Dishes

It's March 25th and we have been without water in the new (old) bus since we left Effingham, IL on March 5th. It's been below freezing since then too, until the last 24 hours, so even if we had water, it would have been solid. In any case, we have been having to figure out how to cook and do dishes without running water in the kitchen. It's not a first, but it's the longest we have gone under these conditions. 

Mostly we put the dirty dishes in a big bag and take them into a legion or a hotel room, wash and dry them, and bring them back to the bus. We often, inexplicably, lose items. Most recently, we lost a coffee press and several forks. But mostly, it just makes cooking in the bus WAY more challenging. 

These lazy days of March, when we only have three for four gigs per week with not a lot of driving involved, we get to spend a little time in Port Dover. It's nice here for us because we have lots of people to visit with and there is a nice RV park with a playground and beautiful view of Lake Erie. But this time of year the RV park is closed and we are spending more extended time at friends' houses. 

Blue and I were loafing around at our friends Suzy and Darrel Miller's house this afternoon and evening, chewing the fat, playing games while Suzy made a big, delicious pot of chili. After we had some dinner, Suzy went for a walk and Darrel and I were talking about how nice it is to have a place to park our butts, talk, not talk, stare at computer monitors, and not feel like we are imposing. Also not feeling like anybody has to entertain anybody. 

I started doing the dishes and Darrel told me that I didn't need to. I'm pretty good at letting people take care of me, not feeling guilty about eating their food and watching them do the dishes while I drink their beer. Of course I'm also just as likely to make them dinner and do the dishes as I go, and to bring enough beer for everyone. Making dinner and cleaning up after can be one of the best social experiences in my world, especially when people stand around in the kitchen, pour wine, get in the way and talk and gossip on whatever topics come to mind. It makes me feel loved and it makes me feel welcome. 

But cooking and/or doing the dishes by myself can be one of the most personally rewarding activities for me. Something about that simple, menial chore puts me in a comfortable 'home' space. It has to do with the domestic nature of it, but there is also something about being useful, purposeful. It makes me feel like I'm at 'home'. That is a feeling that I miss.