Downright Dirty Work

Yes ma'am. We were moving things around today at two of our booths, and that's not work you can do and stay tidy. For one thing, a lot of the things I was bringing in were wrapped in newspaper. So you know what my hands look like. Add in a hot, humid day, lots of lifting, lugging, tugging and general heave-ho-ing and you get the idea. I didn't even do the worst of it, thank goodness--Larry was with me to do the big stuff and climb up and down the ladder.

But it's done and it's provided a fresh look for both booths. We still have more work to do on them, of course. It never ends, really. But for the last month I have not been as diligent about taking care of them because of the garden work and up-tick in storytelling. Yesterday I spent almost all day pricing things and entering them into inventory; tomorrow I'll go to Athens alone to do more work on that booth. I'm a little worried there as they seem to have my sales tickets entered into the computer in two or possibly more places, which means my sales are being recorded incorrectly--and that could mean money lost for me if it isn't straightened out soon. So that is part of what I will be doing tomorrow: making sure they have the accounts straightened out and are only entering my sales in one account.

Other "dirty work" has been on the agenda too. The gardens are beginning to give us results; zucchini, yellow squash, cucumbers, a few cherry tomatoes, broccoli and new potatoes are all on the table at dinner now. Early for a lot of these! I'm not complaining one bit, though. There is nothing like fresh fruits and vegetables, is there?

I am often amazed at my husband's versatility, even though I know in these mountains there are many men like him. Take last week: he fixed the leaky roof, unclogged the dryer vent and repaired the kitchen drain. He also replaced the belt on the riding mower, mowed grass and ran the weedeater, changed the oil in my car, refurbished an old wheelbarrow for selling, graded the driveway and cleaned out the ditches, tilled the gardens, picked berries, staked tomatoes, and a whole list of other tasks. In the process he got very dirty many, many times. Three showers and three changes of clothes a day are not unusual for him. We won't discuss the dirt he brings inside because he hates to slow down long enough to take off his boots or shake the grass clippings from his clothes! It's the price I pay for all the work he does, and while I complain about it regularly, I am well aware of the money he saves us by being willing to tackle anything that comes along. I think he is a dying breed though--are the young men in their teens today going to be able to do what Larry can do? I wonder.


Copyright 2012 Susanna Holstein. All rights reserved. No Republication or Redistribution Allowed without attribution to Susanna Holstein.