Extreme Flylady

After the third load of dishes in a day, I decided that something had to change. Because we homeschool, it seems it is always time for someone to get something to eat or drink. As I looked down at the racks in the dishwasher, I realized that most of the loads were glasses. Loads and loads of glasses - yet during the day there are five people here. There should be five glasses, tops. Why then, did the dishwasher look like I just had a dinner party for twelve?

That day, I decided to assign a different looking glass to each person. I‘m such a Martha Stewart that I actually had six non-matching glasses in my house. “This is your glass,” I announced. “Recognize it, protect it, love it.” I took all of the other glasses and put them up in the highest reaches of the cabinets.

Immediately, dissention reared it’s ugly head. “But my glass is dirty.” Wash it. “But it was in the dishwasher and it’s hot.” Rinse it in cold water. “I don’t know where it is.” Look for it or drink out of the faucet. There were even a few attempts at subversion. “I’ll just use a coffee mug.” No you won’t. “Yes, I will.” Now, I have to hide the coffee mugs and assign each person a mug.

On the very first day of the crackdown, dh knocked his glass to the marble floor of the kitchen, turning it into tiny slivers. I, of course, was to blame because I was unloading the dishwasher and had put it on the counter in reach of his elbow and he has the wingspan of a pterodactyl. Because I didn’t have another different-looking glass, he was relegated to using plastic for several days until I obtained a new one for him. For some reason, this became an inside joke, and dh had to go around saying, “ha, ha, very funny”. Finally, a neighbor gave him a glass and he now looks like the grownup he is at the dinner table.

A friend asked if guests had to bring their own glass. Obviously, this restriction of freedom hits home for many people. And, no, I do still have spare glasses, hidden. The idea is this - with all the machines and technology available today - dishwashers, washers, dryers, electric stoves, microwaves - why do we housekeepers work as hard and as many hours to keep house? Because, dear ones, we’ve said since it’s easier to wash clothes, we can wear more. We do more loads. Because it’s easier to wash dishes in the dishwasher, we use more dishes. We have cars, you can drive around all day, every day and cover miles that took our ancestors weeks to cover.

Neighbors have taken an interest and have imposed a one-glass policy in their house as well to the dismay, I think of the dh. Their organized daughter suggested everyone should have their own plate and bowl as well. I’m working on it. Hey, we could cut down on global warming one glass at a time. All this writing has made me thirsty. Now, if I could only find my glass…..

Farm Notes
If you noticed I said five people are at home during the day (dh goes off to work), it is because we’ve added a new member to our household. We’ve welcomed a cousin to the area who will be living with us as he studies for college and works. Likely, he’s in the category with my girls - not fodder for blogs. Yah never know though, so watch yerself, Matthias! Anyway, we’re happy he’s here. He keeps bees, so perhaps he’ll teach us and we’ll add that to our little farm.

Lester, famed rooster, died while protecting his coop. Lauren, going to shut the coop up, found him one night with his bloody neck through the fence which defines their yard. Very sad. We still do have his son who has taken the crowing job seriously; he crows at night he's so smart.

It is so very cold, we are happy for the electric water buckets. What a great invention. It is too cold to ride horses.

Lauren is working with Roxie, the miniature horse born this summer, who wants still to climb in your lap or be held. We hope to use her for pet therapy, and it wouldn’t be cool if she climbed up on a little old lady’s lap.