by Donna Poole
We were the Three Musketeers.
We three couples laughed, cried, and adventured together. We solved the world’s problems while enjoying coffee in our living rooms warmed by a wood burner or kerosene heaters. We sat in camp chairs pulled close to crackling campfires and watched the stars appear. We enjoyed countless meals together. John dearly loved our friends, La-Follettes, and Potters, and never got upset with them.
Except for that one time.
The phone rang. “John,” Audrey Potter said, “Marvin and I are at a garage sale. There’s a dryer here for $75.00. Either you’re buying it for Donna, or we are, but one way or another, she’s getting this dryer!”
A clothes dryer wasn’t on our list of must haves, and the must haves far outweighed the income. It’s probably a good thing Audrey couldn’t see John’s face.
“Where is it?” he asked. “I’ll come get it.”
I have no idea where John got the money, because back then we were lucky to have an extra five dollars!
I’d never had a dryer. We lived in the country, and clothes lines strung between trees worked just fine. Unless it rained, or snowed, or a bird pooped on the sheets, or everything got fly spots, or the laundry smelled like manure from the neighbor’s cows.
Did you ever get out of a hot shower, bury your face in a towel that smelled like manure, and come up gasping for fresh air? No? You should try it sometime!
Home came the dryer. John was even less thrilled when he found out the dryer was set up for natural gas and he had to buy a converter so it could attach to our LP gas. But finally, we got the old girl up and running.
Like our other old appliances, the dryer worked great, most of the time. When she didn’t, John learned a lot about repairs. And when the work needed was beyond him, he called Brad, our appliance guy.
Brad is a genius at finding old parts and fixing ancient appliances. We got to know him well, just as we did our furnace repair man. When people replaced old furnaces, he saved parts off them because he knew we’d be needing them. We have good people in our lives.
About a month ago the old girl started warning us. Towels that usually dried in one hour took two. Finally, she said, “Enough is enough; I need a rest.”
We weren’t worried. John tore her apart and thought he knew what the trouble was. He called Brad. Brad confirmed John’s diagnosis of the patient’s illness and added another John had missed; she was terminal.
“I’ll try, but I really don’t think I can get parts for this anymore, John. This dryer was made in the late 60s or early 70s.”
“Do you have anything second hand available?”
Brad nodded. “I do, but it’s electric. I’ve gone over it, and it works well. I’ll tell you what though, with the price of LP gas as high as it is, you’re going to spend as much to run a gas dryer as you will an electric one.”
Audrey, you’ll be happy to know John is buying Brad’s dryer. You don’t have to threaten to come back to Michigan from Tennessee where you live now and buy it for me if he doesn’t. It costs a little more than $75.00, but it’s very reasonable.
I’ll miss the old girl. I wish I could remember how long we’ve had her, maybe twenty-five years? She gave us a good run for the money, and I’m sorry she’s a goner.
You know what I miss more? I miss the days when three young, then three middle aged, then three older couples cried, laughed, and adventured together. I miss solving the world’s problems while enjoying coffee in our living rooms warmed by a wood burner or kerosene heaters. I miss sitting in camp chairs pulled close to crackling campfires and watching the stars appear. Gone are the days of sharing countless meals together.
Those days will never really be a goner because they’ll live forever in our hearts. We’ll fellowship again someday around the Big Table when we all get Home to heaven. Pastor Potter is there already; we don’t know which of us will go next. There will be no problems to solve there, no tears to dry, but the love and laughter will last for eternity. And I can only hope for a crackling campfire, cups of coffee, and the sweet voices of my beloved friends.
I love this, Donna💕. We used to camp at the same campground as my late brother, Jim and his family. Many world problems were solved and much laughter was shared as we sat around the campfires in the evenings🥰. If the weather was bad , during the day we spent many of those days in one or the other’s camper playing Yahtzee! Those were some of my best days and nights. Great memories!
Sorry, I can’t relate to the dryer, but I certainly relate to those many times spent together with those we loved!
“Precious memories, how they linger,” the old song says, Jean. What a lovely gift they are. God bless you.
As usual, I delightful picture of life. I’m imaging those conversations and it warms my heart. I have had dryers like that through the years in a household of ten… a few of them actually.
I always look forward to your writing. For so many years I overlooked your writing on the “Bulletin” because it was written to women… My parents had every single copy. I didn’t know what I was missing. …and you had fellowship around a kerosene heater… I thought I was alone on that one… I could tell stories…
Blesssings.
Pastor Ken,
We love your stories too; they come from the heart. Thank you for every one you tell. God bless you and yours.
Oh my just flashed by so many sweet memories I remember sitting at that table with you guys and life was so simple back then wasn’t? it oh I miss those days so much I miss you all so much I haven’t heard from La Folltte’s in years and I would love to . I don’t have a connection with them, but thank you for writing this it brought precious, precious, memories back to me. Love tou much! Heaven will be so sweet
We do share many sweet memories, don’t we? Those were wonderful days. Love you. God bless.
Enjoy reading about these things and the spiritual lessons.
Thank you for reading and encouraging, Joe. God bless you and Lynn!