Mrs. Child author of The American Frugal Housewife (pub 1833) sets out a way of life that seems just right. She tells me to save, knit, and quilt. On page one she also tells how to raise children:
“In this country, we are apt to let children romp away their existence, till they get to be thirteen or fourteen. This is not well. It is not well for the purses and patience of parents; and it has a still worse effect on the morals and habits of children. Begin early is the great maxim for everything in education. A child of six years old can be made useful; and should be taught to consider every day lost in which some little thing has not been done to assist others.”
I have always worked under the principle that I didn’t ask someone to do a task that I didn’t like to do my self. Since I have always hated doing dishes, I didn’t ask my kids to do them. Since I didn’t like to clean the cat litter pan, I didn’t ask my kids to do that either. There’s a long, long list of things I didn’t make my children do, and I’m sorry that I didn’t read Mrs. Child 45 years ago. The best I can do now is to give this good advice to my children for the benefit of the grandchildren. I only hope they will follow Mrs. Child’s maxims and not my example.
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Quilting Is Good
I've told you already that The Frugal American Housewife is a great book. Paragraph one told me to save stuff, paragraph two told me to knit, and paragraph three tells me to make quilts. Now what more could you ask?
Mrs. Child writes, "In this point of view, patchwork is good economy. It is indeed a foolish waste of time to tear cloth into bits for the sake of arranging it anew in fantastic figures; but a large family may be kept out of idleness, and a few shillings saved, by thus using scraps of gowns, curtains, etc."
I don't exactly know what she means about "fantastic figures," but I'm taking this paragraph to mean that making quilts is a good thing. That's all I need to know.
I started my first quilt (an old-fashioned flower garden design) before Jim and I were married. I used my mother's quilt for a pattern, and since she used pink as the outline color, I used green....mint green (That was my idea of rebellion). As it happens, I don't much like mint green anymore, but that's not why it took me 40+ years to finish it. The first snag I ran into was that I set the blocks incorrectly, and they went off at a slant. After a couple of years, I took the blocks apart and went at it more carefully. I got the top all finished many years later (I didn't work at it constantly, you understand) but then I lost track of it. One day I was at my mother's house and she was going through a box of stuff that she thought she should get rid of. She pulled out my quilt top, and said "I don't know when I did this one. I don't remember it at all." I said, "That's because you didn't do it. That's the one I made." By this time I was a member of a church where there was a quilting group, and I gave it to them to quilt. After I got it back, it took me awhile to get the edging on, but the quilt is now complete....and it is so precious to me that I won't use it. Now isn't that the pits! I'll bet Mrs. Child used her quilts!
Mrs. Child writes, "In this point of view, patchwork is good economy. It is indeed a foolish waste of time to tear cloth into bits for the sake of arranging it anew in fantastic figures; but a large family may be kept out of idleness, and a few shillings saved, by thus using scraps of gowns, curtains, etc."
I don't exactly know what she means about "fantastic figures," but I'm taking this paragraph to mean that making quilts is a good thing. That's all I need to know.
I started my first quilt (an old-fashioned flower garden design) before Jim and I were married. I used my mother's quilt for a pattern, and since she used pink as the outline color, I used green....mint green (That was my idea of rebellion). As it happens, I don't much like mint green anymore, but that's not why it took me 40+ years to finish it. The first snag I ran into was that I set the blocks incorrectly, and they went off at a slant. After a couple of years, I took the blocks apart and went at it more carefully. I got the top all finished many years later (I didn't work at it constantly, you understand) but then I lost track of it. One day I was at my mother's house and she was going through a box of stuff that she thought she should get rid of. She pulled out my quilt top, and said "I don't know when I did this one. I don't remember it at all." I said, "That's because you didn't do it. That's the one I made." By this time I was a member of a church where there was a quilting group, and I gave it to them to quilt. After I got it back, it took me awhile to get the edging on, but the quilt is now complete....and it is so precious to me that I won't use it. Now isn't that the pits! I'll bet Mrs. Child used her quilts!
Monday, January 28, 2008
Knitting Advice
Knitting Advice
Daughter Robin told me that the Frugal Housewife was a really good book, and now I know that she's absolutely right. Paragraph one of the book gave me permission to save everything. Paragraph two gives just the right advice about knitting:
"'Time is money.' For this reason, cheap as stockings are, it is good economy to knit them. Cotton and woollen yarn are both cheap; hose that are knit wear twice as long as woven ones; and they can be done at odd minutes of time, which would not be otherwise employed. Where there are children, or aged people, it is sufficient to recommend knitting, that it is an employment."
I'm not so sure that cotton and woolen yarn are all that cheap any more, and it's really hard to beat the Chinese imports when it comes to things like socks. Also, I doubt if our modern young ladies would take kindly to knitting to fill the "odd moments", especially if they had to knit something as mundane as socks. And our aged people are all sitting at their computers, too busy typing to knit. That leaves the stay-at-home moms to carry on with knitting.
I've knitted a lot of things over the years. I started with a yellow sweater before my oldest daughter was born. At that time we didn't know whether the baby would be a boy or a girl, so we had to use either yellow or green. It was a perfect project, because it took me about 8 months to finish the sweater. My oldest daughter is now 44.
When my first two kids were young, I knitted them lots of sweaters. By the time the next two came along, I was too busy to knit....and I was doing art then anyway. I couple of years ago I decided to use up odds and ends of yarn by knitting stocking hats. I made 31 or them, and gave most of them away. I think there are still a couple hiding around here in some corner or other. I also have bought umpteen skeins of yarn since then so I’ll have more to knit up. (That goes with paragraph one of The Frugal Housewife.)
A couple of years ago I made sweaters for my youngest grandchildren, but I only got one finished (and the cuffs were a little too tight). Someday some one will find these unfinished knitting projects and they’ll either complete them or throw them in the trash. I feel kind of sad about that…but not sad enough to leave the computer and get out my yarn needles.
So, Robin has the permission of the Frugal Housewife to knit….and knit and knit and knit. If I were younger, I’d join her.
Daughter Robin told me that the Frugal Housewife was a really good book, and now I know that she's absolutely right. Paragraph one of the book gave me permission to save everything. Paragraph two gives just the right advice about knitting:
"'Time is money.' For this reason, cheap as stockings are, it is good economy to knit them. Cotton and woollen yarn are both cheap; hose that are knit wear twice as long as woven ones; and they can be done at odd minutes of time, which would not be otherwise employed. Where there are children, or aged people, it is sufficient to recommend knitting, that it is an employment."
I'm not so sure that cotton and woolen yarn are all that cheap any more, and it's really hard to beat the Chinese imports when it comes to things like socks. Also, I doubt if our modern young ladies would take kindly to knitting to fill the "odd moments", especially if they had to knit something as mundane as socks. And our aged people are all sitting at their computers, too busy typing to knit. That leaves the stay-at-home moms to carry on with knitting.
I've knitted a lot of things over the years. I started with a yellow sweater before my oldest daughter was born. At that time we didn't know whether the baby would be a boy or a girl, so we had to use either yellow or green. It was a perfect project, because it took me about 8 months to finish the sweater. My oldest daughter is now 44.
When my first two kids were young, I knitted them lots of sweaters. By the time the next two came along, I was too busy to knit....and I was doing art then anyway. I couple of years ago I decided to use up odds and ends of yarn by knitting stocking hats. I made 31 or them, and gave most of them away. I think there are still a couple hiding around here in some corner or other. I also have bought umpteen skeins of yarn since then so I’ll have more to knit up. (That goes with paragraph one of The Frugal Housewife.)
A couple of years ago I made sweaters for my youngest grandchildren, but I only got one finished (and the cuffs were a little too tight). Someday some one will find these unfinished knitting projects and they’ll either complete them or throw them in the trash. I feel kind of sad about that…but not sad enough to leave the computer and get out my yarn needles.
So, Robin has the permission of the Frugal Housewife to knit….and knit and knit and knit. If I were younger, I’d join her.
Sunday, January 27, 2008
I Was Born In the Wrong Century!
I'm a stuff collector. I have stuff piled everywhere. If a horizontal surface gets cleaned off, it is only minutes before it's collected a pile of stuff. I've been trying to cure this ailment for years and years, but the older I get, the more stuff I have.
Daughter Robin loaned me a book that makes me feel better. The book's title is "The American Fugal Housewife. Dedicated to those who are not ashamed of economy" by Mrs. Child. It was published in 1833. The very first paragraph in the book tells me all I need to know: I was born in the wrong century!
"The true economy of housekeeping is simply the art of gathering up all the fragments, so that nothing be lost. I mean fragments of time, as well as materials. Nothing should be thrown away so long as it is possible to make any use of it, however trifling that use may be; and whatever be the size of a family, every member should be employed either in earning or saving money."
Now, that's a doctrine I can agree with! Robin warned me that once I started reading the book, I wouldn't be able to stop. I've already read the second paragraph, and I'll talk about it tomorrow.
Daughter Robin loaned me a book that makes me feel better. The book's title is "The American Fugal Housewife. Dedicated to those who are not ashamed of economy" by Mrs. Child. It was published in 1833. The very first paragraph in the book tells me all I need to know: I was born in the wrong century!
"The true economy of housekeeping is simply the art of gathering up all the fragments, so that nothing be lost. I mean fragments of time, as well as materials. Nothing should be thrown away so long as it is possible to make any use of it, however trifling that use may be; and whatever be the size of a family, every member should be employed either in earning or saving money."
Now, that's a doctrine I can agree with! Robin warned me that once I started reading the book, I wouldn't be able to stop. I've already read the second paragraph, and I'll talk about it tomorrow.
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Why I Can't Go Back to School
For 8 years I worked as a school librarian. I'd probably be there yet except that I discovered that with Medicare I didn't need to "work for insurance" any more. Jim was retired, and I wanted to be free to go on trips whenever we felt like it.
I loved being a school librarian. When I took over the job, they had not had a librarian for several years, and things were really in a mess. I volunteered half days all the first summer in an attempt to get the bookshelves rearranged in to some semblence of common sense.
I was responsible for both the grade school library (on the third floor of an old building) and the Grade 4-12 library. It was an exhausting job, and it was a lot more than just "checking out books." During the time I was there, I got us qualified to be part of the Alliance Library System, and we therefore had access to interlibrary loan and all of the support systems of the Alliance. I was required to teach library classes to grades K-6, and most often ended up making up my own lessons, because I never could find anything that jibed with what our library had on hand. I was also in charge of the copy center for the teachers, the laminating machine (and boy, those teachers laminated a ton of stuff!), and a computer lab.
When I retired, the superintendent replaced me with a part-time aide! Talk about an insult! Then the next year, it was a part-time person with even less time in the library. I have no idea how they have managed to keep the computer system going, and I know they no longer have interlibrary loan. I've been told, "Don't come back. It'll break your heart." Today I learned that the superintendent has let it be known that "There will be no librarian here while I am superintendent." Does that boggle your mind, or what?
I guess I'm lucky to be out of it. I feel sorry for the students, and I miss my teacher friends, but I know I could not face that man without my blood pressure going over the top.
I loved being a school librarian. When I took over the job, they had not had a librarian for several years, and things were really in a mess. I volunteered half days all the first summer in an attempt to get the bookshelves rearranged in to some semblence of common sense.
I was responsible for both the grade school library (on the third floor of an old building) and the Grade 4-12 library. It was an exhausting job, and it was a lot more than just "checking out books." During the time I was there, I got us qualified to be part of the Alliance Library System, and we therefore had access to interlibrary loan and all of the support systems of the Alliance. I was required to teach library classes to grades K-6, and most often ended up making up my own lessons, because I never could find anything that jibed with what our library had on hand. I was also in charge of the copy center for the teachers, the laminating machine (and boy, those teachers laminated a ton of stuff!), and a computer lab.
When I retired, the superintendent replaced me with a part-time aide! Talk about an insult! Then the next year, it was a part-time person with even less time in the library. I have no idea how they have managed to keep the computer system going, and I know they no longer have interlibrary loan. I've been told, "Don't come back. It'll break your heart." Today I learned that the superintendent has let it be known that "There will be no librarian here while I am superintendent." Does that boggle your mind, or what?
I guess I'm lucky to be out of it. I feel sorry for the students, and I miss my teacher friends, but I know I could not face that man without my blood pressure going over the top.
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Home Remedies That Really Work
I'm not much on home remedies, superstitions, and old wives tales, but there are two "cures for what ails you" that really work, even if no one knows how they do it:
1: If you have a cold/flu/bronchitis/etc, you can't stop that nagging nighttime cough, just rub a healthy amount of Vicks on the bottoms of your feet and put on a pair of socks. Not only will your feet feel a slight, warm sensation that is pleasant in and of itself, but your cough will disapper in seconds. It works especially well on children, and you can bet every parent needs something to will soothe a kid so the parent can get some sleep!
2. Say you've eaten too much at Long John Silvers, or too much of that crab dip, and your stomach feels icky, too full, and altogether not right. Go to the kitchen and get out the cider vinegar. Pour about a tablespoonful in a little glass, add about 3 or 4 tablespoons of water, and glug it down. In less than a minute that bloated feeling will fade. We keep a bottle of apple cider vinegar (it tastes better than plain vinegar) in our upstairs medicine cupboard now, because very often that icky feeling happens at night. There's no way this thing can work, but it does. I guarantee it. (You know G'ma Karen wouldn't steer you wrong!)
1: If you have a cold/flu/bronchitis/etc, you can't stop that nagging nighttime cough, just rub a healthy amount of Vicks on the bottoms of your feet and put on a pair of socks. Not only will your feet feel a slight, warm sensation that is pleasant in and of itself, but your cough will disapper in seconds. It works especially well on children, and you can bet every parent needs something to will soothe a kid so the parent can get some sleep!
2. Say you've eaten too much at Long John Silvers, or too much of that crab dip, and your stomach feels icky, too full, and altogether not right. Go to the kitchen and get out the cider vinegar. Pour about a tablespoonful in a little glass, add about 3 or 4 tablespoons of water, and glug it down. In less than a minute that bloated feeling will fade. We keep a bottle of apple cider vinegar (it tastes better than plain vinegar) in our upstairs medicine cupboard now, because very often that icky feeling happens at night. There's no way this thing can work, but it does. I guarantee it. (You know G'ma Karen wouldn't steer you wrong!)
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Where has this gadget been all my life?
For 47 years I've been keeping house, and for 47 years I've been disgusted by the gunk that gathers in the sink strainer. Those slots in the strainer let too much stuff through, big enough pieces to actually clog up the grid at the top of the drain pipe so that water in the sink stops going down the drain. The only solution was to put my fingers in there and get that glunk out! Ooooh! Ick!
At Christmas I was at daughter Robin's house and saw that she had a little screen gizmo in her sink that stopped stuff from going down the drain. Hmmmm! I looked for one at Wal-Mart and they probably have them, but I didn't find them. A trip to my everything-hardware store in Washington (IL), Kimpling Ace Hardware and I was on my way home to see how it worked. It worked great! Stuff that is scraped off plates or pans gathers in that screen dealie and is really easy to toss in the garbage. It's MUCH less gooky than the old strainer method.
I still don't know how to keep house, but this screen thing sure makes kitchen clean-up more pleasant.
At Christmas I was at daughter Robin's house and saw that she had a little screen gizmo in her sink that stopped stuff from going down the drain. Hmmmm! I looked for one at Wal-Mart and they probably have them, but I didn't find them. A trip to my everything-hardware store in Washington (IL), Kimpling Ace Hardware and I was on my way home to see how it worked. It worked great! Stuff that is scraped off plates or pans gathers in that screen dealie and is really easy to toss in the garbage. It's MUCH less gooky than the old strainer method.
I still don't know how to keep house, but this screen thing sure makes kitchen clean-up more pleasant.
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Serendipity Again
The weather has played havoc with our little church this year. It was so cold on Sunday (the 20th) that our elders decided to cancel church…and the potluck that was scheduled. We have many elderly people in the congregation, and it didn’t seem right to get them out in the extreme cold. And we know that if there was church, they would be there.
So this meant that Jim and I went to our neighborhood church which is just 3 blocks from our home. Our daughter and her family have been attending this church for some time now, and she even sings in the choir. They have been intending to transfer their membership to this church, but just haven’t found a time when the whole family was in church at the time of invitation. So during the invitation hymn, Robin looked at Chris and said, “Shall we do it today?” He said, “Yes,” and up they went. Naturally I got all choked up, and I couldn’t find a Kleenex. I felt so honored to happen to be present on the day they made this commitment. It’s another example of serendipity.
So this meant that Jim and I went to our neighborhood church which is just 3 blocks from our home. Our daughter and her family have been attending this church for some time now, and she even sings in the choir. They have been intending to transfer their membership to this church, but just haven’t found a time when the whole family was in church at the time of invitation. So during the invitation hymn, Robin looked at Chris and said, “Shall we do it today?” He said, “Yes,” and up they went. Naturally I got all choked up, and I couldn’t find a Kleenex. I felt so honored to happen to be present on the day they made this commitment. It’s another example of serendipity.
Friday, January 18, 2008
Rotels to the Rescue
How could I get this old and not learn about Rotel tomatoes? I have never noticed them on the shelves at the grocery store, and wouldn't have tried them yet if Jim hadn't found them at Sams and bought an 8-pack. Those things are great!
The first time I had them brought to my attention was an autumn party at daughter Susan's house. She had made a creamy dip and added a can of Rotels. Wow was it good!
I'm not fond of "hot" food, but the Rotels have the flavor of hot food with only a little of the bite. The other night I cobbled together some left-overs and came up with the closest thing to Jim's favorite Appleby's entre, "N'Orleans Skillet." Actually Appleby's has taken this dish off the menu, so it's a happy accident that I can now copy it here at home. The recipe couldn't be simpler: saute some green pepper and onion in a little oil, add a couple of cups of cooked rice, slices of smoked sausage and throw in a can of Rotel tomatoes. Yum! I've concocted similar left-over dishes, but only when I added the Rotels did I get the taste right.
So I guess you can teach an old dog new tricks.
The first time I had them brought to my attention was an autumn party at daughter Susan's house. She had made a creamy dip and added a can of Rotels. Wow was it good!
I'm not fond of "hot" food, but the Rotels have the flavor of hot food with only a little of the bite. The other night I cobbled together some left-overs and came up with the closest thing to Jim's favorite Appleby's entre, "N'Orleans Skillet." Actually Appleby's has taken this dish off the menu, so it's a happy accident that I can now copy it here at home. The recipe couldn't be simpler: saute some green pepper and onion in a little oil, add a couple of cups of cooked rice, slices of smoked sausage and throw in a can of Rotel tomatoes. Yum! I've concocted similar left-over dishes, but only when I added the Rotels did I get the taste right.
So I guess you can teach an old dog new tricks.
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Teen Fashions
I can't get over how ugly teens' clothing is today. The colors are UGLY! They were ugly in the 70's and 80's when they were bright, and the same colors today are even more ugly because they're grayed down. Looks like everything has been washed with the jeans and rugs. I saw a girl the other day in one of those dresses with the points on the hem, and the background color was a dirty white. There were gray-orange polka dots about 2 inches in diameter, and then there was this gray-aqua trim around the neckline and sleeves. Talk about ugly!
And what's with the pregnancy tops? Those things with a full "skirt" that starts right under the boobs. They're usually made of filmy or slinky material in dull colors in prints that remind me of diamond back rattlesnakes. I hated that look when I was wearing maternity clothes, and I don't like it one bit more on skinny girls. On fat girls it is WAAAAAY bad!
And what's with the pregnancy tops? Those things with a full "skirt" that starts right under the boobs. They're usually made of filmy or slinky material in dull colors in prints that remind me of diamond back rattlesnakes. I hated that look when I was wearing maternity clothes, and I don't like it one bit more on skinny girls. On fat girls it is WAAAAAY bad!
Sunday, January 13, 2008
Serendipity or the Holy Spirit?
Serendipity is a funny thing. Today neither of us elders nor Jim, our minister, got together on what we would say at the Communion Table. Jim did his meditation on feeling unworthy to be at the Lord's table, but because it is required of him, he does it. In other words, we all have jobs to do, and we just have to get busy and DO them.
I had written my Blessing Prayer last night, and it dealt with our unworthiness to sit at the table with the Lord, and yet we do it because he commanded it of us. That fit in so beautifully with Jim's meditation.
And then Larry, completely on his own, echoed our themes in his Thanksgiving Prayer! Now how can three people so completely mesh their thoughts when they haven't even talked about it? I don't think it's mere coincidence, because it happens all the time. If anything could convince me of the working of the Holy Spirit, this would do it.
I had written my Blessing Prayer last night, and it dealt with our unworthiness to sit at the table with the Lord, and yet we do it because he commanded it of us. That fit in so beautifully with Jim's meditation.
And then Larry, completely on his own, echoed our themes in his Thanksgiving Prayer! Now how can three people so completely mesh their thoughts when they haven't even talked about it? I don't think it's mere coincidence, because it happens all the time. If anything could convince me of the working of the Holy Spirit, this would do it.
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
How Do You Keep House?
I have been trying lately to figure out what exactly my job is in the house. I know that sounds silly, since I've been keeping house for almost 50 years. It's just that I don't seem to be doing the minimum amount of house keeping, and I don't know why....other than I love the computer and my volunteer activities. So today I started a list of necessary jobs, and it's already longer than I want it to be, and I'm no where near finished. When the kids were home, I managed to keep up with the list and most things got done. I've got to figure out how to do it now. I may have to give up my "reading breaks," when I take my book and park on the sofa for "just a minute" that turns out to be an hour. Maybe I'll have to get started on housekeeping before I read the paper in the morning, or open my email. There must be a way to do this. I've just got to figure it out.
In the past I've tried many methods for keeping up. My favorite was "Sidetracked Home Executives" (SHE). I had a file box of 3x5 cards and I went through them every day. It worked (more or less) then, because my major job every day was taking care of the house and family. I never spent the 5 to 7 hours a day that would be needed to do a good job, but I kept up....thanks to my good buddy and partner in "crime" Sandy Du. I've tried to start the program up again, but I simply don't want to spend that much time on it. I can't imagine changing my life so that I'm doing housekeeping 5 hours a day! I'd be happier with 5 hours a week!
I know that one of the critical things to do is to get rid of clutter. Yup. I know all about it! I've bought a bunch of how-to books on that subject, too. I've even started out to do some of them. I usually stick with it about a week. Since I always start in the kitchen, that's the only area that ever gets scooped out. But then when I move on to the next place, the "clean" spot gets filled with things from the "newly clean" spot, and you can never see that I've done anything at all. It's downright discouraging.
In the past I've tried many methods for keeping up. My favorite was "Sidetracked Home Executives" (SHE). I had a file box of 3x5 cards and I went through them every day. It worked (more or less) then, because my major job every day was taking care of the house and family. I never spent the 5 to 7 hours a day that would be needed to do a good job, but I kept up....thanks to my good buddy and partner in "crime" Sandy Du. I've tried to start the program up again, but I simply don't want to spend that much time on it. I can't imagine changing my life so that I'm doing housekeeping 5 hours a day! I'd be happier with 5 hours a week!
I know that one of the critical things to do is to get rid of clutter. Yup. I know all about it! I've bought a bunch of how-to books on that subject, too. I've even started out to do some of them. I usually stick with it about a week. Since I always start in the kitchen, that's the only area that ever gets scooped out. But then when I move on to the next place, the "clean" spot gets filled with things from the "newly clean" spot, and you can never see that I've done anything at all. It's downright discouraging.
Friday, January 4, 2008
Losing Keys
If there's one thing in the world I hate, it's not being able to find my keys when I go to unlock the car! Therefore, I have this handy D-ring sewn into my purse right next to the cell phone pocket.I carry 3 keyrings with me:1) has the keys to the Historical Society, 2) has my flash drives, and 3) has my house and car keys. Each of them has one of those clasps like you see on dog leashes. I ALWAYS clip my keys to that D-ring when I get out of the car. Right.
This afternoon I parked at the end of the block where you can stay longer than 2 hours without getting a ticket. This evening we went to the Chanticleer for supper, and I left my computer stuff sitting out at the Hist. Soc., planning to come back after dinner to pick it all up. As we were getting near the place where my car was parked, I said, "Let me out here, and I'll drive my car up in front of the Hist. Soc." So that's what we did.
I went into the building, cleared my desk and got my computer all bundled up in its brief case, turned out the lights, locked the door and headed for the car. I reached for my keys. They weren't there. I checked my pockets. They weren't there. I dug in my purse. No keys. After a bit (it was cold and windy out there), I went to the van where my husband,Jim, was waiting for me and sat down to do a better (and warmer) search. No keys. I went back into the Society. No keys. I searched in my purse again, taking almost everything out of it. No keys. I went outside and searched in the slush around the car, but they were not to be found. I got Jim's set of car keys, and checked to see if I had left them in the car. Nope. So, sitting in the car with the overhead light on, I took EVERYthing out of my purse....including my keys! It leaves me dumfounded to have this happen, and it explains once again why I ALWAYS hook my keys to the D-ring. Yup.
The funniest part of the ordeal was that when I got through searching the car after opening it with Jim's keys, I said, "I was at the bank and the Court House this afternoon. Maybe they fell out there." And Jim kind of gave a double take and said, "Yes, but you just drove it around the corner 5 minutes ago."
This afternoon I parked at the end of the block where you can stay longer than 2 hours without getting a ticket. This evening we went to the Chanticleer for supper, and I left my computer stuff sitting out at the Hist. Soc., planning to come back after dinner to pick it all up. As we were getting near the place where my car was parked, I said, "Let me out here, and I'll drive my car up in front of the Hist. Soc." So that's what we did.
I went into the building, cleared my desk and got my computer all bundled up in its brief case, turned out the lights, locked the door and headed for the car. I reached for my keys. They weren't there. I checked my pockets. They weren't there. I dug in my purse. No keys. After a bit (it was cold and windy out there), I went to the van where my husband,Jim, was waiting for me and sat down to do a better (and warmer) search. No keys. I went back into the Society. No keys. I searched in my purse again, taking almost everything out of it. No keys. I went outside and searched in the slush around the car, but they were not to be found. I got Jim's set of car keys, and checked to see if I had left them in the car. Nope. So, sitting in the car with the overhead light on, I took EVERYthing out of my purse....including my keys! It leaves me dumfounded to have this happen, and it explains once again why I ALWAYS hook my keys to the D-ring. Yup.
The funniest part of the ordeal was that when I got through searching the car after opening it with Jim's keys, I said, "I was at the bank and the Court House this afternoon. Maybe they fell out there." And Jim kind of gave a double take and said, "Yes, but you just drove it around the corner 5 minutes ago."
Thursday, January 3, 2008
Let's Fight
I realized today that I pass up really good chances for fights. I can't explain why I don't dig in and go to verbal battle once in awhile. Most people do. For example, I have a doormat at the back door. It's not one of those really heavy ones, nor is it light enough to crumple up. The other day as my husband was coming through that door, he kind of tripped and had to catch himself. He said, "Damn! One of these days that rug is going to kill me!" What did I do? I shrugged my shoulders and gave it no more thought. I figure 1) I like the rug there as a welcome, 2) it isn't a hazard if you pick your feet up, 3) I don't need to say anything about it because I'm not going to move it, and 4) if I decide it really is a hazard, I'll just take it up and say no more. Well, you can see that I passed up a chance for a really good fight:
He: That damned rug is going to kill me someday!
She: There's nothing wrong with that rug! You need to pick up your big feet!
He: I do pick up my feet! I just hate rugs. I hate this rug in the dining room, too!
She: You don't like anything I do, do you?...
You can see where this is headed.
I've witnessed lots of fights between husband and wife, and almost all of them quickly get off the subject and on to old complaints, gripes, mistakes, pet peeves, etc. I've seen quite a few where the battlers could not tell you what actually generated the first hot words. Somehow it would be nice if we could teach young people how to keep from falling into this trap. I know that my husband has taught me to "pick my battles," and so I don't get riled up unless it's a really important issue. I just don't let it bother me. I think about something else. I go my own way, and if there's action to be taken, I'll take it later when conditions are calmer.
So I probably miss out on a lot of marrital fun, if you can call fights "fun"...and some people do. My life is a lot calmer, and our relationship is unruffled. I think I'll keep it this way.
He: That damned rug is going to kill me someday!
She: There's nothing wrong with that rug! You need to pick up your big feet!
He: I do pick up my feet! I just hate rugs. I hate this rug in the dining room, too!
She: You don't like anything I do, do you?...
You can see where this is headed.
I've witnessed lots of fights between husband and wife, and almost all of them quickly get off the subject and on to old complaints, gripes, mistakes, pet peeves, etc. I've seen quite a few where the battlers could not tell you what actually generated the first hot words. Somehow it would be nice if we could teach young people how to keep from falling into this trap. I know that my husband has taught me to "pick my battles," and so I don't get riled up unless it's a really important issue. I just don't let it bother me. I think about something else. I go my own way, and if there's action to be taken, I'll take it later when conditions are calmer.
So I probably miss out on a lot of marrital fun, if you can call fights "fun"...and some people do. My life is a lot calmer, and our relationship is unruffled. I think I'll keep it this way.
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