Doing the Wash: Grandmother’s “Receet”

Doing the Wash: Grandmother’s “Receet”
(Author Unknown)

Laundering instructions from a time when the only “appliance” was a scrub board!

1.Bild fire in back yard to heet kettle of rain water.


2.Set tubs so smoke won’t blow in eyes if wind is pert.


3.Shave one hole cake lie soap in billin water.


4.Sort things, make three piles. 1 pile white, 1 pile cullord, 1 pile work britches and rags.


5.Stur flour in cold water to smooth then thin down with billin water.


6.Rub dirty spots on board, scrub hard, then bile. Rub cullord but don’t bile -- just rench and starch.


7.Take white things out of kettle with broom stick handle then rench, blew and starch.


8.Spred tee towles on grass.


9.Hang old rags on fence.


10.Pore rench water in flower bed.


11.Scrub porch with hot soapy water.


12.Turn tubs upside down.


13.Got put on cleen dress, smooth hair with side combs, brew cup of tee. Set and rest a spell and count your blessins.
 
~*~*~
 
We've been without our washer for nearly two weeks.  It's supposed to be fixed on Tuesday, now that the parts have arrived.  In the meantime, we've been taking our clothes to the laundromat about a mile from our house -- and reminding myself that at least I'm not scrubbin' the stuff with a washboard!  So I'm countin' my blessin's!
 
Blessings,
Virginia

Simple Shoes?

Dear moms,

With a busy preschooler in the house,

even the task of putting on my shoes

becomes a little more complicated.
Yes, my life is sometimes one tangled mess,
thanks to Melody.
Perhaps I should buy Velcro shoes for myself?

Actually, speaking of shoes,

I try to keep buying them as uncomplicated at possible. 

I have one style of black loafers that works well for me.

When one pair wears out too much to be my best dress shoes,

I buy another identical pair at Payless,

and the old pair becomes my casual pair for running errands.

Last time in needed a new pair, I was in a hurry,

on my way to a funeral.

I got out of the car at 7:08 PM. 

I was back in the car at 7:12, shoes in hand.

I do try to keep my shoes simple.

I always laughed at people who wore crocs.

Too trendy for me, when they were more in style.

A neighbor gave us a pair of old black ones,

and when I tried them on, I suddenly understood!

Comfort at last!

And they're actually pretty cute.

A few weeks ago, at our home school co-op,

two of my sons were stomping through "Lake Metro"

which is the huge puddle that usually covers

our church's soccer field after a heavy rain.

Melody was getting a little too close for my comfort,

so I sploshed through a muddy spot to catch up to her,

getting my crocs quite muddy.

It was easy enough to rinse them in a deeper part of the lake.

Later, the boys were splashing around again,

and I grumbled to one of the other moms

about how they might cut their bare feet

and how they had to put their sneakers back on

when they were late for the next class after lunch break.

I said, "It wouldn't be so bad if they had crocs."

Jessica looked surprised.

She thought I was saying that it wouldn't be so bad

if there were crocodiles out in the lake,

perhaps so the boys could hop from croc head to croc head

like in the movies.

A mom always needs a good laugh!

Come, weary moms.

K.I.S.S.

Keep it simple, sweetie!

And try to find in the humor in your little frustrations.

After all, there are little feet

following in your foot steps.

Blessings,

Virginia Knowles