall I am a mom.  What do mom’s do.  They kiss boo boo’s, they wash clothes and pack school bags and COOK.

Early in the month my oven quit on my stove.  I really don’t blame the oven it was the digital display that went out.  Without those magical push buttons there was no way to turn on the oven.  How stupid, why does a simple button need to control all.  Is old fashioned knobs to good for a stove now days.  Stove worked oven sat cold.

We waited a few weeks and got a call that our landlord found another stove and was bringing it in.  I was so excited, it was a used stove but heck I didn’t care.  It was a very nice looking stove but once it got out of the freezing temps of a storage unit, the freezing temps of the back of a truck and into our 68 degree home we discovered there was something terribly wrong.  The stove had such a horrible smell that it burned our eyes and lungs.  It was awful.  Something had to have gotten into the insulation of the stove and it was ruined.  No matter how nice it looked didn’t make up for how bad it smelled.  It was like the worst 24 hours of my life.  The house smelled so bad we couldn’t be in it and I had no way to cook for my family.  It is like a basic instinct a mother has.  To make a meal for her family.  Oh I hate the question, “What are we eating tonight.”  but I feel it is my job, a job I take joy and pleasure in.  It was only 24 hours but it felt like I had failed.  I had a full on anxiety attack the next morning.  There was a smell in the house and I couldn’t even boil a pot of water.  When I called my mom I told her my whoes and then I couldn’t even boil a pot of water.  She has a way to put things into perspective.  One- Why do I need to boil a pot of water at 8am.  Two- this will pass and a new stove will be there shortly.  That afternoon the stinky stove was taken out of the house and the spot sat empty where my cooking vessel should be.

Our landlord was looking all over for a good condition stove.  Saturday I had the idea of going to the Habitat for Humanity ReStore.  What a treasure trove of items.  I found my stove!!!!  Looking at it I knew I needed this stove.  It was odd I walked around the store and had to keep walking back to this stove.  Called my landlord up and said cancel getting a stove by tomorrow I found one.  This is an old stove it has a vintage look that I love.  There is chrome on the corners.  A green sea glass color on the oven glass window and behind the knob controls.  Yes knobs no digital display to go out on me there.

My heart is happy.  I can provide food for my family and friends.  We weren’t home an hour with the new stove and cookies were baked.  Last night a meatloaf and green bean casserole (were in Minnesota don’t ya know).  Today was a pan of brownies and an egg bake for dinner.  I am sure supper will go back to a chore but for now I am loving it.

My role is fulfilled as a mom.  I am sure many would disagree but it makes me feel like there is a purpose, I know my role and I can excel at it.