The second half of Proverbs 19:14 says; “a prudent wife is from the LORD.”

This verse has sat amongst many others on the wall in our bathroom for years, but as I read it again the other day a thought struck me. Exactly what it a prudent wife? Well prudent has something to do with careful and um maybe wise um I didn’t really know, so I decided to look it up. Prudent is not a word we use particularly often, actually I can’t think of when I have ever used it. The definition of prudent is; acting with or showing care and thought for the future. That is a bit more than just being careful. Prudent seems to involve planning for the future as well as being careful now. 

One day I want to be from the Lord for the man God has chosen for me so knowing what prudent means is quite important. I have also looked up some synonyms for prudent. It is similar to wise, well judged, shrewd, well advised and commonsensical. I do really like that last one, I had no idea commonsensical was a word! So just a few things to think on, if you one day want to be a prudent wife who is from the Lord.

My Mum had decided that this month I am responsible for getting all the washing done. This entitles, getting it out of baskets into the laundry, then from the laundry into the washing machine, then hung out and got back in again, all dried and folded, and finally putting it into piles and those piles in their respective rooms. I can’t decide if this will be simple or not, I think I shall leave that judgement for later. 

As to why I am writing about it, well I am a writer…. And I like recording stuff. I could also end up learning a few things while doing this month of washing. So feel free to read it, but washing only has a certain amount of amusingness, so feel free to skip it, but I shall try wringing all the amusingness in there out. Of course if it gets too boring I will stop posting this log, so tell me what you think. Do you help doing the washing for your family?

Day 1 Sunday: It is Sunday so no washing is done.

Day 2 Monday: I put on a large load of all the dirty washing in the house. Outside the sky is grey and we had 10 mm of rain on Sunday. I didn’t even think of checking in the boys pockets until the washing had finished. I pulled about a handful of rocks out of the washing machine. A few were large but most were almost small enough to fit through the holes in the washing machine. I shook rocks out of clothes while handing the load out and banged rocks out of the basket at the end. 

NOTE: Check Pockets

Day 3 Tuesday: I wasn’t expecting quite so much washing to pile up… I did a full load again and had more left over. I forgot about hanging it out until almost 12, and I got Jane to help me then. I have decided not to do a second load today, hope that is a good decision…… maybe it’s not. Last night I also forgot to get in the last few things that were wet when I got the rest of the washing in. It is all sorted out and in peoples rooms now.

Day 4 Wednesday: NOTE: Don’t forget you put the washing on.

For it to dry you also need to hang it out…… if it is midday before you remember, there is the side effect of melting into the grass while you hang it out. If it is a hot day.... which it was.

Day 5 Thursday: I should actually try remembering to get the washing out of people’s rooms’ earlier otherwise it ends up much later before I can put the washing on. Meaning it will be later when it finishes. Meaning I will probably be doing something else when it finishes. Meaning I melted into the ground like yesterday.

I heard Mummy saying she was going to go get in the washing. So I told her she was not allowed. Because I had to tell people to do it or do it myself. (that was the deal, not sure what I get out of it though, except this) But she was going to take Ann out anyway so then I told her to get in the washing….. then I asked her to get it in….. and I sorted it all out afterwards. 

This is an example of when the loads of unsorted washing add up

NOTE: it is a much less daunting task to put away the washing on the day it comes in than leave piles of it in the hallway until everyone is too scared to do it. Especially if you can listen to an audio book while putting it away.

I don't think our hallway has ever been so empty most of the time....

Day 6 Friday: I learnt that sometimes washing hangs on the side of the laundry tub and Mummy wants that washed too…. Should have been obvious. I could have easily fitted those few more things in.

When I got the washing in today the basket felt like it held plain static electricity. If I moved my hand or arm over it my hairs would stand up. Some of the washing had been wrapped around two lines so there had been some wind, I do also rather jerk washing off the line…. Maybe that is why…. it is very hot and dry....

The top of the peg basket is now entirely blue pegs….. Yes I am a little weird about that….. I must use blue pegs and no other colour…. Unless I run out, and that is a dire circumstance.

Day 7 Saturday: I asked my mum if she could hang out the washing, because I knew I would not be there when it finished. Granny got it in and I sorted it out.

Where now are the horse and carriage?

Where are the bullock pulled drays?

Where are the old farm homesteads?

They are gone, things of elder days.

Where now are the virtuous women?

Where are their good children gone?

Where are the close knit families?

What good teaching has been withdrawn?

Much stuff of elder times 

Is now replaced with more convenient things

We have better communication, travel 

Now by cars and machines with wings

But the people of long ago?

The values they lived by?

Where is the noble character?

Did it with that generation die?

Are there any of them left?

Yet I know there are a few

They be far between, but they are there

I ask, will one of them be you?

I have finally found time to write two poems on courage that I am entering in a poetry competition.....The theme is courage..... obviously and here are the poems. 

A Soldier’s Courage

They started out on an adventure, they didn’t yet know of fear
They marched away in rashness, until they approached the frontier 

They looked upon the trenches, they saw the injured and dead
They heard the nearby gunfire, bombs fell from the sky overhead

They realized now the fear, they kept on gripped with fearfulness
They fought and understood, that some would die in battle dress

They now had only courage, they marched and bled
They showed true bravery, courage held up its head

They lived and died, showing courageous daring determination
Giving Australia the right, to call itself a nation

With Courage

With courage I let you go Bill dear, I’ll be ever waiting for you here

With courage I’ll wave and watch you go, you will fight with courage I know

With courage I’ll pray at the dawn, that you will one day see our baby, yet unborn 

With courage I will stay, and write to you as you sail far away

With courage I let you go Nelly dear, one day I shall come back here

With courage I’ll wave as away I go, you will be strong for me I know

With courage I’ll pray in the morn, for safety, for us and our baby unborn

With courage I leave you here to stay, while I defend our mother country far away

With courage we will united be, though separated by a wide stretching sea

With courage we will see each other again, our courage we must sustain

With courage we will hold our heads high, our courage inside us shall not die

With courage Bill dear, with courage Nell, I’ll sail back and all will be well