"More Time With Routine" by Susan Pearl

 I remember my brother asking our mother an important question.

He asked, "How did you raise us five children and make it look easy?"

Immediately, our mother answered his question without any hesitation,

She answered, "Routine, we had routine. I washed on Monday. I ironed on Wednesday.

I baked on Friday and we all cleaned the house on Saturday morning. 

Also, we had our meals on time".

She told that it was all routine.

She had a wringer conventional washer and hung the clothes on the line in the back yard.

That even had a routine. Sheets went on the clothesline closest to the street so -

People couldn't see the under ware hung on the second line when they drove by.  

Colored clothes went on the clothesline under the the shade of the tree so they wouldn't fade.

Come to think of it ....it was routine upon routine.

I think routine gives more time in the long run.

Maybe when I think I need more time I really need more routine.

"Embarrassing Fundraiser" by Susan Pearl

 I have a memory from when I was a little girl and Mother and I went to a fundraiser.

The fundraiser was buying a piece of pie.

My mother bought us two pieces of cherry pie. Yum. Yum.

Then my mother said to the lady randomly sitting across the table,

"This cherry pie would be good if it had some cherries in it".

The lady across the table stiffened her back and said indignantly,

"Well, I put two cans of cherries in it".

My mother lifted the top crust of the pie with her fork and said,

"Oh, yes, there they are".

I didn't know what we going on, but I did know we wouldn't be visiting for very long.

"Baking Aroma with Empty Cupboards" by Susan Pearl

I have learned some lessons in a round about way.

I read a helpful hint for making a wonderful aroma in the house. 

The hint read to sprinkle cinnamon in a warm skillet.

That seemed easy enough and it worked like a charm-

Making a luscious fragrance in the house that was mouthwatering.

I left the house to run a couple of errands.

Meanwhile, my husband came home. 

When I returned home every cupboard door in the kitchen was open.

My husband said that he had been looking for what I had baked-

   because something smelled so delicious. 

I explained it was a helpful hint but I could tell he was disappointed.

Needless to say, 

   before the evening was over we had a tasty cinnamon cake for a late dessert.

I didn't ever do that helpful hint again-unless-

   I could back it up with something freshly baked on the kitchen counter.

 

"A Mother's Premonition and A Bat" by Susan Pearl

 Many, many years ago my mother asked me to vacuum the florescent lights in her living room.

The lights were at the top of the walls next to the ceiling at various places around the room.

The lights fronts and sides were enclosed with a beautiful wood which hid the lights yet put out a lovely and bright glow from the top..

I grew up in that house and not once had I ever seen the florescent lights "vacuumed" by anyone. Only the wood covers for the lights were occasionally dusted.

But there I was standing on a kitchen utility chair vacuuming away.

 Then suddenly there was a "thud" sound at the end of the sweeper hose.

I looked at the end of the sweeper hose and screamed as I saw a struggling bat looking back at me.

My mother ran over to hold me and she started screaming. 

My husband franticly ran to the outlet to unplug the vacuum because he thought we were being electrocuted.

I yelled, "No, it's a bat! It's a bat"!

My husband quickly took the vacuum, unplugged it and took it outside.

I was shook up and had to sit down.

My mother fanned me and said that she had a premonition that I would find the bat.

I asked,  "What bat"?

She answered, "The bat that has been hitting the ceilings at night and waking me up.  

I had a premonition you would find it".

I said, "Next time please tell me about any premonitions you have about me".

My husband came in and set down the empty sweeper.

It was time for mother's favorite TV show so it was time to leave.

What an evening!!!...a premonition and a bat.....who would have thought?

 

"Night Growls Scare Me" by Susan Pearl

 I enjoyed living in the country five miles from town for 22 years.

But at first I had a few apprehensions-

Like the night I heard strange sounds during the night. 

It seemed like these growls were coming from outsight our open bedroom window.

The growls would stop for awhile and then even come back with more intensity.

My husband was sound asleep by I woke him and whispered in his ear the situation.

We were very quiet and waited. 

Sure enough we heard the growls seeming louder than before.

To my surprise my husband said,

"Thank you for waking me up so I could I could hear my stomach growl".

I don't remember what my husband had for dinner that evening-

  but I don't think I fixed it very often after that night.

From all those growling sounds-

  it must have been very hard to digest even if it was a family favorite recipe.

"Loud Organist" by Susan Pearl

It isn't a laughing matter when a person starts to lose their hearing.

But for me it is best to keep my humor because losing hearing runs in my family.

My Aunt Pearl, who I was named after, said that she couldn't hear thunder 

   after  being 76 years old. Now, I am 76 years old.

She was the organist and put the pedal to the metal while playing the organ

   and not being able to hear one note.

I've heard it said that the organ was so ear piercingly loud

   that some of people didn't sing the line-

"Oh, hear this song", "Oh, hear this song" in one of the hymns.

They say the local Health Store sold out of ear plugs-

   on three different occasions in three weeks-

   and no one knows why......but I have my suspicions.....don't you?

 

"Drill and Drill Misunderstanding" by Susan Pearl

 I have to laugh about when I first met my husband.

I asked him what he had been doing during the week.

He would say he had been drilling. 

Where we live, in our area of the state, oil wells are being drilled.

I guess I wasn't familiar that when wheat is being planted that is called drilling wheat.

I imagined him drilling oil wells and I thought that he had to be very rich. 

I even told people I was dating a very rich oil man.

He invited me to meet his parents and we would drive to the farmstead and spend the day.

As we got closer to the homeplace I noticed there were no oil wells.

I asked him. "Where are all of the oil wells?

He told that they had no oil wells. 

I commented that he said he had been drilling.

He said that they drill wheat.

I said that is was nice to drill wheat and tried to change the subject.

"Do you have chickens"? I asked.

"Yes", he answered with a smile.

I said, "Maybe later I can help you pick the eggs".

He laughed and said, "You don't pick eggs---you gather them".

I answered, "Why yes, of course".