>From: Patti Higgins <[log in to unmask]> >Subject: Dishwasher > >We had quite a close call today. The dishwasher repairman came over >and fixed a malfunctioning float. That meant he had to take off the >dishwasher base cover. People please please please take heed here. I, after 3 years, am still beating myself up. I lost my little Joy girl in the dishwasher. I considered myself quite ferret knowledgeable and yet...Joy, only 6 months old at the time, got herself into the dishwasher when my husband was loading it. I however turned it on. I cannot even convey in words the total anguish, horror and self-loathing I've experienced from that single event. This is a very good time to remind you all to watch your babies like a hawk. Check every dishwasher, every washing machine, every dryer, every refrigerator IMMEDIATELY BEFORE turning them on or shutting a door. A friend recently lost a 3 month old in her washing machine. Shake out your clothes before tossing them even if you think the babies aren't in the laundry room; check your dryer BEFORE you shut that door and turn it on. Same thing with the dishwasher. It took me a solid year before I could even put a dish in the dishwasher, much less turn it on. Thank you for the reminder Patti. It will behoove us to re-ferretproof our house regularly. Cover the bottoms of the applicances so they can't get underneath. Get rid of your reclining chairs/sofas or at the very least, di smantle them. Cover every little hole you think they can't get into. Make sure your window screens are mounted firmly in place or else keep the windows shut tight when the babies are out. Keep your toilet lids down. Lock your bottom kitchen cabinets. And it goes on and on... Barb and the 6 whirling dervishes...Gus, Hope, Bren, Kate, Cher and Tess Please give to Aleutian Disease research...the ferret you save may be your own. http://www.geocities.com/russiansmom [Posted in FML issue 3775]