Village Squire, 1974-06, Page 21The trials
of running
the house.
BY CARMAN SEATON
There have been many articles written
lately on dealing with problems of day to day
living, such as meal planning, choosing
wardrobes, home decorating, etc. I have
noticed a great lack of knowledge in a major
field, how to make it sanely while living
to-gether as a family. 'I would like to pass on
to every woman my own personal triumphs
and experiences in this category after 25
years of trying.
Running a household which consits of 75%
males presents a challenge for any dedicated
woman and to succeed in this profession, one
must always, as the saying goes, "be one
step ahead of them".
It is sometimes an advantage to be in the
minority when a heated controversial subject
comes up, you have a slight edge as your
view -point is usually so different it creates a
completely new concept. Nine times out of ten
after your opinion is stated, they gaze
thoughtfully at each other and resume their
discussions, but ata much quieter level. Your
proficiency has come through and the
rewards are a much calmer atmosphere at
meal time.
"Chores," the plague of youth, requires
much study and years of skillful handling, but
still not guaranteed every time. The best
approach for the perpetual garbage bag is the
"bad back" routine. One casually mentions
the possibility of major surgery if forced to
carry such heavy loads. That usually does it,
but if the subject is a little dense that day,
drag it across the floor,....slowly.
Gifts of Leather
tor
Father or the Graduate
by
"Buxton" or "Tilley"
Billfolds
Key Cases
Matched Sets
(Gold initialled Free)
AIKEN'S
Shoes - Luggage
Clinton 482-9352
Utility Cases
Zipper STyle
or
Spring top
Luggage
by
Samsonite
Carson's
Dionite
Television can be a demon in disguise if
two people want to watch different channels
at the same time. If it's the middle of the
week and after 8:30, you be the judge and
side with your husband. Give him 10 minutes,
then switch it; by that time he'll be sleeping
peacefully in the chair and you could have
Elizabeth Taylor sitting on the chesterfield
and he'd never know it.
The car routine is a little tricky as you must
first determine the mileage and then the
distance you plan to travel. Work it out
carefully if it takes $1.72 don't be
embarrassed to ask for that amount. J ust tell
the attendant you have a teen -aged son and
he'll understand immediately.
Getting them up for school is another
stimulating exercise for the imagination.
Some mornings a lively conversation between
the dog, cat and yourself while sitting on his
bed will do the trick. Other times are the, "I
slept late, so hurry up". I sometimes become
rather discouraged but keep hoping I shall
find the perfect solution.
There are many things one has to accept
when dealing with young men. Suddenly your
meals become mediocre and why don't we
have steak more often? When did I suddenly
become colour blind, incapable of choosing
shirts anymore? My taste in furnishings has
declined drastically and I should clear the
house and start all over. Don't worry, ride
with it and next year maybe they'll
compliment you on the pies again.
Home work in Math is handled in the same
casual manner. Tell them you expect it done
Do not make
": your diamond
itiero purchase
blindly. Let us
explain the
differnt qualities
and show you
with the help of
our diamond
microscope
DIAMOND
WEDDING
SETS
ANSTETT
JEWELLERS
LTD.
Walkerton
Seaforth
VILLAGE SQUIRE/MAY 1974, 19