Don’t Cry Over Spilled Milk

This blog post was originally published in April of 2016 on our farm website. But it’s a good story, and since I’ve just started blogging for realsies, I thought I’d add it here as well. We no longer milk here on the farm!

Tuesday. I was rushing, I’ll admit.

Ok, when am I not rushing? Anyway, I had milked the cow, and was heading out the door to church board meeting. I had a gallon and a half of quart jars in a cardboard box in my hands, a bag slung over my shoulder, and an apple in my mouth. I was heading out the door to take the milk to the store and get to my meeting.

It was warm on Tuesday. So warm, in fact, that I was wearing flip flops for the first time this year.

And as I was walking through my living room the horrible happened. The bottom of the box gave way and all 6 jars of milk crashed at, on, around my feet. There were several things that occurred simultaneously – I was in mid-stride, so when my foot came down, yes a large chunk of glass entered my instep. Flip flops. Glass shards peppered my capri’d calves, and small streams of blood poured down – while a gallon and a half of fresh, raw milk soaked into my living room carpet.

Not wanting to take another step, I sank down on the sofa to survey the damage. Plunked large chunk out of my foot. Brushed off calves. Glass shards and jar lids. And wet carpet.

I pulled out my phone, called mom-in-law. I will not make it to board meeting. Check. Pulled out a feed sack and filled it with as much glass as I could. Check. Found the spot bot and cheap cheap carpet shampooer and began sucking milk. No way did I pull out a gallon.

Called hubs. The way I see it, we have three options. 1. Pull out the carpet and get new. 2. Mad dash to WMart to rent the RugDr. 3. Mad dash to home store to purchase new shampooer – mine was NOT doing the trick. He advised me to check pricing for options 2 & 3. He did not like option 1. (??)

As I was calling around checking pricing, mom-in-law called back – “Have you checked carpet cleaners? I think there’s a coupon in this week’s paper.” I love this woman.

Thinking there was no way they would answer at 7pm, I rang and they answered! Told them my story – but was looking for something fast. He asked if 9:30 tomorrow was soon enough. ?!! YES! I paid a little more than renting a rug doctor, and less than buying my own machine.

It is now Saturday evening. Carpet cleaners came Wednesday. They were running a three-room special, so as I sit in my office, the carpets here are spotless and beautiful, as well as my daughter’s bedroom. There is no sign of the carnage in the living room either. Blessings abound. If there is a moral to this story it is this: There are always more options than you think.