Shared experiences
Two personal favorites. Both were written awhile ago by pioneering women who had a good idea of what today’s men are like. Nice to know through our share experiences somethings just don’t change.
From Westering Women –
One woman’s “receet” for washing clothes:
1. bild fire in back yard to het kettle of rain water.
2. set tubs so smoke won’t blow in eyes if wind is peart.
3. shave 1 hole cake lie sope in bilin water
4. sort things. make 3 piles. 1 pile white, 1 pile cullord, 1 pile work briches and rags.
5. stur flour in cold water to smooth then thin down with bilin water [for starch}
6. rub dirty spots on board. scrub hard. then bile. rub cullard but don’t bile just rench and starch.
7. take white things out of kettle with broom stick handel then rench, blew and starch
8. pore rench water in flower bed.
9. scrub porch with hot sopy water.
10. turn tubs upside down.
11. go put on a cleen dress, smooth hair with side combs, brew cup of tee, set and rest and rock a spell and count blessings.
From Leaning into the Wind –
My Man Isn’t by Gloria Van Dyke
You’ve heard the phrase “self-sufficient” –
Well, if you as me, my man isn’t.
Like when it’s time to milk the cows
He comes and says, “Con you help me now?”
The times he couldn’t fix a bit to eat
Or wipe his dirty, muddy feet.
In the wintertime and he’s a shoveling snow,
He says, “Can you finish? I froze my toe.”
He can’t put a paper back in the rack.
Clean the drill or put grain in a sack.
And chase a pig if it’s loose in the yard –
Heavens no, you’d think him lame or standing guard.
If the hourse or barn needs a hammer or nail,
You suddenly see him become weak and frail.
When it comes to looking for socks or clothes,
He couldn’t find them if they hung on his nore.
You’ve heard the phrase “self-sufficient” –
Well, if you ask me, my man isn’t.
