Not Your Model Housewife

HB isn’t the first member of his family to serve the US in the military. His grandfather served back in the day; he was even in Hawaii at the time of the attack on Pearl Harbor. My MIL is great about keeping mementos {she’s sentimental like me} and she has passed some onto HB. One day not long after HB got back from Afghanistan, he shared this little gem with me. We joked about what kind of housewife I needed to be. Well, back in the day, there was no guesswork. Allow me to share with you the “Plan of the Day”

The Model Home
0600 - Alarm rings awaking the wife.
0645 - Call husband- Have hot water on -- stand-by for shave.
0705 - Pipe down morning chow.
0720 - Away husband for work.
0725 - Tidy up bed (Bed will be made up in accordance with memorandum 4-74-45)
0730 - Wife muster in kitchen - turn to on dishes.
0800 - Wife turn to on field day (wash day on Monday)
1100 - Knock off work -- Clean sweep down.
1115 - Prepare noon chow.
1145 - Husband returns home from morning work -- Inspection of house.
1200 - Pipe down noon chow.
1210 - Wife lay out noon paper. (All pages to be present and in order)
1220 - Wife turn to on dishes. Husband turn to. (Reads paper)
1245 - Away husband for work
1300 - Wife sew buttons on shirts and darn socks (if necessary)
1345 - Iron clothes. (Tuesdays only)
1400 - Movies for wife. (Wednesdays only.) To return prior to 1700.
1430 - Pipe sweepers. Clean sweep down upstairs and downstairs. Empty all trash cans and ash trays.
1500 - Attend cooking school (Except on Wednesdays and Sundays)
1630 - Return from cooking school.
1635 - Clean sweep down upstairs and downstairs. Dust down all stairways and dust furniture.
1700 - Have bath water on -- Stand-by for husband.
1715 - Husband returns from work.
1815 - Wife turn to on dishes from evening mess.
1845 - Wife takes bath while husband naps.
1915 - Make 0800 reports to husband.
1930 - Monday -- Husband bowls
            Tuesday -- Husband takes wife to bank night at movies.
            Wednesday -- Lodge night for husband. Wife entertains bridge club.   
2115 - Retreat.
2130 -  Wife gives cleansweep down. Empty all ash-trays.
2200 - Liberty expires on week-days. Husband returns from bowling or lodge.
2210 - Inspection of ice-box. Stand-by to prepare sandwich if ordered.
2230 - Wife prepares bed. Lay out husbands own pajamas.
2240 - Alert alarm clock
2245 - Lights out. Keep all silence above first floor.

Notes
1. All silverware and bright work will be polished on Fridays.
2. All windows will be cleaned on Saturdays prior to 1200.
3. Visitors will be allowed on Sundays only. This includes Mother-in-laws.
4. Movies for wife is a privilege, not a right. Do not abuse it.

I guess this schedule is pre- children. I wonder what happens when you add them to the mix ;-) Needless to say, my home is far from “Model"  but I like it just fine. {and HB isn’t complaining either }

On a little different note, I just want to say that I am amazed by the outpouring of support I have seen in the MilSpouse blogging community. Just a reminder that sometimes people put on a brave face and suffer in silence. Hopefully we can all remember this and reach out to those who need it! *praying for you Jessica, that you find the strength you need to get through this*