Today is a day when I got up on the right side of the bed. At least I had my housekeeping hat on and began to do my bit immediately following breakfast. I rose from the breakfast table, cleaned off the table and put things away. This was followed by the task of taking the clean dishes from last evening out of the dishwasher and replacing them with those food-stained.
I’d like to say I follow a routine like that daily in assisting my bride of 50 years around the house. As she knows all too well, that is not among the facts of the issue. This writer is not the best at helping around the home, particularly in the kitchen, now or in the past. Oh, I may do limited housework on a daily basis but, I am not alone, as I have learned during “retired husband confession time” in some of our restaurants.
First, I am no cook, never have been and do not plan to start. Linda loves to cook, so that works out fine. During our earlier years of married life when Linda was working out of town or ill and mealtime rolled around the three youngsters would ask, “What restaurant are we going to tonight, dad?” They were all quick learners on Dad’s likes and dislikes.
Our eldest, Donald Kent, has grown up enjoying the art of cooking and does it frequently in his and Marta’s home. Over the years Denise has lined up on my side of the fence and Dave, living alone in Crosby, cooks out of desperation.
When it comes to helping in the kitchen I get mixed reviews. There are times when I have removed things from the dishwasher, put them away and they have never been found. This morning I pulled one black plastic thing out of the dishwasher that I had no idea where it was to be placed or what it was. She told me its function then put it away but I still don’t know what it is.
In some other areas I do better. I’m hell-on-wheels when it comes to dusting with a rag or mop. Why should this job take two hours when I can do it in an hour, I keep asking myself? Of course, an end table item may get broken or scratched once in a while but who’s noticing. My mother used to say she, “didn’t like sittin’ around items” anyway. I’m just following my mother’s lead.
The sweeper and rug cleaner are also right down my alley. The only criticism I receive using the sweeper is that I don’t do it enough and don’t empty the bag when due. However, the rugs don’t look dirty to me!
Over the years I have come to accept the fact that rug cleaning (shampooing) is my job and I do it pretty well and faithfully about twice a year. For this I usually get my “star of the day” and feel pretty good about how good the clean rugs smell.
When it comes to things like making the bed I am still in the learning stage. I make the bed often enough, but it rarely passes inspection without an extra tug here or fold there. The learning stage also applies to clothes washing. Most of the time I do it without incident.
However, every now and then I get a lecture about having the dryer too hot or putting something in that should have been hung on one of the lines nearby. Not recently, but in the past I have been known to put too much soap in the washer and not putting in a soap aid when needed. Lately I have passed muster.
As for my overall performance as a housekeeper I would give myself a middle to low “C.” Better than some husbands I have been told! How about it husbands? How do you rate yourselves, or should I ask your wife?
Such are the people, places and things that have touched my life in my West Virginia home!
