Yeah, it's a plunger, but it's a plunger for washing clothes. My dad came up on Friday from out of state and brought a bunch of emergency preparedness stuff (thanks Dad!!) which will probably be mentioned here and elsewhere, but today the plunger gets the place of honor.
Wasn't really expecting the plunger--but that's what happens when your parents are also into emergency preparedness and are really good at it and have thought about things that are needed ahead of time and are generous and are willing to take the time to drive all the way here to deliver things that you hadn't thought of only to drive all the way back home almost immediately. The original plan was to just have my dad bring up some water containers that fit into his vehicle and don't fit into ours, but when my dad's trip coincided with things that my mom found that would make life easier in an emergency, their teamwork resulted in more goodies for us....
I am very glad to have the plunger, and the plan at the moment is to use it in a food storage bucket when the power goes out. You could use it in a tin tub, I suppose, but seeing as how we don't currently have one of those in our possession, a food storage bucket will have to do. One of the things I like about the plunger is that it will spare our hands at least a little by reducing the time we have to have them immersed in soap and water. And if the power was out, and it was cold outside, (isn't there also a saying about winter being nine months long in Idaho ? :) being able to have clean clothes and dry hands would be a big plus...
I don't really plan to use the plunger next Monday, but since one never knows when an emergency will occur, it's good to have it in the supplies. Hope I don't need it before next Monday...
12 comments:
Marie...i can't help with the poem but i too seem to remember a poem that went something like that...
and what a wonderful Mom and Dad you have - everyone should have such fantastic parents!!!
anyway - our good friend Jennifer (Humble Wife) over at the New Mexico Preppers Network does her laundry using a plunger!!! She originally posted about it on her personal blog Double Nickel Farm but it was easier for me to find on the Yukon Territory Preppers Network (she has been guest-posting for us in Canada)...check it out - you'll love it - http://yukonterritorypreppersnetwork.blogspot.com/2009/04/some-prep-tips-from-southwest.html
I don't know the poem.. but this was the daily chores:
Monday: Wash Day
Tuesday: Ironing Day
Wednesday: Sewing Day
Thursday: Market Day
Friday: Cleaning Day
Saturday: Baking Day
Sunday: Day of Rest
I think it is really interesting to use a plunger to wash clothes. Hmmmm Actually I think it's a great idea... I love new ideas. So you have 2 seperate plungers - right? one for toilet and one saved in emergency storage for washing clothing.... please say yes... LOL!!
Kymber--Thanks for the link--it has some really great information in it!
As for my parents, they are much better at emergency preparedness than I am,and I have told my mom many times that she should be writing my other blog--since they don't live in Idaho, I don't bug her about this one. :) Thanks, and I agree they are fantastic... :) Thanks for your comment!
Sondra--This is not your ordinary plunger--it's made of hard plastic, it looks like, instead of rubber, and if it were identical to the black plungers we have, I guarantee you I would keep it as far away from the bathroom as possible to avoid a possible mix-up... :)I think I'll be posting further pictures now, because they say they're worth a thousand words--thanks for the reminder of the chore days, and for your comment!
Marie - just linked over and found your other blog - i love it! and plan to do catch up reading starting from your first post this eve - woohoo - i am pretty excited as it looks full of info that a newbie/inexperienced prepper like me can really use!
as for your parents being great at emergency preparedness - i have a policy up here at the CPN - i don't care where you live if yer willing to post (we still need bloggers for 9 provinces - arghghgh! but as i mentioned earlier - Humble Wife is doing an amazing job helping out!) so anyway - tell yer Mom and Dad that i have 9 provinces for them - bahahaha! (jes 'teasin!)
In the 'Little House on the Prairie' books, Ma's daily chores were:
Wash on Monday,
Iron on Tuesday,
Mend on Wednesday,
Churn on Thursday,
Clean on Friday,
Bake on Saturday,
Rest on Sunday.
Marie, I bought a gavanized metal version of the Laundry Plunger over Lehmans for somrthing like $12.00. I had my Better half test it and she says it works fine for small loads.
I also bought a couple of metal bushel and a Half buckets to heat wash and rince water in over an open fire if required.
In the middle between our 25 speed automatic washer and dryer, I bought a 50's style Hotpoint wringer washer at a garage sale for $50.00
The advantage of this thing is that it has two speeds, fast and slow, the motor draws about 300 watts, which my solar system can handle. The wringer is a bit to learn to use, but I am sure the average 3rd grader can figure it out.
Just some ideas
Carl
Kymber--You'll see from my other blog that I am pretty much still a newbie, but I'm trying to get better at everything... :)
You're doing great at the Canadian Preppers Network--I'm learning a lot from the things you post as well as being motivated to get my bike out of the garage this year...some of the comments that people leave on my posts could be used as posts themselves--there are a lot of people out there that know a heck of a lot about emergency preparedness! I hope you get more help up there soon--I would accept posts as well, but I think sometimes people don't think that what they have to say is worth posting, while in fact their knowledge is really valuable. Ah, well...thanks for your comment!
Gen--That's where I heard it! I can't tell you how many times I have read and reread the Laura Ingalls Wilder books--haven't done so in a long time, but I sure enjoy them. Thank you very much!
Carl--The plan to heat up the water is brilliant, and it's great that you have so many options at your disposal! I'll have to check out the wringer-washer somewhere--it sounds like a winner. Thanks for the ideas!
Monday - Wash Day
Lord, help me wash away all my
selfishness and vanity, so I may
serve you with perfect humility
through the week ahead.
Tuesday – Ironing Day
Dear Lord, help me iron out
all the wrinkles of prejudice.
I have collected through the years
so that I may see the beauty in others.
Wednesday – Mending Day
God, help me mend my ways
so I will not set a bad
example for others.
Thursday – Cleaning Day
Lord Jesus, help me to dust
out all the many faults I
have been hiding in the
secret corners of my heart.
Friday – Shopping Day
O God, give me the grace to shop
wisely so I may purchase eternal
happiness for myself and all
others in need of love.
Saturday – Cooking Day
Help me, my Savior, to brew a
big kettle of brotherly love and
serve it with clean, sweet bread of
human kindness.
Sunday – the Lord’s Day
O God, I have prepared my house
for you. Please come into my heart
as my honored guest so I may spend
the day and the rest of my life
in your presence.
Anonymous--I don't think I've ever heard the whole poem, apparently--there's a lot more to it than I thought. Thanks for sharing!
Yes, Marie, it is a poem I first remember from a ladies study and craft that my mother brought home over 30 years ago. I recently decided to use it myself and in that research came across this wonderful Bible study. I pray it is something you might be interested in and look into. God put it and you here for me!
http://home.mindspring.com/~shepherdshillhomemaking/id17.html
The days listed above were embroidered on dish towels, so the next generation would know the logical order to chores.
Here is one of the 'poems' for learning the weekly chores. we have all heard it before.
Here we go 'round the mulberry bush,
The mulberry bush, The mulberry bush.
Here we go 'round the mulberry bush,
So early in the morning.
These are the chores we'll do this week,
Do this week, Do this week.
These are the chores we'll do this week,
So early every morning.
This is the way we wash our clothes,
Wash our clothes, Wash our clothes.
This is the way we wash our clothes,
So early Monday morning.
This is the way we iron our clothes,
Iron our clothes, Iron our clothes.
This is the way we iron our clothes,
So early Tuesday morning.
This is the way we scrub the floor,
Scrub the floor, Scrub the floor.
This is the way we scrub the floor,
So early Wednesday morning.
This is the way we mend our clothes,
Mend our clothes, Mend our clothes.
This is the way we mend our clothes,
So early Thursday morning.
This is the way we sweep the floor,
Sweep the floor, Sweep the floor.
This is the way we sweep the floor,
So early Friday morning.
This is the way we bake our bread,
Bake our bread, Bake our bread.
This is the way we bake our bread,
So early Saturday morning.
This is the way we get dressed up,
Get dressed up, Get dressed up.
This is the way we get dressed up,
So early Sunday morning.
Chickmunk--This is great! Thank you so much for posting the entire poem! Love that it comes with the mulberry bush tune... :)
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