For many years we resisted buying a microwave oven. It just wasn't something I needed. Besides that, it was comparatively new - although I had a chance to learn about them probably long before a lot of folks did,  through a really interesting guy in St. Johnsbury, Thelbert Brown.  Thelbert worked for the St. Johnsbury school system when I first met him. He was definitely a renaissance man. Thelbert got hold of an old printing machine when I was working in an early education program based at Lincoln Street School. He set that old thing up and ran off all sorts of papers, posters, and whatnots for us, and I was sometimes his helper. But that's another story.

Thelbert also was involved in the annual Kiwanis Radio Auction. Not only was he on hand to tinker whatever went wrong with what little technical equipment they had back in those days, he had a microwave over there one year and was cooking hotdogs in it.

That doesn't sound very impressive, I know, but this was about 1970, and they were very new at that point. Thelbert explained to me in great detail how the microwaves worked to cook the hotdog and I was impressed that the plate didn't get hot but the hotdog did, indeed, cook. I don't think I ate one, however. I wasn't sure if those molecules racing around in that hotdog were safe to eat, I guess. It wasn't something I wanted to experiment with. 

Years later, I got used to having microwaved popcorn in the break room when we worked at Social Security Administration. Again, it didn't appeal to me, but others seemed to enjoy it. I think I made an occasional cup of tea by heating water in the thing, but that was about it.

Finally, Fred and I bought our first microwave. I don't remember why, but I remember that it was a big decision. And it cost quite a lot of money. We got a big one, a Sharp, I think it was, and it had convection and all sorts of bells and whistles that it turned out I never used. But it lasted something like fifteen years - unheard of, these days. When it gave out, we had it repaired because we couldn't find one that we liked as well. Then it gave out again after another five years or so, and by then there were no parts available. We were forced to buy a new one - cheaper in price and in quality. That has lasted about five years, until this morning when I needed to heat up my coffee after I'd left it to go outside to work.  I pushed the button to open the door and it had no spring to it. The light came on in the oven, but the door didn't open, and none of the buttons worked. I finally got the door open, but when I closed it again, the light stayed on. I knew it had bitten the dust.

So the rest of the day, we've been heating water on the stove for tea, and I had to remind myself to take meat out of the freezer so it could thaw for tonight's dinner, or we'd be having cereal and toast. Yup, I now use a microwave dozens of times every day. I zap potatoes for a few minutes before I put them into the toaster oven to finish baking, and steam all our vegetables in the microwave instead of boiling them the conventional way. Hot chocolate, soups, leftovers - all go into the microwave now. I've been known to make a pretty good corn bread in the microwave. It's an important fixture in our kitchen and it took us only a matter of minutes to find one on line and order it. Isn't that how everyone shops these days?

So now, until our new one comes, it will be interesting to see how much we really miss it - and how often dinner is delayed because I forgot to thaw something or forgot how long it takes to cook it on the stove. A supreme test of how well we're able to plan ahead.

Don't forget that the last business meeting of the season for the Joe's  Pond Association is tomorrow, Saturday, August 24, at 10 a.m. at the pavilion. It could be a little chilly, so be prepared! Then, in the afternoon, there is the annual Cocktail Party with live music. That's from about 4 o'clock until 7:30 or when everyone goes home, I guess. It's a great way to end the summer, and it looks like the weather will be excellent - cool, sunny, and perfect for late summer.