The story of the washer

As it turns out, the new washer, which died a month ago, was purchased in December of 2024. So it is 1.5 years old. And the full warrantee expired December 2025, 6 months ago.

The local repair main arrived, Friday, after a three week wait, and said it was the electronic/computer board. He did not have one in stock. He sent me to his sales/service store. 

At the store, Friday afternoon, they printed off all the detailed info on my washer and had me call GE customer service. 

Customer service was very nice and had someone at my house, with the correct parts, Monday morning, no charge.

Meanwhile, middle has washed all the linen and other odds and ends from her siblings and niece’s week long visit. Big help.

It was a little tough

For the first time in ages, all our kids were home at the same time, plus granddaughter’s first visit here, for a full week. 

Of course my washing machine died just before they arrived and there was a three week wait for a repairman. 

This is tradition, other years we have had air conditioner, stove, and one year the dishwasher die as various company was set to arrive. It is a thing.

Three weeks without a washer is a long time. My personal solution was to have middle wash a couple loads and then I simply bought more clothes to tide me over.

Prepping for this visit sent me down a much needed decluttering rabbit hole of resurgence. 

The room granddaughter (age 2) slept in had become a depository of cast off furniture. We got rid of 75% of it only keeping a chair, bed, nightstand, and the metal cabinet where we store photos.

Youngest had a long list of preplanned work. She did it all - cleaned out her old room, replaced our PC monitor, sorted all the extra cords, formatted an excel list of quilt groups. She also put in a grocery order for herself and did most of her own cooking which simplified the vegetarian issue.

I had just settled into the routine when the week was up and they all vanished again. 

But the decluttering continues. In the last two weeks I have taken about 6 SUV loads to the resale shop, and sold a ton off my front porch via Facebook Marketplace.

I bailed - Destiny of the Republic: A Tale of Madness, Medicine, and the Murder of a President by Candice Millard

Once upon a time I could have listened to this book, Destiny of the Republic: A Tale of Madness, Medicine, and the Murder of a President by Candice Millard  looking up interesting facts as I went. Now, not so much. Not even the car, captive, helped. 

I bailed after an hour, tried to listen to the review on SuperSummary and bailed again. 

As it worked out, I could not attend the book group  anyway, so it did not really matter. 

Side note - 

AUTHOR	Candice Millard
NARRATOR	Paul Michael

This is the second time this has happened recently. The authors voice did not match the narrator. The last time it was a male author and a female reader. It bugged everyone in my book group who read in audio format. This book it was a female author and a male narrator. This creates a mental discord that my book group members just never get over, it prevents one from settling into the book. 

Island of the Sea Women by Lisa See

Island of the Sea Women by Lisa See (2019).

Yes, two books based on Korea in a row. I listed to both these books on our Audible account.

Pachinko by Min Jin Lee in May, Island of the Sea Women in June.

Both of these were book group assignments, two different groups.

I liked both these books a lot. Extremely well written. They were both unusual books, the story lines and characters were not every day.

As I mentioned previously, I had no idea what a tough time Korea had with Japan. With this book, I realized Korea had a tough time with itself and everybody. 

I am still only listening in the car, so my pace is slower. But I am reading consistently.

Lisa See has a long list of books, both series and standalone:

https://www.bookseriesinorder.com/lisa-see/

My husband mentioned another Korean based book he read a year or so ago, I found a summary -

“In Order to Live by Yeonmi Park is a truly empowering memoir. Park's courageous story will leave you on the edge of your seat, deeply invested in her journey, and cheering her on as she triumphs over unimaginable challenges. Let's talk about those challenges: starvation, rape, human trafficking, freezing temperatures, betrayals, beatings. She fled North Korea with her mother when her father was imprisoned, hoping to find a place ofvrefuge and saftey. She was only thirteen. Their goal was to reach freedom and reunite with their loved ones. One of the most compelling memoirs I've ever read.“

Pachinko by Min Jin Lee

 I am a bit out of my reading slump, but still only able to listen to audio books while driving. So my pace on each book is very slow. 

One of my groups assigned Pachinko in May. I listened, but did not attend the meeting, because I had not yet finished, and knew there would be spoilers.

Pachinko by Min Jin Lee (2017)

Sandra Oh (Narrator), 

Min Jin Lee (Narrator)

I enjoyed this book. I realized part way thru that I understood very little about Japan and Korea, prior to WWII. I did not stop to research, I just enjoyed the novel. 

Publication Order of Standalone Novels

Free Food  for Millionaires	(2007)
Pachinko	(2017)
American Hagwon	(2026)

Publication Order of Disorder Collection Books

The Best Girls (2019)