It ain't what it was

My programmable coffeemaker has all the modern features anyone could want, It has a clock, a two hour auto shut-off, a pause and serve feature, a removable filter basket and dual water windows. It does about anything you would want, except brew coffee.

I plugged it in the other morning and it did nothing. It wouldn't brew my coffee. It lit up, the clock worked, but it just sat there, mute. It is about a year and a half old.

When I want toast for breakfast I have to stand there and hold down the pop up handle, then raise it when I think the toast is done. The handle refuses to stay down and pop up automatically. I also have to guess if the bread is toasted, a hit or miss proposition. The name brand toaster is less than two years old.

This leads me to believe that small appliances aren't quality material anymore. Like the old gray mare, they ain't what they used to be many long years ago.

When I got married, I received a metal toaster as a wedding gift. I used it almost everyday for about 35 years before it quit working. I still have the iron that was given to me as a wedding gift and it works. Yes, I did buy a more modern iron about a year ago but I wouldn't be surprised if it decides to stop heating. I don't iron as often as I did when I was younger either. I had military untiforms to starch and iron and two kids to iron clothes for. Those were the good old days when we starched and ironed each week.

That old iron got a workout but it was durable..

Nowadays wash and wear materials have eliminated much of the ironing.

My daughter and son-in-law bought a fancy state of the art washing machine one year ago. It has a gigantic tub big enough to wash bulky bedding, like comforters. It has no agitator and it uses way less water than the conventional washer. It has a lid that locks automatically and the washer requires a special detergent called HE.

Since they purchased it, they have had it worked on twice.. Right now it isn't working. They are waiting on a part that has been back ordered by the company repairman. The part should be in sometime in October, they've been told.

It will wash one load of clothes, then hang up. It won't drain; it just hangs up. The timer hangs up at a certain point, then the washer shuts down. Believe me, my daughter is frustrated. They paid a bunch of money for a name brand machine they can't use.

Eons ago I bought my first washing machine. It lasted years and years and was in constant use. Eventually it was sold secondhand and was still working fine.

I still own the old refrigerator that I bought in Gosnell, Ar., probably 30 years ago. It's outdated because no one buys harvest gold anymore. Customers want stainless steel or white. However, the refrigerator is better made than many refrigerators on the market today. It has heavy metal sliding trays with glass tops, no plastic anywhere. It was quality made by a quality company.

I believe many products of old were quality made in comparison to most manufactured today, including cars. Today pretty hubcaps that look like metal are actually plastic. Of course, vehicles manufactured in recent years are more modern and comfortable with heated seats, cruise control, automatic windows. remotes and other amenities. Some of them practically talk to you with their beeps and reminders.

No, It ain't like it used to be, that's for sure.