Electricity or Not to Electricity, That Is the Question

Well, it is hard work, but that's what makes life interesting. Imagine how boring life'd be if we had to sit in the house all day starin' at the bleedin' walls. God. Could you imagine? So, life be hard sometimes. Write down notes with my ink pen, so I's not forget nothing. Take my horse and ride her down the pavement to the libry. Go to the lady who alphabatizes everything and then have her help me with the bleedin' card catalogue, which the libryians spent a lot a time puttin' together. Still can't make heads or tails a these things and all the cards be written in bad hand writing. Still got mail to keep in touch with me far away relatives. Nice to hear from 'em. But, I find some murder mysteries hand written by the authors, fill out the card on the back pocket and give it to the libryian. She knows where everyone lives anyhow. Then, put me books in the patch on the side a the horse and head of to the grocer. Need's some more food in the house for me husband n kids. So, I take out me recipes on sheets a paper and figure out what's I need. Everyone at the grocer's nice, but they got themselves a new cashier and he be taken a long time adding up all me groceries and tax.  

Me horse be pulling lots of weight on the way home, but she can handle it. I's get home and be unloading stuff. Putting salt on the perishables, so they don't be going bad. Also, got to put money out for the local newspaper and milk man. A shame no one never invented no easier way to do things. Could you even imagine, though, a horseless carriage? Well, some day, but I love me horse. She real good to me and I's real good to her.  

Anysway, after I do the mise en place for din din, I be starting me family's wash in the bucket. See, we's got a real good deal on a washboard, so I's put in the detergent, pump water from the ground, and start scrubbing me family's clothes. People think being a house wife be easy, but it ain't. Whew. It be hard work. We's got ourselves a little farm with a few animal in de back, but not enough for the long term. See, me husband be a lumberjack and he got big muscles from chopping down them trees all day. Maybe he could do the laundry. Nah, he be a good man and I's glad I's his property. Now, I ain't a slave or nothing, but as his wife, I is his property.  

Then, dag nab it, I be preparing the lamp candles for the night and the regular candles. Also, got to make sure we's got enough matches or I'll have to ride Betsy back to the market. Thankfully, I's found a bunch under our coal oven. We might be broiling some beef tonight. Think they'd all like that, mashed tators, and some beans. Hope so, 'cause that's what I got for supper from the market. See, I's know everyone in this town by first name. Know's where everyone lives too. Sometimes, we girls gather together to talk 'bout the gossip in the town. I be sweeping and mopping the floor, cleaning the windows, whole nine yards 'fore the husband comes back from the forrest and kids be back from school. Teacher's be working hard with all them grades in one classroom.  

That's one reason I sometimes be getting science fiction from that there library. See, they think some day us humans'll fly like birds and go see the angels on top of the clouds, or maybe ride a star. Heck, I just wish they'd find a way to make my house chores easier or even to get to the grocer's and back. Heck. New food causes horses to run fifty miles per hour. Could you even imagine? Or maybe a way to keep our house warm without no fireplace. Or things to make life easier. But, at least I ain't no old maid. I's pitty those girls.  

Everyone wants what I's got. A good, husband, who works hard, good, smart kids, I just wish someone would invent a way to make it all easier. Hell, a kitchen that cooks and cleans itself. Right? Wouldn't that be nice. A machine that'd wash and dry the dishes for me. Being a woman ain't easy in the world. Ain't easy at all. Get done washing the clothes and hang them on the clothes line, as usual. Hope it won't rain. Man, wish there was a way to know if it be going to rain. Hire a psychic, right? We be wearing simple clothes, like the Omish, even though we ain't Omish. Eh, me minds wanderin' again.  

After a few hours, everything's in order, so I get one of me murder mysteries out. They all be the same story, just from different vantage points. The inks starting to run on certain pages so I set it out to air dry, along with the sweet potato pies. Occasionally we get people come around who want us to pay 'em for telling us what's happening in other towns, but I don't care none. They don't bother us, we ain't gonna bother them. Simple as that.  

I pick some flowers from the garden and give the old flowers to the livestock. The dogs stay home with me, except when the be flocking the sheep. They be good, loyal dogs and we feed 'em and take care of 'em good. Kids get home from school so I's hug 'em. Then, help 'em with their school work. Husband gets home and I hug and kiss 'em. See, life is good.  

At dinner we sit around the table and talk about how our days went. Husband had some real thick trees and kids making friends at school. I tell 'em I did the usual house stuff. Then, I make the kids brush their teeth, bathe them, and have 'em put on their 'jamis. I read 'em the usual bed time stories and they doze off. The dogs sometimes sleep with 'em, sometimes not. Then, I go wash up with my husband and we cuddle and go to bed. But, I have a strange dream:

I dream someone found a way to put fire through small black tubes and put them in robots to clean our clothes, wash our dishes, and do all the other stuff us house wives spend all our time doing. And there were machines with buttons to make the catalogues at the library easy to figure out. And we had metal cigars that flew up into the sky. Crazy, right? And there were machines in carriages and horses weren't needed no more. Could you imagine? Roads with no horses on them? Maybe I had too much to drink or maybe . . .