I am so sorry you are going through this.... Kitchen appliances are like scratch-off lottery tickets. Some lucky ones will get 4 winners on the same ticket; some will get 1 to 3 wins and other nothing. It is all luck of the draw. I would try to replace the appliances that do not work and not settle for repairs.

I hope that your eye issue turns out to be benign, Kat. I'll offer some prayers that such be the case ... and that the other issues turn out well. As for the grammar ... I'd often like to correct people, here, but usually forebear. As for that "dam" of yours, Gemini ... it's holding back a flood of ... frustration? ... at the bad grammer (or, is that "grammar"?)? ole joyful

bnicebkind, I am sure you are suspect about my advice. However, I have an exact replica of OP's MIL. MIL is the most overbearing, rude, miserable, critical (and those are the nice descriptions) individual I know. I found that once I stopped taking her comments to heart and let it go in one ear and out the other (rather than engaging her and allowing her to make me feel insecure), I was able to straighten my back, listen to her comments, consider the source, respond politely and wait for her to leave. My MIL is a person who's thoughts never process in her brain, they come straight out of her mouth without thought that one or another comment may be offensive, hurtful, critical, etc. If you don't allow someone to hurt you, you take the power away from them. Fake it at first if you have to, and eventually you will actually feel it. I spent years crying to my husband when I would have to be in her presence and she belittled me. DH gave me good advice. Call her on it. When she says something that you don't like, tell her. I do now. I never raise my voice, I never get worked up, I just tell her straight up what I don't like. I do not let her ruffle my feathers. It works better to disagree with her in the moment and then there aren't residual feelings of hurt or insecurity. It actually works like a charm. The incidents are fewer and further between. I also realized that I did not want my husband to fight my battles and I certainly did not want my husband to insist his mother like me. If she doesn't like me, I no longer care. When I started realizing that my life was none of her business, I did have the backbone to tell her so when she asked an improper financial question or a question I felt was too personal. Everyone has to go with their own comfort zone. I hated that she got to me regularly. I was feeling insecure, which I hated since that is not me. MIL knew she was pushing my buttons and worse, I was letting her. I have now diffused her and she no longer has that power to aggravate, hurt or insult me. I posted about just taking a seat in another room rather than ruin the whole family dynamic. That is what I do. I don't want to be the cause of everyone not being able to celebrate a holiday together. If MIL has pi$$ed me off recently, I just say hello when I walk in and go on my way to a different room. Of course, we will have to sit at the same table for dinner, but there are usually other family members and actually, they all know how she is. It isn't just me she unleashes this behavior on. She is rude to everyone at times, including strangers in public. We joke in the family that she has Turrets. Who would be hurt if I refused to go to family functions that she was attending. My DD wouldn't see her cousins, I love my SIL and the other family members. Actually, I'd be spiting myself. When I came into DH family, the dynamic was different, I was younger. I soon had a baby with many health problems which were not expected. MIL found a place to be critical and be overbearing in the advice department. I finally just told her that I was following what my DD's doctors wanted me to do and that when she completed her medical degree I would take her advice. Now, I don't feel insecure at all, I ignore her, come back at her, listen and let it go in one ear and out the other, or whatever it takes so as not to give her the satisfaction of upsetting, insulting me. I think as I grew older I also got alot wiser and realized that in the whole scheme of things, MIL was a blip on the radar. Example - new floor laid recently in kitchen, laundry and my office. MIL comes over unannounced/uninvited. Comments how nice the floor looks but the color really isn't right, such and such color would have been much better. Response: This is the color I chose because DH and I like it. End of subject, diffused her. Do I hate that she is the way she is, yes indeed. Will I allow her to abuse me the way she did for years, never again, nor will I have my husband fight my battles for me. Example: I attend a family (DH relatives) shower. Arrive with MIL & SIL. We sit down to eat at a very long table full of women. MIL stands up and introduces SIL to several women SIL did not know. I knew a few, but not many. She did not even acknowledge that I was seated in the room. When she was finished her introductions, I stood up and introduced myself as my DH's wife. It got the point across that I am worthy, whether she thinks so or not. I think she also looked badly to the relatives whom I did know who were watching her intentionally ignore me. I am sorry if my examples seem pollyanna, but they have worked for me. I don't feel badly, insecure, hurt or any other adjective that I formerly felt when MIL would descend on my home or when I had to interact with her. I also have never asked my husband to choose to one of us. That would be wrong in my opinion. As much as dislike her, she is his mother, the only mother he will ever have. I wouldn't want to have to choose my husband or my mother, why would I ask DH to do so? The way I deal with this situation is not for everyone. You need to have alot of self-esteem and a bullet proof vest over your heart. It starts with mostly false bravado, which eventually becomes actual bravery.

Pickle, take a deep breath now - you'll need it. I had begun this journey estimating about $60,000 for repairs to the house, and I really thought I had a good grip on what it needed. Then, after taking possession and taking a better look around (it's hard when you just have short periods of time with your Realtor now and then), I upped that to $80,000. I was still comfortable with that figure, tho not thrilled. Once contractors got involved, it kept escalating due to the age of the house, the surprises we're finding, need to bring things to current Code and I realized I had forgotten a few things (cost of materials for instance, duh! Like $8000 right there - but on the other hand, my main contractor is only charging me a cap of $20,000 for ALL the work needed in repairs for the house complete - but still I had anticipated him around $10,000 so I messed up by $10,000 there alone *gulp*) Those hidden things behind the walls and floors are what get you I'm learning. Right now, aside from the structural findings there are electrical issues to resolve as well (knob and tube wiring in the kitchen which will be ripped out, but we need to make sure it wasn't feeding into any other places for instance). And, that situation with the tub, wound up knocking out some floor tiles in the bathroom above (not too many, I think they can be easily repaired). And...we discovered the waste stack has no venting, is way too large, so I gave the ok to replace the whole thing (we were going to replace part of it already anyway) which is a good thing for the kitchen as the pipe was in the way of my counter and I was seriously worried about how it would impact counter/cabinets spacing, however, it runs up to the bathroom on 2nd floor and they MAY have to open up the wall - which has gorgeous art deco tiling on it to do the repair. Said tile, is lilac and black, and the border trim tile I'm sure can not be replaced at this point in time (let alone, the lilac tile in general probably can't be found either). *sighs* For all I know, it may lead into me having to re-tile that bathroom eventually too now. Oh well, the shower already had to be re-tiled as it isn't working, and my plumber has to install all new fixtures and install a new shower pan (leaking into kitchen). There were cracked tiles around the room already and we were going to have my contractor remove the wallboard so we can take down all the tiles, and use some to repair the wall tiles, buy new tiles and use those and whatever was left of the old tiles to re-tile the shower in a new pattern. That was on the list from the get go lol. I'm just hoping I won't be house poor at the end of all of this. I have enough money to do the repairs, but I had this certain amount that I had hoped to keep in cash at the end of it, that is dwindling as each day goes by. Not like poor house dwindling, but enough to make me frown. Good thing my job is safe or I'd be freaking out for sure!