Two cubic feet

We got a new refrigerator. It's amazing the difference two cubic feet make!

We've been talking about getting a new fridge ever since the day I spent cleaning out the old one left behind by the previous homeowners, so revolted by layers of gunk I was in tears. We talked about it after each of the half-dozen times we had to throw out spoiled food and start over, because one of the doors failed to close properly. And we talked about it when we got our fridge, the fully-loaded year-old one we hauled here all the way from New Mexico, out of storage only to find that it was too large for the space in our 1957-built kitchen! But every time we tried to shop for a new fridge, the timing was wrong; we couldn't agree on features or a budget, and ultimately came to the conclusion that as long as the old one worked, we'd be better off saving the money.

A couple of half-gallons of milk ago, nearly four years after moving into the house, Scott noticed that food was going bad before the expiration date, drinks weren't cold anymore, and the unit itself never stopped running (which he thinks contributed to a high electric bill). Leave it to the detail man; like the proverbial frog in the pot, I wouldn't have noticed if he hadn't pointed it out!

The timing was finally right (i.e., our hands were forced), but we still didn't agree on a replacement: an inexpensive base model to tide us over, or a nicer one to last? I didn't think our budget could take the hit (especially on the heels of Arrow's unexpected surgery). Then on the last stop in our hunt, everything fell into place. We found the exact model we had considered at the scratch-n-dent as a floor model clearance for $200 less--half off the original price! Scott got his ice maker and water dispenser, I got my top-mount freezer and stainless steel doors, and it's a KitchenAid--all for a price we expected to pay for a basic model. Looking back at how one thing led to another, I'm convinced everything happened in the order it needed to happen (even to the order we visited each store). I've never been so thrilled (and at peace, with myself and Scott) with a major purchase. The Hand of Providence!

Now, if only I liked grocery shopping...