Allume is doing a once weekly writing assignment … an overflow of the 31 Days to a Better Blog that we did on Facebook. I want to participate but I am finding it to be a challenge to fit everything into my suddenly busy days! I have class every day from 12:30 – 4:30 and then about an hour of homework in the evenings. I’m finding some of it to be really confusing. All of it is dry! I’m looking forward to role-playing, etc, as I tend to retain more content from what I actually DO than I ever do from listening or reading. Anyway, between the class, normal household chores, spending time with my family, etc. and I’m filling these days pretty well up!

The assignment yesterday from Allume was this: Write a normal blog post from the first person.  Then go back and change it to the third person.  Be sure to add in any details that a bystander might not know. I kept struggling to figure out HOW I was going to do that. I finally decided that I will change it a little to suit me. Enjoy!

1st Person – I did the dishes. (short post, huh)

3rd Person -

Just looking at the dirty dishes piled on the counter by the sink made Beth feel tired. She was tempted to just leave them in hopes that someone else would do them. But when she resigned her job she had told her husband that she wanted to take back over some of the household chores that he had been covering, knowing she was exhausted. So cleaning the kitchen was now on her to-do list!

She slowly organized the dishes to make them easier for her to grab. She emptied the dish drainer where the last load of dishes had sat to dry. It would be a blessing to have a dishwasher but having lost over $1000 in their monthly income last month, she knew it was NOT in the budget! Carrying the stack of plates to the cabinet in the dining room reminder her of the arthritis creeping up her back. She set the plates in the cupboard and then pressed her hands firmly against the small of her back while she took the few steps to the kitchen.

Once the clean dishes had all been put away she pulled a chair in from the dining room and set it in front of the sink. The arthritis in her legs, hips, and lower spine had made it nearly impossible for her to stand long enough to wash a batch of dishes. She had already stood too long doing the work of getting ready to wash dishes.She eased carefully into the hard wooden chair and sighed in relief as the pain in her back retreated a bit. Leaning forward she placed the plates in the sink first and then added bowls and flatware. She reached for the bottle of dish soap and squirted a liberal amount into the sink. She then started the hot water. Suds began to climb up the sides of the sink. She laughed as her kitten came running to see the running water, jumped into the rinse sink, and swatted at the billowing bubbles. She picked the cat up and lowered him gently to the floor. Grabbing the spray hose she rinsed the sink down to wash away all traces of it’s feline visitor.

Leaning into the sink to wash the dishes she splashed water into her lap and across the front of her shirt. It reminded her of people of small stature and people in wheel chairs who were forced in so many ways, to function in a world designed for taller people. She was glad, even handicapped as she is, that she is able to do this small chore to bless her family. She finishes the dishes, admiring the rainbow colors that rise on the bubbles along the way. Finally all of the dishes are in the drainer and she stands slowly. After a luxurious stretch she drags the chair back to the dining room. She then wipes down the stove and all the counter tops. Finally done she grabs a glass of water and turns off the light.

It’s time for a rest so she returns to her office and drops into her chair. Trying to avoid unnecessary pain medicines she decides today’s pain only merits Advil. She shakes 3 into her hand and swallows them with her glass of water. One chore done. In an hour or so she would need to tackle the laundry.