My Motivation Today...

More laundry.  Another broken record from this homestead, I know.  We have never ever been on top of the laundry.  Not for a large family.  Ok, not so much for a smaller family, either.

Ahh, if I had just a nickel for everything folded, or still on a hangar that returns to my laundry heap -- yes, it's a heap, not a mere pile -- Dewey and I could have retired eons ago, to some quiet little outpost off the Alaskan coast!  Yeah, he'd probably vote for something in the southern seas, away from snow and cold.  But, you get the idea...we'd be rich.

We have done it all here:
Do your own laundry and keep it up.
Schedule certain loads for certain days, towels, whites, darks and denims,. lights, etc.
I've taken everyone down to a small handful of outfits...say 4 shirts and pants, 1 good set, etc.
I've taken everyone down to just 2 outfits...1 for good, 1 for every day.
I've even thrown away, packed away and/or donated practically everything.

I swear, none of it works for us.  I suppose I could strip everyone down to their skivvies and just make them wait in bed while I washed their only clothing...and every single piece of material goods in this house.  I'd still have a ton of clothing, waiting in piles, here, though.  And I know we just talked about clothing needs not long ago.  I do believe it is a very do-able thing, to control the laundry as well as the clothing supplies, to keep up with it all even. 

The core of it all is basic.  It's self-discipline.
 Think about it: you always have laundry, it's not getting done, it's far from under control on any level. Why???

There could be valid reasons, I'm sure.  Maybe your washing machine is broken.  That could well be a contributing factor.  So, how many of us are watching a growing mound of laundry while waiting on our washing machine to be repaired?  Hands?

I won't be raising mine.  My washing machine isn't broken at all.  In fact, it works absolutely perfectly.  And it's a huge machine, too.  I could knock out everything in this house in fairly short order with this machine.  So, why is there a monster heap of laundry always, always waiting here?

It's that self-discipline thing.  I am typing away here on this blog right now, when I could be doing laundry.  I sit at the sewing machine, or with needles in my hands creating dishcloths and baby sweaters, when I could be doing laundry.  I visit the few groups and forums I like to check on...instead of doing the laundry.  I waste my home keeping days.  They aren't a totally waste I suppose.  I am printing school things while I 'surf' around.  And I am making dishcloths, baby items and such that will go into the farm basket, the possible sale shop here online, to swaps and friends all over.  I am reading about how to do things...like increase the compost quality in my bins, better manage money with menu planning, planning out future purchases, PLANNING things in general instead of jumping here and there without much thought. 

These are all well and good, but they do not assist much in a practical form to my home keeping, and that is really what I'm supposed to be doing in the first place.  I wasn't 'called' to play on the computer all the time, or check emails, groups, and so forth. It is a great tool, don't get me wrong, but it ceases being a tool when I spend time here and not doing the home keeping things...like laundry, schooling, meal planning, housekeeping, etc. 

And worse yet is we are not living off the grid, this is not some third world country location here, we are not having to chore over laundry by hand, with a vat of heated water being prepared, homemade soap scrapped and blended, washboards prepared, etc.  All I have to do is PUT THE CLOTHES INTO THE MACHINE and press a button.  I don't even have to be in the laundry room for the 45 mins or better it takes to wash the clothing.  I don't have to wring them out, rinse them, scrub them, nothing.  Just toss and turn on.  Sure, I need to come back eventually and either shove them into the dryer -- which also does the work for me and doe snot require my participation -- or I need to run them to the clothesline and hang them out.

Either way, the computer doesn't get my laundry done, and that's where I am.  This is a great tool, don't get me wrong.  Look at everything available via the internet these days!  It's mind-boggling.  We can write lengthy posts (LOL...see, there is a downside, heh?) and research everything imaginable, gather free homeschooling things, meet with friends, meet with new friends, learn a host of skills...all from our backsides, in our nightgowns if we so choose. 

But it ceases to be a useful tool when you are doing all of that and not what you need to be doing.  It won't get your laundry done.  It won't get your menu planned (well, ok, maybe...), it won't school your children for you.  It is actually far more wasteful than most folks think.  Take right now...my washing machine isn't getting the laundry done for me.  Lazy machine.

Look at all the "tools" you have been blessed with in your home.  What are they there for?  Just to decorate, or were they intended to be useful in a practical way?  Have a dishwasher?  How many dirty dishes do you have?  Have a vacuum?  What do your floors look like?  In my case, Have several dressers or closets?  What does my floor look like??  Or, Have a washing machine and a dryer?  Why do you have piles of laundry??

Do you have other things....like a stove or a microwave?  How come dinner is never prepared?  Do you have a bread machine?  Why aren't you making bread? 

The list just goes on and on...and I just keep typing along...