Washing Dishes!

Consider this a study if you'd like. My sister and I have an ongoing disagreement about the necessity of an automatic dishwasher. She insists it's a "must have" and I don't. So here goes with the comparison.

First her way: THE AUTOMATIC DISHWASHER

You scrape, wipe and stack the dishes. If necessary you rinse them. You bend down several times in order to carefully arrange them in the dishwasher so that they are angled just right. You add detergent and possible a "crystal drying agent", close the door and set it to run. You wipe down the countertops and stove and hand wash anything either too big or two encrusted for the dishwasher. Approximately 2 hours later, you can go and empty the dishwasher, bending down for each dish or so and then placing them in the cupboard--after checking if they're actually clean. [This is an important step when using the only dishwasher I have experience with.]

Okay, now my way: WASH AND DRY THE DISHES BY HAND

You scrape, wipe and stack the dishes. Rinse the juicier ones if necessary. Put detergent in the sink (which is at waist level) and run hot water while washing silverware. Rinse and place in drainer. Then wash the glasses, bowls, plates, serving pieces. Scrub or scour pots and pans. On a typical day this all takes about 10 minutes. With a crowd to clean up after, it has taken up to 30 minutes. Once they're all stacked to dry, wipe down counters and stove. Empty sink and rinse suds down drain. Grab a towel and dry those dishes that haven't sufficiently air dried by this time then place them in the cupboard. Hang up the dishtowel and you're done. Again, on a typical day this entire process takes about 15-20 minutes. And then I'm done--no reason to come back two hours later and finish.

So that's it. The comparison. I do feel that a family of four or more would definitely put a dishwasher to good use. But for my small family of 2 or 3, it's just not necessary. And actually, I like doing dishes--the feel of the hot water is soothing, the work is easy and the finished job is very satisfying.

On Giving Up

I seriously considered NOT blogging anymore. I felt, and still feel, that I'm just writing down words that no one ever reads. And, frankly, I feel too much like this already. I talk and few people, if any, listen---that is really listen to what I have to say.

I just watched "The Jane Austen Book Club" for the first time. I've been wanting to see it. It was okay--not great. But it made me jealous for that group of people who were willing to make the time to get together regularly and talk about books. Well, talk about anything. Really care about each other. I don't have that and I want it.

At church on Sunday morning is about the only time I actually see my friends and then I'm just limited to only a few abstract sentences that don't really mean much. I like these people, my friends, and sometimes there's time for a little more gut-spilling, but mostly it's all surface chatter. They all have active lives and no time for such silliness as discussion groups. It's sad really. Am I the only one out there who would like this?

I have a husband. My husband is very intelligent and talks on a much higher plain than I am either able or willing. So we do speak, but it's usually about business-type stuff dealing with the house, car or some other uninteresting thing. If he brings up the physics he's studying, I'm sure he notices my eyes glaze over. Same with him if I start talking about feelings.

And I have a live-in daughter. She's really great to talk to. She offers great insight--sometimes I don't like it, but she's usually right. I get the feeling more often than not that she really does care about me. But she's at work all day and tired after battling traffic on the way home. She wants quiet and not to be bothered by a clingy, lonely, pitiful mother. And I don't want to drag her down. I don't think it's a child's place to keep a parent happy. Still it's nice to feel her love.

I miss conversation. I don't mean I want to be talking all the time, but once in a while an intelligent discussion about something interesting would be nice. So to blog and have it not read by anyone, or at least not commented on, is just very unrewarding. But, yet I have decided to persist. If nobody reads, than I'll consider it a bit of a diary.

Maybe I'll start a book club if we ever sell the house and actually move to Madison.

Maybe it'll be a Ken Follett Book Club. Or maybe Maeve Binchy?

Factory Outlet Stores

Their a sham. Yes, I said it. Generally the only people who truly save money at these places are those who already have plenty of money.


It's a lot like gambling. Don't even start if you're not loaded to begin with. You've simply GOT to have money to lose if you expect to gamble on winning. Otherwise it's no fun and there's no point.

Such is the same at the outlets. Sure there are some great bargains. But who can afford them. I mean I'd REALLY like to see these people who can afford to pay a mere $1000 for a $2000 bag. Or ONLY $3500 for a $7000 gown. Even a wallet---yes a wallet---goes for around $200, down from $400!!!

If you walk your legs off enough and visit some of the non-clothing stores, you can actually find a few good bargains. But for clothing, shoes, and accessories there are NO great buys to be found for the common working class person.

So BUYER BEWARE! They're out to get you one way or another.

Early Riser

It's 3:00 A.M. Just me and the bugs here. I woke up at 2:30. I got up at 2:38. Put on the computer and while it booted up put yesterday's clean dishes away.

I generally like being up early in the day. It's a much quieter world, although the cicadas are active right now. The birds will wake soon and join the chorus. Soon after that it's time for people. The first sign is a car or truck driving through the neighborhood. Then the household begins to waken. First Tim is up making coffee and bagel. Usually I'm next, but it seems today I'm already up. Next is Molly who may actually be up fairly early today as she went to bed at about 7:00 last night.

I wouldn't want to have to be up at this time every day--to have to dress, eat and be out of the house very early. But once in a while this early can be nice. I will probably go back to bed and read some more, taking advantage of the extreme quiet. But first perhaps a visit to Polyvore. Ta tah! : )))

Hot, Ornery and Frustrated

Grrrrrrrrrrrr! I am just NOT happy with myself. It's hot sitting at this computer and that doesn't help.
I want to be watching our movie (War and Remembrance), but one of us wanted to sleep so we put that on hold. There's just so little on TV that interests me. The "King and I" is on right now, but that's a pretty big investment of time (2.15 hours).

Our house still shows NO signs of selling. Now I'm beginning to think we should just move anyway. And that opens up a whole new can of worms. I tell myself every day I should start packing--at least the basement. But I don't. I've been gathering boxes so there's lots of those. No excuse there.

I tell myself also every day to take a walk. I need to exercise. But I don't! I get a little at P.T. three times a week. But not much aerobically.

I'm supposed to be working on my church newsletter, but articles are very slow in coming this month. Geez, you'd think I was asking for blood! I enjoy doing the newsletter. I do NOT enjoy the lackadaisical attitude of many of the contributors. Very frustrating.

Okay, done complaining. Gonna take myself to bed and read. I'm currently reading "Loving Frank" by Nancy Horan about Frank Lloyd Wright. It's pretty good, but looks to be fairly long and can't imagine where it's going to go. Pretty much just getting started on it.

Signing off,
JUDY

War and Romance

Our family is currently watching the huge mini-series "War and Remembrance" by Herman Wouk. We've already completed the first series, "Winds of War". These are magnificent and should be shown to every U.S. History class in this country. Yes, the history is tainted a bit, but only a bit, by romantic interludes involving various members of the "Henry" family. I can think of at least three triangles going on. But does that distract from this history? Or is it PART of the history.

On looking back at this period of time, now 60 years ago, I notice a distinct and almost shocking difference in the way our current culture perceives romance. In this movie it's beautiful, painful, heart-rending, and mostly understated. When Rhoda and Palmer are "having tea" it's pretty clear what's really going on. But as adults, we know that. We don't need the whole affair graphically shoved in our faces on a large screen. So while we know it's not right, it's still allowed some beauty in our minds.

Nobody would argue that the years of World War II are possibly the most romantic in the history of our country. Beautiful movies were produced, songs just dripping with love, heartache and incredible melody were written by the thousands, letters were written, by hand and frequently. And all of this with the backdrop of a truly horrible war. Fighting everywhere so that it seems there will never be peace again. Unspeakable atrocities occurring in Germany that defy human reason are actually kept secret to the rest of the world for too long. So many families broken as men are shipped overseas and women move in to take over the jobs they left.

So WHY did romance thrive as it did? I don't know, but as I think about it my thoughts go back to a kinder time in general--a slower time when people took time to talk to each other, to visit, help, support--even before the war began. But then, what's happening now?

We are currently fighting a war. It's in some faraway place just like WWII, but much stranger to us. It's also not a "popular" war. People seem more concerned with placing blame, saving lives, ending it. I don't know enough to talk intelligently about this current war, but I know there is NO romance involved. It's just not part of it. The songs are not pretty. Movies about the war are ugly and unsettling--with little or no love.

I'm not proposing that WAR is a beautiful thing. It's decidedly not that. Too many people die or are debilitated. Society is torn apart. It's just interesting to note the incredible differences between then and now.

So getting back to the idea of showing this movie in history classes, I think seeing this sort of romance would do today's young people as much good as the detailed historical facts presented in this series. Perhaps more romance would encourage better feelings in general. Who knows?

Composer Trivia

Just a a quick post. I want to mention the new link I've added, Composers Datebook. This is an interesting site. There's an option to have a daily post sent to your email with interesting information about an incredible variety of composers. It may sound like, "oh, no--not another junky email". But it's not. And it's short. One page with usually only 4 or 5 paragraphs. An some of this stuff is pretty interesting. And there's an option to click so you can hear the music while the article is read to you! Almost effortless knowledge!