Friday, July 15, 2011

It's Friday

Yep, it's Friday. The end of the work week. I was just thinking about this 'work week' saying. Guess that applies to men's work schedule. I don't think it applies to women, for their work is never done.  Remember the old saying 'A man's work is from sun to sun, a woman's work is never done'.

I remember Mama and how hard she worked. She worked in a dry cleaners when I was small and later owned her own cleaners where she did a major load of the work. Here she is with three of her staff. See that huge fan, no air conditioning in the building. Wouldn't have done any good if they had had it.

She stood at the press on her feet all day pushing that foot pedal to bring the press top down and then there was the puff of steam applied and the top went up, she'd straighten the item to the next position and do it all over again. When the dress or suit or whatever met her inspection she'd hang it on a hanger, bag it and go to the next one. It was such hot, hard work. But, when she got home she'd cook, and clean and wash up the dishes and put us to bed. She'd get up with us when we were sick, lie worrying about us when things didn't go right. In the summertime she'd garden and can all the veggies so we'd have something to eat come winter. In her day it was more unusual to see a woman working at a job. There were a lot of moms who kept 'the home fires burning'.

I am grateful I never had to work outside the home, although I did have a job or two that I chose to do for a period of time. I never had a 'work week'. I was a stay at home wife and mom and for that I can thank my sweet husband.

I wasn't real keen on some of the housework, like cleaning toilets, or scrubbing floors

but I loved ironing, making beds, cooking. I wasn't too opposed to washing dishes until we got our first dishwasher and then I was in 'hog heaven'. I loved baking cookies for the children, doing crafts and teaching them about life and fun stuff, going with them to museums and plays, taking trips with them.

They are all grown now, have grown children of their own. And, that brings me right back to that phrase, 'Work Week'. Women are just about forced to work these days so they have 'work weeks' plus 'housekeeping chores' plus raising families and doing a kzillion other things. My hat is off to the women!! Cheers, cheers, Hip, Hip, Hurrah.

It's 7 days til my trip to Nebraska

5 comments:

  1. Your mother was a great lady and she produced a great lady!

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  2. Your mother sounds like a very hard worker who truly cared about her family. And it looks like you followed in her footsteps, Latane.

    Susannah

    PS - When we got our first dishwasher.....I was so excited. All week long I cooked and cooked ....and it was great...I did not have to do the dishes! I hated washing the dishes!!!

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  3. What a hard working sweet Mama you had....... dry cleaning, I would think IS hard/hot work.

    I feel blessed too, that I worked at home until our children were teenagers, and then it was part time.

    Our first dishwasher was on rollers and hooked up to the kitchen sink. We've come a long way baby!
    Happy weekend sweet friend!

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  4. Great Mom you had!
    My Mom was a Beautician and also worked outside the home, but when Dad started working for General Tire, she never went back.
    I'm STILL working...since I was 15...I'll be 60 this Summer...Can you say pooped?!
    hughugs

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  5. My mom worked in a dry cleaners too. She did the pressing. Way before I was born but she talked about it a lot. Being Hot was the main thing she talked about. After us kids were born she was a stay at home wife and mom. I have been both. Hard work both ways. God sure made us women tuff cookies.

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