How Are We Going to Wash the Dishes????

As a child of the 60s and 70s I was expected to help with anything and everything around the house and outside too.  I washed dishes every single night unless I was sick and nearly dead.  I can remember coming home from my Friday and/or Saturday night dates and the dishes would be waiting on me to be washed the next morning.  I hated washing dishes, I mean really hated it!!  Other people had dishwashers and I would from time to time suggest we get one and my parents would say they didn't need one because that was my job.  I think the first month after I left home in 1980 they bought a dishwasher! lol  As an adult I've always had a dishwasher and didn't hesitate to use it, but there were times when I just preferred to do the dishes by hand.  The 1900 Victorian I  bought back in April has a broken dishwasher.  You would think I would replace it.... right?  I replaced a perfectly good stove and refrigerator.   No, I use the dishwasher to store the toaster and other things I don't want sitting on the kitchen counter.  We wash dishes by hand!!  It's just too funny when company is here and they want to help clear the table and open the dishwasher and find a toaster and other small appliances!!  Isn't that better than throwing it out on the front porch for the world to view as they pass by?

Another thing I hated was hanging out clothes.  Actually, hanging them out wasn't so bad.... it was the bringing them in and folding them I hated.  I couldn't stand the fact we had a perfectly good clothes dryer in the house, yet I had to hang out laundry.  When I bought my first old house in '99 I purchased a clothes line and sometimes hung out laundry.  As soon as I moved into this old house I went out and bought a rotary clothes line.  Everyday that it's not raining you will see me outside either hanging out laundry or folding it and putting it into my basket!!  Hey the dryer runs up the electricity bill! lol  I think my parents were on to something there.... lol
I always hated when it was time to plant the garden.  It was a family affair.... we all helped in the garden. There was NO BEING EXCUSED FROM THE GARDEN!  It wasn't  enough to have to sweat out there everyday in that garden but, when the vegetables started coming in we had to can and freeze EVERYTHING.  Jeez that was hot and messy work.  Oh, by the way my tomatoes are nearly ripe enough to eat and we are run over with peppers!! lol  I need to get to canning!!
I know my parents taught me these things because that was the way of life back then.  I tried to teach my children, but let's face it in today's world of easy come... easy go... they have no interest in these things.  My Daddy has been saying for several years now that times are going to get really bad and folks who don't know how to live off the land and have big mortgage payments are going to be in trouble.  Will we ever see such times in our life?  I certainly hope not, but if we do I can survive!  I sometimes fear that I have done my children a disservice by not forcing them to get their butts in that garden and learn how to do it.

P.S.  I still don't wash dishes.... my best friend, who lives here with my son and me does all the dishes!! lol    But, I do all the laundry and I actually enjoy it!!