DINNER DISHES

Without an electric dishwasher in the red brick house, the children were expected to wash and dry the dinner dishes, plus clean up the kitchen.  We usually did the dishes in pairs and took our respective turns washing and drying.  I can still see the process that was required to get the job done.

After dinner was finished, each family member was expected to take their own place setting to the kitchen and then usually went back for something else. The table got cleared fairly quickly.  The leftovers, if any, were put away and then the dishes were rinsed to be washed.  The one sink was filled with hot soapy water and the other with clean hot water.  The dish drainer was pulled out from under the sink and set on the left side.  Then the washing and drying began.  We weren't allowed to let the dishes air dry.  Plead as we may that it was fine to let the dishes air dry, Mother insisted that the dishes be put in the cupboard.  She wanted a spotless kitchen after dinner.

Most of the time, washing the dinner dishes fell to me and my two older sisters.  I'm sure that my older brothers had their share of washing dishes.  But by the time I was old enough to help, my two sisters had taken over the tasks.  Sometimes just two of us would do dishes.  However, once in awhile all three of us got involved.

I have some great memories of working with my sisters doing dishes.  We'd talk and sing songs.  My oldest sister had a knack (and probably still does) of making up songs.  My mother had made my sister, Karen, a dress of dark, green, velveteen. One night while doing dishes, Karen made up a song about the dress.  I don't why she made up that song.  But we would often sing "Dark, Green, Velveteen" while doing dishes.

P.S.  I was with both my sisters the other day.  Even though Karen remembered the green velveteen dress, she had no recollection of the little ditty "Dark, Green, Velveteen".  Linda and I instantly sang it for her.