DAY 8 -- INA AND SADIE'S EXCELLENT FARMHOUSE CHRISTMAS

Sunday. Church day. Ina slipped a nice beef pot roast with plenty of onions, carrots, and potatoes in the oven to roast while they attended the service. Just like other farm wives, Ina was an expert with her wood cook stove.

The minister wasn’t there this Sunday, but Aunt Bertha had prepared a lovely Sunday school discussion about the Wisemen which appealed to young and old alike. Then, at her suggestion, the congregation sang Christmas carols. Everyone found it inspiring, and though he kept his thoughts to himself, Jack liked it better than the minister’s sermon.

No matter the day, the dishes must be done, and for ease of cleaning, this chore should be undertaken as soon after the meal as possible. Ina assigned this task to Shirley and Sadie while she returned to writing holiday letters to friends. “If only Jack and the girls would leave her alone long enough to write one whole letter!” she thought to herself. “They were no respecters of an honest scribe.”

Shirley took hot water from the pot on the stove and made sudsy water in the dishpan. Then she filled another dishpan with hot rinse water. (Jack helped her out by replenishing the water in the pot from the barrel outside.) Shirley washed and rinsed the dishes, starting with the cleanest ones first, then laid them to drain a bit in a third pan. Standing on a stool, Sadie dried the dishes and put away as many as she could. When they came to the bowls and pans, Shirley had to make fresh, very hot water. They discarded the used water on Ina’s roses outside the kitchen door. The process was not a quick one, but Shirley moved it along efficiently, and all the time she and Sadie chatted happily.

About 3:00, Henry arrived to take Shirley back to town. He wanted to go while they still had daylight. Sadie almost cried, but she brightened when Aunt Shirley reminded her that the Christmas fun had only begun.

In the evening, Ina read a story about the Wisemen as Sadie looked for appropriate illustrations among Ina's old Christmas cards. KW