A post came across my
Facebook page today that kind of pushed my buttons. I have heard a thousand
times how lucky I was to be a “stay at home mom and not have to go to work”. It
was a far cry from “not go to work”. I didn’t have to go OUT to work until the
kids were either in bed or just about ready for bed. We owed the local bar, the
Corner Tavern. Many evenings hubby would call and say, “I am busy, I need help,
call a sitter” and off I would go. Sometimes till closing time which was 2 a.m.
And I had to get up with the four girls around 7. All of this after a very busy
day at home. I made most all of my daughters and mine clothes, usually sewing at
nap time or in the evening after the girls were in bed. We had a big garden and
I did a lot of canning. Was a bit OCD back then, too. Thought I had to have a
house as clean as the Brady Bunch. Except I had no Alice. One benefit of that
was I stayed thin. Many a day I ate a peanut butter sandwich while I vacuumed.
Don’t get me wrong. It was nice to be able to be with the girls when they were little.
And I wouldn’t change that for anything. Besides, I didn’t realize how busy I
was till years later. You know the old saying “You do what you have to do”. We
sold the corner when the girls got involved with school activates and our
regular bartender had kids and needed the same time off for the same reasons. And about that same time we
gave up coaching little league softball. Yes, we did that, too, during the
summer. Very busy life. After we sold the Corner and hubby went to work for
REM, a residential home for the mentally handicapped, I thought life would be
slower. But I was wrong. I took on around 8–10 daycare kids to make up for
the difference in income. Now you talk about busy. Had most kids from 7:30-5:00, 5
days a week. And then people would say, “you just babysit?” Never sat on a baby
in my life was my usual response. And now? Daycare experience would make a coupe two or three posts. Will save that for another time when I am on my soap box. For now, I am loving retirement.
If you want to read the article that put me on my soapbox
you can read it by following this link;
Have a good day and take care,
Rose
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