My neighbour told me this shortly before he passed away
It is important for men to remember that, as women grow older, it becomes
harder for them to maintain the same quality of housekeeping as when they
were younger. When you notice this, try not to yell at them. Some are
oversensitive - and there's nothing worse than an oversensitive woman.
Let me relate how I handled the situation with my wife,
When I took 'early retirement' last year, it became
necessary for her to get a full-time job along with her part-time job,
both for extra income and for the health benefits that we needed.

Shortly after she started working, I noticed she was beginning to show her
age. I usually get home from the golf course about the same time
she gets home from work. Although she knows how hungry I am, she almost
always says she has to rest for half an hour before she starts dinner.
I don't yell at her. Instead, I tell her to take her time and just wake me
when she gets dinner on the table.

I generally have lunch in the Men's Grill at the club, so eating out is not
reasonable. I'm ready for some home-cooked grub when I hit that
door.

She used to do the dishes as soon as we finished eating. But now it's not
unusual for them to sit on the table for several hours after dinner.
I do what I can by diplomatically reminding her several times each evening
that they won't clean themselves. I know she really appreciates
this, as it does seem to motivate her to get them done before she goes to
bed.

Another symptom of aging is complaing, I think. For example, she will say
that it is difficult for her to find time to pay the monthly bills
during her lunch hour. But, boys, we take 'em for better or worse, so I
just smile and offer encouragement. I tell her to stretch it out over
two or even three days. That way she won't have to rush so much. I also
remind her that missing lunch completely now and then wouldn't hurt
her any (if you know what I mean). I like to think that tact is one of my
strong points.

When doing simple jobs, she seems to think she needs more rest periods. She
had to take a break when she was only half finished moving the lawn.
I try not to make a scene. I'm a fair man. I tell her to fix herself a
nice, big, cold glass of freshly squeezed lemonade and just sit for a
while. And, as long as she is making one for herself, she may as well make
one for me too.

I know that I probably look like a saint in the way I support her. I'm not
saying that showing this much consideration is easy. Many men
will find it difficult. Some will find it impossible! Nobody knows better
that I do how frustrating women get as they get older. However,
guys, even if you just use a little more tact and less criticism of your
aging wife because or this article, I will consider that writing it was
well worthwhile. After all, we are put on this earth to help each other.




My neighbour died suddenly on May 27 of a perforated rectum. The police report says
he was found with a Calloway extra long 50-inch Big Bertha Driver
II golf club jammed up his anus, with barely 5 inches of grip showing and a
sledge hammer lying nearby. His wife Sandy was arrested and
charged with murder. The all-woman jury took only 15 minutes to find her
Not Guilty, accepting her defence that Pete somehow, without
looking, accidently sat down on his golf club very quickly.

Very funny Donald.

I was watching TV last, it may have been the news, but it was comparing maternity leave for fathers in Germany as compared to Britain.

In Germany, correct me if I'm wrong, but the men get a whole year's paternity leave with something like the equivalent of around £300 per week. I don't know if this is with their regular wage or not. The mothers of course get the same.

In Britain the men get a whole 2 weeks off with around £100 benefit. I think the mothers here get 3 months' maternity leave.

Of course, I'm sure there are other advantages, disadvantages in every country. We have the NHS (what a joke) and other benefits which maybe you don't have in Germany. We get a winter fuel allowance of £200 and more if the weather is exceptionally cold. This is not means tested.

When I think of when I was a young mother. There was no maternity or paternity leave. You just took unpaid leave. THEN, you also had to get up during the night for every feed, men didn't have to waken at all AND we were the ones who gave birth and carried the child for 9 months, so we were at a slight disadvantage health-wise. I laugh now when I read old books about caring for your baby and keeping your husband happy.

The timetable was something like this, just from memory.

Arise at 6 am.
Feed baby, bathe and put down to sleep again.

While baby is sleeping, wash, dress and then make breakfast.

Get the other children ( if any) dressed, fed and ready for school. It didn't say in the text book, but then you had to put baby in the pram, take the toddlers by the hand and in hail, rain or snow WALK to the school and see the children safely inside, having made them a packed lunch.

I could go on, but the whole day was made out for you in a mechanical fashion - no baby ever cried in this book or had wind or was just a cross baby or a sickly one.

By 6 o'clock you were expected to be tidied up, the house nice and clean and ready to greet the "breadwinner" glamorous and cheerful. Get him his slippers and serve the dinner.

By 8 pm at the latest all the children should be in bed so that you would have "quality time" with your husband.

Oh, I forgot, men never wheeled a pram - if we saw a man wheeling a pram, they were a British soldier for sure.

Thank goodness, times have changed. We were bloody near murdered in those days. And now the men have a whole year's paternity leave!!

What for? Playing golf, going to the pub?

Only jesting because I think it's a great thing. Talk about feeling old!!!!!!!

Funny, how your life reminds me of my better half, who just worships me. He rises about 7.30 a.m every morning and whispers into my ear, just you sleep on and tucks the clothes up over me.

When I get up, shower and come down the stairs,at about 11.00 a.m, he greats me with a kiss and a big smile, my breakfast is sitting on the table and a flower out of the garden in a little vase, sitting next to my cup and saucer. He keeps asking, would I like another cup of tea, he is soo thoughful, when my breakie is finished, he tells me to go and have a sit down and he duly clears the table and does the dishes, singing away.

Then out comes the cleaner and dusters for doing the housework, again he says just you sit there and rest as you have worked for years. If there is clothes washing to be done, he has the machine already on., I never have to tell him.He is like lightning. ( He really should be in a telly ad).

As I am not a coffee drinker, he has a little cup of coffee at about 11.30 a.m then he is up hoovering, dusting and on a Thursdays has my windows shining.

If there is ironing to be done,out comes the ironing board and away he goes, I forgot to tell you he went to night classes in the Tech to learn how to iron, he is that good he was going to take ironing in for extra money, but I though thats a bit much, what if my neihbours saw that, he has joined for baking classes now,he says the classes are packed with men, I think the Tech is great nowadays teaching men all the duties of a houseman.

I do get up occasionally to check that the dusting and cleaning are up to my scratch, but must say, always perfect. I sometimes slip into the kitchen for a drink of water, he'll come running and ask what do you want, it sometimes gets on my nerves, but I don't like offending him, so me be being me, I just bite my lip.

I don't want to bore you much more, but it goes on all day, the only time I get a break from him, is when he goes to do the shopping and then comes back with news of who he has met, it's a wee break he likes. So I cannot say much to him.

About 5.30p.m. he prepars and makes the dinner he would carry the dinner into me but I always like to sit at the table,when we are finished he clears up, tells me to go have a sit down, I can hear him singing away to himself, he is soo happy. Then about 8.00 he brings me in a Vodka and Bitter Lemon, so I can relax and enjoy my reading or TV, the only day I get a break is on a Thursday, when I go to the hairdressers and coffee with my friends, what a break for me, I really look forward to Thursdays.

Have to go, he does'nt like me spending too much time on the computer, as he says it is not good for my back so he is going to get me a laptop so he can carry it over to me when I am sitting down.

My friends, say I should get a mould made of him, then I will always have it, you should do the same of your wife.

My favourite song is "Day Dream Believer".


Katie

Donald
I started laughing before I had read three sentences. My wife has not deteriorated in the slightest, I'm sad to say. Today, she changed the beds, washed, admittedly by machine, and hung out, several piles of washing, even insisting that I remove my pyjamas while she stood waiting for them. Then, while I was performing my ablutions in the small room, she shampooed the carpet in the room containing the computer, which meant I was banned from there for six or seven hours while it dried. That would not be so bad, but she also did the lounge/diner, so I was forced into the garden to sit and eat my lunch; luckily it was dry and sunny. She joined me, of course, although she made me carry the meals outside. Interior space was still prohibited, so I looked enquiringly. I drove her to some shops. She managed to find a couple of pair of shoes. It will not surprise me to see them stored in the loft shortly, along with the other thirty pairs. Back home, she told me to stay by the door while she entered. She was gone only a minute. She came out and handed me a dog biscuit, told me to pocket it, and led me across to the neighbour's house, where she opened the door, and gave me the dog lead which was hanging in the porch. The dog came down the stairs to meet us as we opened the second door, I attached his lead, and off we went. Wifey came along with us. I was so surprised, I almost offered her the biscuit. No, not really. I'm not that keen to shorten my life.
We did a couple of miles over the fields without incident - well, I did pick up a little unwanted surprise on my shoe, an incident which was viewed with much scorn and disgust by Herself. As you see, all's well that ends well, and I'm here to tell the tale.

Dabbler,
Could your wife visit here & clear out this cottage? I am an awful hoarder & have the place cluttered with things I never use. My daughters say it needs a good clearing out but I can't throw anything away. I start to do the housework & then take a rest & into this computer & that's it, Joe is always complaining if I am on on the phone I am on the computer. Oh ,for to have the mind of a working housewife, afraid I am not one.
Pat

Ann
Maternity leave can be chosen here by either parent or divided, it's coming up to the elections and the government want to be re-elected that's probably why. Also they plan to increase the number of Kindergarten places from 250,000 to 750,000 and are discussing more financial benefits for parents who rear their kids at home. But to finance this all they have frozen the pensions and increased the taxes.

Hi Donald, yes the monies are used up in different ways in different countries.

I shouldn't get political but I think our money is all used up to finance the war in Iraq.

THERE, I've said it!!