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Commentary: Modern conveniences make multi-tasking easy

Sometimes, when the busy harvest season arrives, it seems there is more to do than there is time to do it. But it's amazing how much one can accomplish in a day with the help of modern appliances and conveniences. It also helps to get an early start.

On Saturday morning, my husband was out the door before seven o'clock, which gave me some extra time to get things done. To ensure a supply of meat for the coming days, I placed some chicken in the crock pot, set it on low, and forgot about it. Then I took out some frozen loaves of wheat bread dough, placed them in pans, and left them to rise. Using the automatic coffee maker, I made a fresh tea brew, mixed it with water and sugar in a gallon-sized pitcher, and placed it in the refrigerator.

By then the dew had dried from the grass and plants, and it was time to do some work in the yard and garden. I weeded and hoed, watered potted flowers, and picked snap peas and green beans. I also filled several bird feeders.

After a quick sandwich lunch, a cow and calf needed checking on in the nearby pasture, and an orphaned baby calf needed to be fed.

I washed and dried three loads of laundry during the day, and hung one load of big items outside on the clothesline. As the clothes were washing, I did other things. After the bread rose to the desired height, I heated the electric oven, baked the bread, then baked a store-bought pie shell and made a chocolate filling for it. Supper was chunks of chicken mixed with new potatoes and green beans from the garden. And, of course, fresh bread and pie for Jerry. Then, of course, the dishes that had accumulated throughout the day needed washing.

Despite all this busywork, I still had time during the day to watch a short movie on TV, read several magazine articles, and communicate with a daughter via e-mail. When evening came, there were a few more hours in which to accomplish something, but my energy was about all used up. I fed the cats and dog, sprayed a few weedy areas with a hand sprayer, then spent the rest of the evening at a slower pace.

Needless to say, it was a full day. But it also was a satisfying day, a day well spent. And when Sunday morning rolled around, I was none the worse for wear.

— ROWENA PLETT

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