Do I know how to Simply wash dishes?
I have to share...
When preparing myself both mentally and gear wise as well as physically for setting up camp and cooking for a crowd, I sure didn't imagine things like a Nurse visiting to offer help and then nicely poo pooing and trying to teach me how to wash dishes! Well darn, I'm nearly 60 years old! I cook for lots of people and wash dishes just fine - thank you! Oh yes, you don't even know me do you.... rolling my eyes. Neither did I expect to have people land at my campsite exhausted from driving across the country to have thier emotional breakdown with me, when it was time for me to make breakfast! or to have a nice van drive up with a generous donation of 6 or 7 bags of ice and more Bar S brand hot dogs and sausages than I've ever seen along with multiple bags of squished white bread hot dog buns! A very generous donation from a newbie who didn't check what I needed, wanted or had the ability to care for - I had no coolers! or the 8 dozen eggs brought in different batches from different very generous people, but where was I to put them or care for them? Nor was I prepared to have a phone call from an over worked and very stressed past aquaintence screaming accusations at me (ya I got an apology and its worked out) nor did I expect my dear neighbor John C in Witch Well, who had been diagnosed with cancer around a month ago to have his life expectency cut shorter from months to weeks - (and now that i'm home, it seems only days!)
I guess I felt offended. Chastised. and hurt that others could not see me - like see, look, or even notice the challenges I was facing in this situation.
You see I volunteered to cook for Jamie and the Work Crew at the Van Build Out Party!
The Van Build was BIG! way bigger than before. People were coming up trying to buy breakfast, or ordering lunch and not as a joke, they also were coming to me asking questions. Of course they were, kitchens are viewed as he hub in communities. The cook fire is a place where people wake up with a hot drink and a gentle hug. they discuss their sleep and their nites dreams, they often come to the cook fire or in a cowboy camp the chuck wagon when they are hurt to find the first aid kit. In Scouting and other events take place a "camp mom" is kind of designated to field the direction of questions... I don't want to be camp mom but I can field a question. I had to field many from the "I need xyz done as a project" to my giveing an answer of please go see Jill, she can be found in the mornings near the main campfire in a silver minivan. or "Where is Jamie, I just got here and I'm his new best friend, he's going to get me a van" to please go see Jill first, you can find her near the work area to the left of my tent where you see the yellow class a.
Im a helper, a giver, and I listen. I can suggest that someone get a drink and take time to calm down. I can be helpful. I know I can
and I need help and I can, and do accept help, when I'm clear enough which job to pass along and still make my own time goal, etc. I did pass along jobs, like peeling potatoes (no I don't always peel them, but when you don't have enough water, peeling is a good idea, its what our ansestors did). I even had to pass along boiling eggs to Gen one day, because I couldn't keep my fire going with so many people trying to talk to me and I knew Jamie, at least, would eat hard boiled eggs.
I really don't need many people trying to "teach me". Its actually rude and time consuming. I wouldn't have taken on this VOLUNTEER thing that I CREATED if I didn't know what I was doing!
So back to washing dishes. There are many different ways to do this and to do it safely. One could wipe the crud and food particles away with a baby wipe, paper towel or disinfecting wipe then follow up with a low water use wash. This is not always the first or best choice although when water is scarce or low, and especially in a vehicle home or desert situation this is a good choice. Yes, save the trees and the scarce water in the desert. In some situations, disposing of a paper towel in a campfire that is legal to have is more practicle than using 3 gallons of water. Of course in another situation simply scrape food particles into a bucket or bag to be dispose of later and then follow up with a 2 or 3 pan water washing situation. I often use a splash of bleach in my final wash water to disinfect, especially when feeding a crowd. I'm not a big soap user, but a simple Dawn or Dr Bronners soap is a good help for those crowd situations because the majority of people in the world have bought the "You have to use soap" idea given us by big business. Air drying is my prefered method of dish drying although in the outdoors where a bird can fly over or a number of dogs could visit towel drying and placing the dishes in a bin with cover is best. Towels can be absorbent when linen or cotton that has been washed properly and WITHOUT dryer sheets or fabric softeners -- which, by the way, makes them not absorbent!
SEE I do know how to wash dishes!
And okay before I return out into the traveling community, I'm getting a piece of gear to make that chore more simple to handle even under the unexpected whatever!
Simply,
Lesa
PS and if i came to cook for Jamie...why would you, as one person did, show up with Subway sandwiches for him nearly everyday! Felt kinda rude, like a slap in my 'you arent wanted or needed here' face! Geez. (I know get over it and only give where you are wanted!)
When preparing myself both mentally and gear wise as well as physically for setting up camp and cooking for a crowd, I sure didn't imagine things like a Nurse visiting to offer help and then nicely poo pooing and trying to teach me how to wash dishes! Well darn, I'm nearly 60 years old! I cook for lots of people and wash dishes just fine - thank you! Oh yes, you don't even know me do you.... rolling my eyes. Neither did I expect to have people land at my campsite exhausted from driving across the country to have thier emotional breakdown with me, when it was time for me to make breakfast! or to have a nice van drive up with a generous donation of 6 or 7 bags of ice and more Bar S brand hot dogs and sausages than I've ever seen along with multiple bags of squished white bread hot dog buns! A very generous donation from a newbie who didn't check what I needed, wanted or had the ability to care for - I had no coolers! or the 8 dozen eggs brought in different batches from different very generous people, but where was I to put them or care for them? Nor was I prepared to have a phone call from an over worked and very stressed past aquaintence screaming accusations at me (ya I got an apology and its worked out) nor did I expect my dear neighbor John C in Witch Well, who had been diagnosed with cancer around a month ago to have his life expectency cut shorter from months to weeks - (and now that i'm home, it seems only days!)
I guess I felt offended. Chastised. and hurt that others could not see me - like see, look, or even notice the challenges I was facing in this situation.
You see I volunteered to cook for Jamie and the Work Crew at the Van Build Out Party!
The Van Build was BIG! way bigger than before. People were coming up trying to buy breakfast, or ordering lunch and not as a joke, they also were coming to me asking questions. Of course they were, kitchens are viewed as he hub in communities. The cook fire is a place where people wake up with a hot drink and a gentle hug. they discuss their sleep and their nites dreams, they often come to the cook fire or in a cowboy camp the chuck wagon when they are hurt to find the first aid kit. In Scouting and other events take place a "camp mom" is kind of designated to field the direction of questions... I don't want to be camp mom but I can field a question. I had to field many from the "I need xyz done as a project" to my giveing an answer of please go see Jill, she can be found in the mornings near the main campfire in a silver minivan. or "Where is Jamie, I just got here and I'm his new best friend, he's going to get me a van" to please go see Jill first, you can find her near the work area to the left of my tent where you see the yellow class a.
Im a helper, a giver, and I listen. I can suggest that someone get a drink and take time to calm down. I can be helpful. I know I can
and I need help and I can, and do accept help, when I'm clear enough which job to pass along and still make my own time goal, etc. I did pass along jobs, like peeling potatoes (no I don't always peel them, but when you don't have enough water, peeling is a good idea, its what our ansestors did). I even had to pass along boiling eggs to Gen one day, because I couldn't keep my fire going with so many people trying to talk to me and I knew Jamie, at least, would eat hard boiled eggs.
I really don't need many people trying to "teach me". Its actually rude and time consuming. I wouldn't have taken on this VOLUNTEER thing that I CREATED if I didn't know what I was doing!
So back to washing dishes. There are many different ways to do this and to do it safely. One could wipe the crud and food particles away with a baby wipe, paper towel or disinfecting wipe then follow up with a low water use wash. This is not always the first or best choice although when water is scarce or low, and especially in a vehicle home or desert situation this is a good choice. Yes, save the trees and the scarce water in the desert. In some situations, disposing of a paper towel in a campfire that is legal to have is more practicle than using 3 gallons of water. Of course in another situation simply scrape food particles into a bucket or bag to be dispose of later and then follow up with a 2 or 3 pan water washing situation. I often use a splash of bleach in my final wash water to disinfect, especially when feeding a crowd. I'm not a big soap user, but a simple Dawn or Dr Bronners soap is a good help for those crowd situations because the majority of people in the world have bought the "You have to use soap" idea given us by big business. Air drying is my prefered method of dish drying although in the outdoors where a bird can fly over or a number of dogs could visit towel drying and placing the dishes in a bin with cover is best. Towels can be absorbent when linen or cotton that has been washed properly and WITHOUT dryer sheets or fabric softeners -- which, by the way, makes them not absorbent!
SEE I do know how to wash dishes!
And okay before I return out into the traveling community, I'm getting a piece of gear to make that chore more simple to handle even under the unexpected whatever!
Simply,
Lesa
PS and if i came to cook for Jamie...why would you, as one person did, show up with Subway sandwiches for him nearly everyday! Felt kinda rude, like a slap in my 'you arent wanted or needed here' face! Geez. (I know get over it and only give where you are wanted!)
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