The roofing continues apace, with surprisingly few glitches. This may be the first time in the history of our home improvement* projects that the reality turns out to be not as bad as the expected.
Because I have a certain small person to care for all day (and all night), I have been exempt from any roofing duties. Except for food. That's all me.
Now, it was never expressed to me that I would be expected to feed the crew, but honestly--me, have people at my house all day and NOT feed them? I don't think so. Especially since the crew consists of A., his brother, and his friend who is a professional carpenter and is supplying the necessary expertise while A. and his brother supply additional labor. They start work at 6 a.m. and haven't been quitting until 4 p.m. That's a LONG, LONG day up on a roof in the full sun. So I have taken it upon myself to make sure they have a jug of cold water all day, as well as cheese and crackers around 10 a.m. and a full lunch at noon. I figure this way, the odds of someone getting weak and falling off the roof are lessened.
We REALLY don't want anyone to fall off the roof.
I have been finding it surprisingly difficult to supply a full lunch for three people every day, in addition to making breakfast and dinner for the family. I mean, it's not like I'm preparing anything elaborate for lunch, but even hot dogs and hamburgers require side dishes and dessert, right? Right. To say nothing of the additional dishes produced by this meal.
I keep thinking of the women a couple of generations ago who had to feed the threshing crews. It used to be the custom on farms for a crew to go around to all the farms in turn to help with the threshing, and it was the responsibility of the farm they were working on to feed them their mid-day meal. That is, it was the responsibility of the farmer's wife. And those crews were much bigger, as many as a dozen men, and the meals were MUCH, MUCH bigger. Meat and potatoes and bread and vegetables and pies and OH MY GOD I'm tired just thinking about it.
A.'s grandmother remembered cooking for the threshing crew. It was, apparently, a memorable event.
I've said it before and I'll say it again: You can keep your good old days. They sound like too much work to me.
* Although it's never so much "improvement" as it is "salvage," since by the time we have the money and/or time for a project, it has probably become critical that whatever it is be done immediately or we face dire consequences. Like water pouring into the attic.
9 comments:
I remember my grandma could walk into the kitchen at 11:30 and have lunch on the table at noon. That included fried chicken, mashed potatoes, gravy and biscuits.... all made from scratch. When I saw her do her magic it was not an everyday meal, but she said it came from practice. Years of cooking for a farm working family. She sent them out at daybreak with a full breakfast. Three meals a day - seven days a week - every day of the year. For 20 - 30 years straight!?! Plus every other household chore - if it got done she did it.
I agree, the good old days sound like hard work. Little House on the Prairie sounds romantic and exciting to read about... but I wouldn't want to live then.
I wouldn't want to live during any time in which I would not have access to ibuprofen, contact lenses, or birth control.
Last weekend, I had to cook for (and clean up after) 6 people, and I was EXHAUSTED. And it was only for two days! I would have been the worst pioneer ever.
Yah, but they were born and raised doing it...so it did come naturally to them, almost like breathing. And they probably ate the same things the hands did..after the hands had their's. And they had a plethora of children to take care of the younger children while they cooked. Besides not having birth control the more kids you had the more help you had doing things.
Doesn't appeal to me...but , they really had no choice. And they wore dresses doing it. :)
I hear ya on how much work it all is when it isn't your usual schedule....if you did it every day it would get easier . But, who wants to do that? Beth
word verification 'fress'
short for friggin dress you had to wear doing chores in the "olden days"
"You can keep your good old days. They sound like too much work to me."
And from you, that's sayin' something.
Word verification: hugmac -- what I will do when I get my first decent computer
My Amish ancestors cooked epic meals for enormous groups of hungry workers. According to the journals of a couple of them, this was not a loved task, although there was excitement (and subtle flirting to be done!) when a big crowd of men decended upon the farm for harvesting or barnraising.
All of that being said, praise God for the occasional pizza or dinner out!!
I get the impression that "The Good Old Days" are only "good" to those who weren't there or can't remember them that well.
Making a huge midday meal for an entire fleet of dudes without running water or electricity? Um, no thanks.
Good on you for keeping them fed and hydrated, though - plus taking care of Cubs. :)
Of course those were the Good Old Days.For the dudes.
You do know who wrote all the books and stories nostalgic for those Good Old Days, don't you?
That's a lot of work! I do believe, though, that the woman of the house had help. The children each had a role, whether it was caring for the younger ones or serving or cleaning up afterward.
Enjoy your new roof! I was surprised how much I noticed ours - maybe it was the lack of leaks.
My mother has talked about the 2 girls in the family helping my grandmother cook and serve lunch for the harvesting crew--full meals, fresh pies, and so on. Using well water from an outdoor pump. Kansas. Hot. Coal-burning (I think) cookstove. Human dishwashers. Just finish and begin again. It always exhausts me to think about how terribly difficult it was. But my grandmother lived into her 90s and was always kind and cheerful. The more I think about it, the more that is a mystery!
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