My mom always said that doing dishes together made for a great time of good conversation and general fellowship and sociability.
This was when she was trying to get one of us to volunteer to do the dishes after a big meal, preferably a Holiday Meal. Most all of our Sunday dinners were essentially a holiday meal. We always had parishioners of some sort invited over, with tons of dishes and our “good china” always—the sort with which you had to be extra careful .
Let me hasten to say that I am a strong proponent of dishwashers, the electric kind, but even they entail “doing the dishes “ and especially the pots and pans. I hate putting away the food and as my children will tell you, I save quantities of containers for this purpose. When Julie was last home she threw out maybe 50 butter containers ready for my leftovers. "When are you going to ever need 50 at one time" she asked.
I came across this picture of Jacob, my grandson when he was but a wee child This was when she was trying to get one of us to volunteer to do the dishes after a big meal, preferably a Holiday Meal. Most all of our Sunday dinners were essentially a holiday meal. We always had parishioners of some sort invited over, with tons of dishes and our “good china” always—the sort with which you had to be extra careful .
Let me hasten to say that I am a strong proponent of dishwashers, the electric kind, but even they entail “doing the dishes “ and especially the pots and pans. I hate putting away the food and as my children will tell you, I save quantities of containers for this purpose. When Julie was last home she threw out maybe 50 butter containers ready for my leftovers. "When are you going to ever need 50 at one time" she asked.
doing the dishes at the cottage at Green Lake. Just think, he is getting married in April! Now doesn’t that give you a jolt as to how fast time flies in this life.
And then we have a picture of my husband Bill doing the dishes. I must have been dying because he never did them that I can recall.
This next picture is an early morning-after a Saturday night dinner dance. Mismatched pj’s and Julie loves this shot.
And this is one of Julie herself washing wine glasses I think with Jon looking on.
Isn’t this a fascinating post tho? Sorry. It was all I could think of this week.
19 comments:
It's so funny that you should write about doing dishes, because my 4yr old grandson and I just go thru doing dishes together! Actually, he was doing them and I was supervising and mopping water off the floor! I'm convinced it was just his excuse for getting to use the hose sprayer! I have a photo of my now 35 year old daughter doing them when she was the same age, and now Conner doing them. So I'm thinking that a post about doing dishes is just fine, as everyone can relate to bonding (or fighting) over doing dishes...and also observing how time does fly.
My dear girl - yes it is fascinating - washing up - that eternal chore that is no sooner done than it wants doing again.
Even dishwashers take time - stacking, switching on, emptying - and then it all starts over again.
Loved reading about it, so don'[t apologise for it. Best wishes.
Love the picture of Bill in an apron!
I think washing dishes such a satisfying thing. The hot sudsy water, the clean orderly stacks of dishes and flatware. This was a fun and sort of nostalgic post. No apologies necessary.
Doing dishes is something we all have in common...I often take shots of loved ones doing dishes...I posted one just after Thanksgiving of my son helping me...and 6yr. old Alivia loves to do them. The kitchen is the center of the home. Enjoyed the post, Bernie!
Where we live it's a special time for the sort of chat that doesn't happen around the dinner table...more intimate and sometimes very girly if the chaps aren't helping, a treasured time.
Washing dishes as a young girl was a chore I hated but as a young woman I use to love doing them as I watched the birds outside my window.....now I use the dishwaser, even my pots and pans go in but I do have to rinse everything first.
I love this as well as all your post......:-) Hugs
Wonderful pictures. Your mom was right, nothing like a good conversation over a sink of sudsy water.
Funny post, Bernie - a dishwasher's trip down Memory Lane! I don't think my Grandchildren have ever done dishes - they do load the dishwasher, though!
I love this post. The stuff of everyday life...!
I *heart* my dishwasher but I hate emptying it as much as I hate putting away clean laundry. (And I love the washing and drying part of laundry....?!?!?)
When I was a kid I was SO jealous of my friend whose every evening chore was to dry the dishes. We didn't have rituals like that in my house.
That was a nice post Mom, just like the last one on Matilda. I wish I could have been at one of your Mom's dinners because it must have been heaven to taste,just like the Sunday dinners that Aunt Stina and Aunt Ruth put on when we visited them in Chicago. I still remember Aunt Stina telling me I didn't mash potatoes correctly. She showed me how. Lots of Swedish vigor! Love Jim
I LOVE doing dishes by hand! Even when I've had dishwashers in our early years when we were newlyweds living in apartments I still washed mine by hand. Like you, I think it's silly to have to prewash just about everything before putting them in the machine anyway. But we've lived in our current home for close to 28 years. It's almost 100 years old and has all the lack of power outlets and closets to prove it. Well, lack of closets until we ADDED them, that is. Out my kitchen window over the sink I have watched many, many seasons change thru the huge cherry tree in my neighbor's back yard. There is something so peaceful about sloshing around in hot water, glancing up at my piece of the sky outside the window.
I love this post.
Work from home India
Doing dishes is a profound important task, as important as preparing food. Funny that we think of this as unimportant when infact it contains a thesis worthy of a PHD.
Your mom was right - doing dishes together does form a little bond. I've been noticing that lately as I'm training my daughters to help more with preparing dinner and with the cleanup. They aren't fussing as much as they used to.
Doesn't it seem that some of the best memories are in the kitchen? BTW,I have never owned a dishwasher.
Von, I do remember as a child hanging around the kitchen while the women in whatever group I was in (relatives, church groups, etc)would talk about women stuff. I thought it was great and I can relate to what you are saying.
I love this post!! This is just the sort of meandering lovely post I want to read. More please!! xx
Hi,
I read the entire blog. Congratulations!
His grandson Jacob, is beautiful. Your family is beautiful!
I like how you write. I like the way you make it clear that aging is beautiful.
關鍵字行銷
Post a Comment