Melted Watermelon and Other Unexpected Trials which Yield Blessings

I stared at the floor in dismay. The watermelon I was about to put into the refrigerator had exploded!

Well, more accurately, it had melted. Rather like the Wicked Witch of the West after Dorothy doused her.

Surprised I had not noticed it earlier, I began to move things out of the way of the sticky fluid oozing along the tile and underneath the bookshelf and impromptu storage area of miscellany. My sweet husband immediately went into emergency mode, directing operations and preparing to shovel up the offending blob. I cleared the bookshelf so we could move it outside and remove any destructive detritus while hubby brought in the mop and bucket.

In the midst of this, I was expecting a buyer for something I posted on OfferUp, and, much to our chagrin, hubby discovered that the freezer on the patio had been ajar long enough to begin defrosting. Water was already leaking and spreading across the cement toward various items which still needed a permanent place.

Two hours later, we had assuaged the catastrophes. The contents of the bookshelf were still strewn across the table and couch, and the freezer items were stored in ice chests while the ultra-thick ice in the appliance slowly melted. The endangered belongings on the patio had been safely moved to the yard for later sorting. My buyer had come, and, although I didn’t catch his text for 10 minutes, remained in the area to complete the transaction.

Exhausted, we sat down and looked at each other. “Well, that was quite a date night!” my husband quipped.

“Yes, but it forced us to complete some To-do tasks which we we had deferred for too long.”

“What are those?” He queried, and I listed them.

Cleaning off, dusting, and organizing the bookshelf
Removing some things from the storage area to list them for sale
Defrosting and cleaning out the freezer (waaaay overdue and delayed to avoid getting the patio collection wet)
Cleaning off the patio (hubby’s things)

This forced deep cleaning of the freezer revealed some interesting (and rather embarrassing) quirks.

I have enough bone broth for a month’s worth of soup.
Mystery meat entombed in a micro-glacier for indeterminate years looks pretty good (but I won’t risk cooking it).
Potato Casserole from 2014 brings a new definition to freeze-dried food.
A bread bag found in the depths containing only five neatly folded, white plastic garbage sacks defies any logical explanation for its presence. (Perhaps it was prophetic preparation for a time when a virus would empty store shelves of basic household supplies.)
Ice and frost take up an enormous amount of space. After a clean start with several items discarded, my freezer looks a bit lonely.

In spite of the evening’s frustration, I feel delighted to look at the newly cleaned spaces and know that my To-do no longer includes those projects. I can move on to other priorities.