How To Keep House

I love books. I love everything about books. I love the mystery, the romance, the scent and feel of a book. I have a quirky habit of browsing my bookcases every so often. As I have at least one bookcase in every room of the house except the bathrooms, I often come across a book I’ve forgotten about. Recently, as I browsed the bookcases in the living room (all seven of them), I ran across one of those forgotten books. This particular book was purchased at a yard sale for a dime. A dime? For a hardcover book? In the year 2008??? Oh what treasures await our discovery.

The book I ran across immediately made me giggle. It’s titled How to Keep House, A Happy Guide to an Efficient Household by Mary Davis Gillies, published in 1949. I took this book from the shelf and as I glanced through the chapter headings, this one caught my eye: “How to Wash Clothes”. Wow, I wasn’t the only person that didn’t know how to wash clothes when I left home! Cool! So I flipped to that section of the book and boy what an eye opener THAT was!

There are four areas of discussion in Section Four – About the Laundry. Holy cow, I must be doing something wrong! How many steps have I missed, Mary? Hold on, Effie, we’ve hit a roadblock, I need to pop a squat and see what I'm doing wrong.

The first area of discussion is “How To Plan A Laundry”.

Plan? As in making lists and checking them twice? Those kinds of plans? I thought we just went out and bought detergent, fabric softener, and bleach.

But no….Mary has advised us of the list of items needed for an efficient and well run laundry process. Let’s begin by seeing what is advised for a basic vs. an ideal laundry, shall we?

A Basic Laundry

For Washing:
A wringer washer (Counting on my spin cycle to cover this.)
Double-set tubs
Shelf Over Tub
Filter hose
Clothesline

For Ironing:
Thermostatically controlled iron
Metal-frame ironing board with pad and cover
A stool for ironing

An Ideal Laundry

For Washing:
Automatic washer
Automatic dryer
Single porcelain tub (Can I count the one in the bathroom? It’s not very convenient, though.)

For Ironing:
Ironer-flat plate or roller type

Thermostatically controlled iron
Built-in board
Wall cabinet over sorting table for stain removal kit
Chair for ironer

Nice-to-have Equipment:
Hot plate
Steam iron
Sweater stretchers
Sock stretchers
Radio
Scales
Clock
Sewing machine

Should-have Equipment:
Two-quart saucepan for making starch
Nest of bowls for stain removal and cold starch
Measuring cup for soap
Quart measure
Clothes brush
Lang-handled spoon for stirring starch
Glass rods for stain removal
Glass dropper for stain removal
Clothes stick for handling hot clothes
Plunger for hand washing
Clothes basket
Clothes basket protectors
Plastic or rubber sheeting for sprinkled clothes
Sprinkler top for bottle
Sewing kit
Mending tape
Pressing cloth
Small drying rack for ironed garments
Large drying rack or indoor line
Wastebasket
Thermometer

Must-have Supplies:
Soap
Water softener (in hard water areas)
Bleach
Bluing liquid and soap
Ammonia
Cleaning fluid
Starch

Looks like Mary's loaded for bear. And I finally realized why my own mother never had a job outside of the home.....she was busy doing LAUNDRY!

Now let us compare Mary's list to that of Marnie:

A Basic Laundry

For Washing:

Washing machine

Teenaged children

For Ironing:

(I got nothing for you here, folks, sorry)

An Idea Laundry:

For Washing:

Washing machine

Cocoa The Pool Boy
Lounging chair

Pitcher of Margaritas

For Ironing:

VERY, VERY heavy thermostatically controlled iron

Metal-frame ironing board with pad and cover

Cocoa The Pool Boy
Lounging chair

Chocolate bon-bons and/or a large bunch of grapes

Hand-held fan in case of the vapors

Nice-to-have Equipment:

Cocoa's Twin Brother Pablo

Must-have Supplies:

Soap
Fabric Softener
Bleach
Hangers

Teenaged children for when Cocoa and Pablo need breaks

A two-person hammock in the shade

Any questions?

House Hunting Hump-Day.

As it's Wednesday and I've started a "tradition" of looking for Marnie's perfect house, I couldn't let you down by not including a little cottage or two for our viewing pleasure.

I’ve only listed one house today. When you see where I’m moving you will see no other house is needed.

Well okay, maybe one more.

DAMN IT!!!! Sold right out from under me!!!

Okay, okay, okay, but this one was built in 1216 and I PROMISE it's the last one!

I got extra space for roomies; any takers?

Let's Find Marnie The Perfect House Day

As you know, last week I told you how I love house hunting. I have big dreams. It’s not a bad thing, but I also understand the love and care it takes to maintain an older home. My current house isn’t exactly “historic” but I was born and raised in an area of the country that values and appreciates architectural excellence. Therefore, I have just this morning deemed Tuesdays……”Let’s Find Marnie The Perfect House Day”. Here are a few to get your rocker rockin’; see what you can find that tickles your fancy.

A little too modern for my taste BUT I guess I could suffer.

What a shame this one is in the middle of town; wonder what it would cost to move it?

I have no desire to live in Mexico but hey, what do I know – never been there.

Check out the underground tunnel on this one; I could actually turn to my spawn and tell them to “Go downstairs and skateboard ‘til dinner is ready!”

Italy anyone?

Remember me saying how I would love a little farm to grow old on? Check out the barn that comes with this quaint little home build in 1700….and it has a “greenhouse”, too! Bedrooms will need a bit of updating (paint, furniture that fits in the room) but check out the kitchen – FAB!

Anyone a Hitchcock fan? Does that staircase scream “Vertigo” or what? And look at the ceiling in the “teal” bedroom. WOW!


I told you - it’s an addiction.

I Love Googling

I love Googling.

It’s an addiction.

My senses are titillated much in the same why they are when I first walk into a DSW I have never frequented before. There are things available I had no idea were out there….and those that know me understand that my mind has the capability of working in a tasteless, most unseemly manner.

I’m in the process of redecorating my girl-spawn’s bedroom. She has decided she is “too old” for a rain forest green room and wants to graduate to orange.

Orange.

That’s ORANGE for those that didn’t gasp the first time the color was read.

Lucky for her, I actually love orange. Not that I’d want to sleep in a room with walls the color of chewed and spewed cheesy poofs but hey, spawnette is only 15 years old.

In the hopes of not blinding other family members and friends, I was googling with the hopes of locating pictures of decorating ideas I had in my head that I was incapable of explaining to the tightly molded left side of spawnette’s brain. (She’s a visual kinda gal.) I have ideas for a slightly less bold wall color with the ceiling a darker orange, Indian saree’s turned into pillows and curtains, the removal of her closet doors and replacing them with drapes, the hanging of a capiz chandelier, and maybe, if the mood strikes us, draping gauzy material over the ceiling. I know, I know, it’s a bit much but I love decorating.

So there I am.

Nothing but Google to aid me.

I access the images link and type in “indian bedroom”, “moroccan bedroom”, “indian moroccan bedroom” or something along those lines. My search resulted in a multitude of images but we all know those images are small.

We have to click on them to see the photo better.

In big….bold….techicolor brilliance...

I

Found

This!!!

It’s a hotel in California (insert song lyrics here) and you get to choose from the 109 fabulously decorated rooms depending on your fantasy, sense of humor, or own personal taste.

Being of Irish descent, I chose the Irish Hills Room.

What? You’re French? How about the Fleur De Lis Room? Or the Vouz

Oh, I’m sorry, I wasn’t listening….you’re Swedish! Here, this is the Carin Room just for you.

Yes folks – there really is an OZ and it’s located halfway between San Francisco and Los Angeles. So grab those ruby slippers, throw the dog in a picnic basket and let’s meet so we can kick some flying monkey ass!

Weekend Plans.....

Is anyone else addicted to the search for the perfect house? I love house hunting. It sooths my pathetic soul when I fill it with dreams of owning what I consider the perfect home. I like old, historic houses and if given the opportunity…..and a whole lot of money…..would gladly move into a small, secluded farm house that was build in the 1800’s.

HOLD IT MISSY!

You have a house!

An old house, to boot.

My conscience then reminds me of my fourteen paged to do list that is currently wallpapering the outside of my refrigerator.

I hate my conscience.

So much for the relaxing, kid-free weekend I had previously planned to spend with the seven Harry Potter books and five movies.

DRAT! I even had a bottle of wine chilling!