Be Kind to Employees

Today is a special observance day of my own making. Do you ever make up a holiday or a special day? We do this sometimes here at The Manse.

One reason I dislike going out much, is the awful way the customers act. We've really gone overboard with the "customer comes first" motto, because many people are now taking advantage of it and going over the top with abuse!

They are not just mean to the employees, they can be mean to other customers too.

Just yesterday I observed an elderly woman, yes, an elderly one, yelling at a store employee. The employee was probably a teenager, who was putting away shopping carts. I was walking behind this elderly woman when she screamed at the young person and said it was the second time he had walked past her.

Because I was rather close to the incident, I was able to observe that the young employee was diligently attending to his job, was not trying to harm anyone, was not harassing any customers and was certainly not rude.

I told the older woman it was not necessary to cause a scene and disturb the other customers and that it was quite upsetting. I said the employee had pushed the collection of carts across the aisle at least 4 feet away from her. I also had walked in front of this woman, but to that, she answered, "Yes, but THIS IS a STORE EMPLOYEE!"

I explained to this loud, rude, obnoxious older woman that she was in a shopping area, and inevitably there will be other people walking past her, walking across in front of her, etc. but that she had not been harmed.  The woman again replied that this was a store employee!

Later I saw the woman at the customer service area and a young girl who was putting away the shopping carts asked me to go over there and tell the managers what I had seen and heard, and so I did.  The woman was going on and on about how rude it was that a store employee had walked across her path.

After I explained this to the managers, the woman denied she had yelled or raised her voice. Then she asked me what business of it was mine.  I told her I was there when she was creating a disturbance and that it interrupted my nice shopping experience ;-)

The woman swore at me and showed an obscene gesture!

The problem I am seeing is the number of elderly women, who should have by now grown in graciousness, attacking store employees.

Not long previous to this, an elderly woman in another store  shouted at a young man who was putting away merchandise in an aisle. She claimed he was standing in her way, standing in front of her and that he had pushed his cart too close to hers.

Not many people are trained to deal with these rude people.  The rude people are very well  versed in what they are doing and are looking for trouble, even a chance to make money. Sometimes it is a scheme to sue a business.

It is dealt with in various places throughout the Bible: avoid them, cast them out of your midst, disfellowship (ignore) them, discipline them, bring them to repentance, etc.  I would say for the most part, people would do anything to avoid trouble, so they walk away from it. It may be time to confront some of them.

I have seen this sort of thing in all my experiences in churches.  Someone will come seemingly out of nowhere (they are not known to any of the members of the group and have no history with the group) and want to be a church member, and in a very short time will be criticizing, complaining and condemning. Then they will ask how much money the church has, and express the need to have some kind of compensation because they have been offended.  The offense is never clearly stated, but they will aggravate a while and then when they can't get their way they will stage a huge blow up and leave. After that there is no stopping the bad press they give the church, the business, the group (even a ladies Bible class!).

I am not taking the day off  or having a cake but just keeping the employee in mind--whether it be in retail, or at the airport,  roadwork---I have seen these people suffer a lot of abuse at the mouths of  these ne'er-do-wells.  And what is even more astonishing and shameful to me, is that many of them are the elderly!!  While we might expect it to be typical of youth, because of their lack of knowledge or experience, we find no excuse for the elderly to behave in such an aggressive and threatening way to employees.

Also, I no longer remain mute when someone is yelling at an employee. I always correct the abuser. If they ask who I am, I say I am an advocate for the oppressed or say they are disturbing the peace.  I wonder if they know how they sound.

I heard one man respond to a rude, abusive customer, "Ma'am, I am not paid extra to endure this abuse."

I suppose this is one advantage in using the employee-less checkouts. If they don't like the employees, they can just yell at the machines.

A friend of mine told me the best question you can ask one of these obnoxious people is: "How have you been harmed?"

To those who are ready to jump all over this and protest about rude employees "on the other hand" I will say it is not the same at all, because a CUSTOMER HAS A CHOICE--he can leave, report to the company or the manager, the employer, etc.  He has all kinds of "rights". But the employee cannot walk off the job and choose a different place of employment on the spur of the moment like a customer can choose another place to shop. The customer can choose another place to take business and trade, but an employee cannot get the customer of his choice. He is stuck with the obnoxious ones if he wants to maintain his employment.  The employee has to keep his family fed, clothed and sheltered and does not always have the luxury of chosing a job that is nice and fulfilling and uses his talents, is a pleasant place, etc. The employee's whole life is affected:-his house payment, or rent, his transportation costs, just about everything is tied up in his employment. A customer on the other hand has the choice of not frequenting the business.

Ladies at the Oceanside

Today I have two paintings by Alan Maley depicting Victorians by the Sea.  He made a good portrayal of the way things were. The above picture makes me feel cool. It is rarely too hot at the beaches around here, and in fact more likely to be cold and windy.

To us, it may look as though they are over-dressed in the middle of summer, and that they must have felt overly-warm, but we do not know the whole of it. Their woven fabrics in summer were very thin fabrics, as can be observed in the museums. Victorians knew how to dress to keep cool and although they were covered, they wore fabrics that did not collect the heat in summer...their cottons and linens were very lightweight. Some of the dresses were gossamer thin while looking voluminous!  Just like the way they put breezeways in their houses for coolness, they used the skirts and dresses for coolness.

We have not been to the coast yet this year, but I am eagerly planning a seaside dress and some good food for that day.

One of my readers sent this lovely photo of her grandmother with her on the beach in 1946.

And, here are some more vintage photographs of people at the beach in the early 1900's or late 1800's.

There are contemporary artists (those living today) who paint very beautiful pictures of people at the ocean dressed in lovely clothing. I will try to show these in a future post.

Room of the Day 3 Foyer

 Today I have been up quite early and moved the sprinklers to green-up some brown spots. I have pegged a load of laundry on the line and left one blouse with a stubborn stain that I tried every remedy on, to bleach in the sun.  I have swept some of the driveway and it looks ever so nice. I just have about 35 feet left to sweep, so I'm doing it a little at a time.

I have also prepared the entry way (foyer) for a picture. In a little while, the walls will be painted another color and there will be an entire new look and new mood. It is going to be a blush pink and I am looking forward to trying different fabrics that I already have,  to go with, for cushions and other things.

I am looking for a very large round plastic tray to put under this metal coat rack to catch drips.

This is a little space on the inside of the front door.. Would it not be lovely to have a stair case there?  There is no upstairs floor, but I could be like Sarah Winchester and put one there anyway.

Yesterday while Mr. S. did some printing across the street at an office supply store, I walked around Hobby Lobby and bought this. It was half price so it was only $3.00...

 ...and it is already on the wall at the entry:

I should have shown the "before" picture, a plate that had been there 25 years and looked worse for wear.

Of course there has to be one more picture of the (useless) gate:

Today I have also loaded the dishwasher, cleaned out the fridge (we keep very little inside of these days and I clean it every day in some way.)  My motto is "Clean As You Go," and "Pick it Up, Don't Pass it Up," rather than wait for a cleaning day. 

At last, I finished this project: painting a change-table. 

It works great in the guest room for visitors with infants, and also serves as blanket storage or a place for books. I haven't investigated to see what people are doing with these old change tables to make them useful in other ways: entry tables to put bags and purses on, etc?  What else?

I am halfway finished painting the bathroom. I began that project a week ago and just haven't had a chance to continue, due to other things that had to be done.  

I hope the weather stays dry so I can begin painting on the outside of the house.

At least the sewing is laid out on the cutting table to remind me to get going on it. 

Like Mrs. Gibson said to Molly, "You look quite done in!"

You are all probably busy, too.  It is important to me to keep moving while I am feeling good, before winter comes, and while I have the energy and the enthusiasm. 

In response the comments about the teapots at Hobby Lobby:  Some of them are actually to be used, but I did see some of the tea cups that were for decor only. It is important to read what is on the underside of the tea pot and tea cup at HL to see if it is intended for drinking from or using to make tea. It may not be made of food safe materials. 

I looked at  this one and took off the lid. It has a very wide opening so the teapot can be cleaned easily., but it was very heavy. It is probably not porcelain or bone china. Add a full pot of hot water and you have a very heavy thing to lift and pour. I've got weak wrists and this would not suit me, although I like the color.  I will not be buying this because it was too heavy.

I looked inside the caravan teapot but the opening was not large enough to retrieve the tea bag or clean the pot. 

 They were all very high priced but sometimes things go on sale for as much as 80% less.

These are the teacups at Hobby Lobby, but it says right on them that they are for planters or decor only and not to drink out of. They are not food safe.

I found the suggestion form and sent one in to Hobby Lobby asking if they might consider providing a section in their store especially for decorating fireplace mantels.  Would  it not be pleasant to have an aisle of the store with fireplace mantels and all the seasonal things that go on them?

Room of the Day 2 Living Room or Parlor

Hello Ladies, 

A commenter said she was not bored with my new gate so here I go posting it again like it was  a new pet! I've moved it to the front porch area so it will not look like it is abandoned, as I don't want any eager nearby farmers to help themselves, Smile. Do you see my porch area where the old concrete from 1960 has eroded? I call it my "ruins." Isn't that neat? I don't have to go see the ancient ruins of Rome. I have it all. You probably do, too! I have other ruins around here which I will photograph and share in another post.

While I was situating the sprinkler this morning I got a pretty good picture of the house. I am liking it better since I stopped wanting a Victorian house and started putting Victorian inspired things in it and around it.  One of my grandchildren swept the roof for us, and it does look so nice and fresh. It cheered me up considerably. I could have swept the roof myself but I'm "not allowed". That is a new phrase for us and we don't like it much but we do use it to our advantage: "Could you please clean this? We are not allowed." "Will you build me a new____? I am not allowed."

 This morning I have been on the go in the cool of the morning, since 6:30, watering the flowers, and setting the sprinkler in strategic brown areas of the lawns to green them up. I am having a
"Summer in the Country" tea in late August, and if the weather is dry and warm, there will be a few tables and chairs out there.  I am also still painting the bathroom. It has to be done in increments, because I don't want to wear myself out and not be able to load the dishwasher or hang the laundry outside. I was discussing this with someone the other day. She told me her husband could spend all day for several days just painting the house, but she had to stop and do a lot of other things.  For myself, I want to do some serious sewing, so I will be painting the rooms and the outside of the house in stages.

I like these battery candles from Dollar Tree, 2/$1.00. 

 Here is part of another "Room of the Day" while the walls are still light pink. I'm going to be changing this to "blush" by mixing two paints that were given to me.

 I have accented this room with a few hot pink accessories. This room is not much occupied except for Ladies Bible Class and company.

Room of the Day Guest room #1

It is always a great gift to get up in the morning and have ONE room neat, clean and organized. This is a spare room, although not always so spare, and usuallly occupied!  I took pictures of things in it because I acquired them all BEFORE Hobby Lobby started replicating them, and I got many of these things 40 or more years ago, and before they were mine, they were already quite old!  

Above: this neat little knob came from one of the first Walmarts back in the 1970's, and I used it to hang a clothes hanger with the next day's outfit, like laying out your clothes for the next day. It is lightweight metal. I've seen these lately at HL but they are very heavy cast iron or plaster. I wish I had got two of these. They were under $5.00 at the time!

Over the years when I have grown tired with it all, I have attempted selling some of these things in yard sales, but no takers, because the clientele  was not sophisticated enough! (smile) They didn't see a future trend!

I have this old rack, and have painted it several times.  My next color will be mint green. The reason I do not have anything in it, is because I dont want something else to dust or clean (like plates). Towels might look good in it.

Do you remember back in the 70's when Target stores first began selling home interior type things? That is where I got this cottage picture, and it was in a pink wood frame.  I have reflected the picture with the cottage teapot Mr. S. got for me at a thrift store. He likes to go in Goodwill and used goods places for unused office supplies, of which there are plenty. When the computers came along, offices discarded file holders, unopened packs of paper, envelopes, etc. and now he has them. All of them, I think.  And we laugh about it but he is the one that has it when we need it!

Above: hand sewn dyed cotton curtain, tied with ribbon and pinched back with clothespins.

The bed came from Mr. S. Parents house, but they bought it already used. It's a platform style with the Beauty rest mattress, well preserved.

I need to get some more pictures of this room. It has some things in it from 19__ (ahem). 

You may have observed the almost monochromatic color scheme in this room. It is a very small room and I discovered the one color makes the room seem larger.

It is painting season here, indoors and outdoors, and that is why I have not sewn very much. However, today, I hope to be doing that if I can resist the temptation to spray paint something. It is hard to ignore the outdoors and settle down in the sewing room, but I have worn out everything and it is time to begin again with a new wardrobe. I am very good at finding locations to model a home sewn dress, but not very good at getting the project finished during the season when it would look the best.

Someone asked me to share my house keeping routine so I will try to share that sometime. 

How Not to Always Live "on the Edge"

Are you always rushing because you are not prepared for anything ahead of time? Do you almost faint every time there is a disappointment or bad news? In a panic, in a mess, rushing around, playing catch-up in your own home?

The best thing to do is pray for every step you take, and be sure to include the names of everyone in your family.

When you have children in the home, make a deliberate effort to pray aloud with them, and include their names in the prayers, asking God to bless and guide them, and to provide for all of you. If your children are not home, pray unceasingly for them, by name, by individual needs Then thank God for his care thus far, and include all the little things. It makes you notice it more.



 Mr. S. asked me to say:

Let God speak to you through His written Word, by reading it and thinking about it.
Speak to Him through prayer. Then, put feet to your faith by working and trying to achieve your duty and responsibility,  using tools like the calendar and your clock so that you don't miss your appointments. Learn how to make a list that counts backwards from your goal.  Looking for ways to organize a list according to importance, and how to get all the little things done is part of learning.

When you pray:
Praise God for something.
Ask God for something.
Thank God for something



Gradually, as you form the habit of praying, you will notice less panic, less unpreparedness. When you think of something that could happen, you will remember that you prayed about it, and it will ease that feeling of panic.

Praying for some accomplishment opens your eyes to God's guidance for solutions.

Praying can renew your mind and lift you out of confusion and foggy thinking.

You will find also that you become purer in heart and in mind, and are not tempted to worry, fear, over-spend for relief, or indulge in the wordliness to cover up grief, loss, and uncertainty. Let that praying be your first response, your habit, your "addiction" and your pasttime.''

You might find that you are more clear-minded, and that clarity will lead to finding solutions to quite a few things.

We can be grateful that we are still living and able to serve Him in our daily lives at home. Let us pray our homes and families can glorify Him and His creation.

I have recently begun to put my house on a diet, to make it weigh less!  I've prayed a lot about the mess I am in from approximately 20 years of homeschool and 46 years of marriage. I have neglected the house while I took care of a lot of other people --- grandparents, parents,  friends in need of help and respite, etc.  Now I am trying to lighten the load. I'm pretending I am on a ship, and everything has to be balance, and I have to sort out things so I can find that book I need, etc. The lighter the load gets, the less the stress and the happier my mind gets and the closer I come to doing more of what I really like to do, such as sewing and other things.

So I hope you too will pray about all the things that are bothering you and that you will then fill up the worry time with something good!

Naturally I want the utmost protection and care for my family, first.  And I also want to provide a home that will enable me to give them shelter and some pampering too.

Philippians 4:6

"do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God."

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 

always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

In my next post I will answer a question about my house routine. Im not sure you will be glad to know it!  However, when I feel good and when  I have time, I do have a routine!

Lydia

Hay Cities

Today while several ladies sipped tea and had lunch together, I asked them to look out the window and see the hay cities and hay high-rises.

This landscape is never the same. Some times it is a beautiful green meadow and other times it has hay castles on it.  

It was a nice view from our tea table.

I especially liked this apartment building with the Queen Anne's Lace growing tall in front of it.

For tea we had scones with homemade strawberry jam, and chicken-basil sandwiches. The basil was from the garden and what a fragrance! I put some of it on the table, with the rosemary.

Here is some more of that Queen Anne's Lace.  I happen to have a piece of fabric with a Queen Anne's Lace print,  teamed up with a pattern. I hope this year I will make it before the matching flowers are gone.

The ladies think water tastes better when served from a glass pitcher:

We were all still looking at the construction outside the window. Does not the Queen Anne's Lace look exquisite?

We were all discussing what a privilege is is to enjoy these scenes, and have tea together,  and know that others in past times have done the same!

I do not know if you can see the other stacks of hay in the distance.

I am tempted to put yet another picture of my pretty gate, but after taking 10 pictures of it I was afraid someone might think I was being proud of a new pet.