Our AGA is fixed... and other things

This morning a repairman came out and fixed our AGA.  As DH said, "OMG, it's alive again!" That's what it feels like when the pilot is lit and the whole thing becomes warm again. It is the 'heart' of the kitchen and we've had it since 2005. 

It's only had one repair in all those years and that was in 2011. But when the workman who were putting in the generator last week tried to put it back on, they broke the simple mechanism that lights the pilot. So the poor thing went cold after all those years. We were lucky to find someone who knew how to fix it, as you don't find too many AGAs in Texas. But we love it... and really missed it. So we are so happy to have it back working again! 

She's back!!

Of course we also have an old wall oven... but we've had it for 36 years and the thermostat on it doesn't work well.  We have been told that it is too old to repair the thermostat so we either have to put a bought thermostat into the oven and regulate that way or just order a  new wall oven... (and who knows when that will get here - and it's definitely not a priority).

We did go out and buy a Breville toaster oven that has air fry capacity. THAT is supposed to be delivered before Christmas (we shall see). This was a precautionary measure in case the AGA parts had to be ordered and we wouldn't have any kind of oven for Christmas dinner. 

And I have to say that these last few days without an oven has taught me how to microwave more. Up until now we only used the microwave for heating things up... not actually cooking. But I've learned to cook scrambled eggs in the microwave (and baked potatoes)  as well as some microwavable dinners (like Stouffer's lasagna). I always knew they were microwavable, but just preferred to put them in the oven.

Anyway, now you are up to date on our latest Christmas dilemma.

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Our oldest son and his wife drove in from Texarkana this past weekend and we had our little family get-together Sunday. They were going to come Christmas Eve, but for one reason or another ended up coming this weekend. It was so good to see them as they have moved from Oahu, Hawaii to Grandbury, TX to Texarkana during the pandemic and we haven't gotten to visit much. 

Their dog is a Golden Doodle... (funny name for a breed I know), but very family oriented. I think he really believes he is just another kid. 

Here is a picture of Winston in his Christmas sweater.

He usually runs around the house except when we're eating - and then they 'corral' him for a little while. But he is a sweetie, loves to play and loves to watch TV... especially dog shows... but he watched football with us Sunday. 

We won't see our daughter and her family this Christmas, but we did see them Thanksgiving... and hope to be able to visit them in the hill country this spring or summer (if this virus would stop mutating and we could feel safe to travel).

Youngest son and his family will come over Christmas evening. Granddaughter is 9 now and her class recently had a Christmas event at school. We almost always go to these events, but decided that perhaps with Omicron rearing it's ugly head, that we would forego any crowded gatherings. They understood. No one wants any of us to get sick.

Tomorrow I will continue baking my Christmas rum cakes since the AGA is back in service.  I need to get these out to my neighbors sometime this week... and then I'm finished baking. We have gotten so much in the mail from friends and family... and even neighbors that we have enough goodies around this house to last for a year. 

These are the cannisters and rum cakes I send out... 

DH's brothers sent us a ton of dark chocolate 'everything' from the Chocolate House in Houston and bags of Italian seed cookies as well as quarts of Spumoni Ice-cream from Angelo Brocato's in New Orleans and a variety of different flavored pecans. I will have to put some of this away or we will all have diabetes by the end of the year. 

Well, Merry Christmas to all of you! Stay well and stay safe! And I'm glad that we at least have this safe way to stay in touch and communicate during these strange days. 

Hugs (virtual),

Rian

* For those who have shown an interest: Sorry I couldn't get the sequel to "Time after Time" out before Christmas. But hope to do it sometime early in 2022.  But good news is that I'm still getting hits on Amazon for both the paperback and the kindle edition. *