I work in a wonderful albeit tiny restaurant in my remote mountain town. I work part-time, five days/week. Three of those days I’m a secondary worker and someone else is lead worker. But on Saturday and Sunday, I’m the lead worker and another person takes the secondary job.

Today, Sunday, I was working with a young woman, about age 23… let’s call her Chelsea (NOT her real name). On weekends I have to chop all the vegetables and cook the sausage, and whatever else needs to be done along that line. This keeps me very busy and the other person is supposed to come in and put the ice in the salad bar, prepare the salad bar, fill the soda machine with ice, and do whatever else needs to be done to get the restaurant ready to open.

Well today Chelsea came in an hour early. Then she did everything she possibly could, including things that didn’t need to be done that early in the day, except she wouldn’t touch the dishes or the ice and salad bar. I waited for well over an hour before finally telling her that I needed her to do the ice and salad bar because I was too busy to do them.

Okay, she did that, then said, “That’s it - I’m finished.” As if there was nothing else to do. She went and folded boxes, filled sauce cups, and other things that didn’t need to be done. Finally I said, “You know, if you don’t have anything else to do, you could do those dishes.”

She did something else, then finally relented and did a few dishes, enough to barely cover the bottom of the dish drain. There were more dishes left over in the sink than were in the dish drain when she quit to go start fixing food for the day. I was still chopping vegetables at this time. So I finally got fed up and asked her if she had a problem with doing the dishes. In return she told me how “busy” she had been all morning since she got there.

I informed her that she shouldn’t always leave the dishes for the other person. She didn’t take this well and reacted in anger, professing her total innocence, but I informed her I’ve seen her avoid these jobs on many other occasions, and let her know I don’t appreciate it.

Yikes.

Well, here’s what I do. I always try to do the dishes for other people. Why? Because I know they’ll appreciate it. But when I see someone shirking responsibility and letting less-loved jobs go undone so others will have to do them, I get upset. I don’t like being dumped on any more than anyone else.

And who did 90% of the dishes for the rest of the day? - Me.

So here’s why I’m mentioning it here in my home and hearth journal. I’d just like to say - if you work with someone and there are certain tasks that nobody really likes to do, why not do those things? It will make your co-workers have warm, happy feelings toward you, plus will increase your sense of happiness as you help out others by making their loads lighter.

All the best to you,

Linda

Home is a blue and white planet, beneath the stars. I consider earth to be my home. It is good to know that in this entire chaotic universe there’s one planet on which I can rest my feet, where I feel safe enough to relax and enjoy life.

But home means more than just that.

Home is the feeling of relief I get when I come back to town after being away all day. I live in a very small town (Happy Camp, 1200 people) in the center of the Klamath National Forest. It is about 80 miles to Yreka, the next-largest town in the winter time. During the summer we can drive 40 miles north to Cave Junction.

Going out of town for groceries, supplies, or entertainment usually means being gone most of the day. It means hours on wheels. Coming home requires a long drive through the forest on a winding mountain road in the middle of absolute nowhere.

There’s nothing quite as wonderful as parking in front of the post office after getting back to town. I turn off the car, look up at the old wooden Bigfoot statue, and breathe, “I’m home” and “thank you God”. I’m always glad to be back in Happy Camp.

But home means more than just that.

After getting my mail, I drive to the other side of town, up the hill, and up my bumpy, rocky driveway to the three-bedroom cabin that’s been my home for the last seven years. It is such a feeling of relief to come back to this spot, to my familiar surroundings, my kitchen, my computer, my bed.

Home is a place where I can be myself, pursue my interests, and not worry about all the people that are out there, doing other things that I’m glad to be away from for a while.

Home is a sanctuary. A place where I feel safe. A wonderful, peaceful, happy place of my own.

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Inspired by Create A Connnection: Dialogue Friday

Submitted to the All Women Blogging Carnival

This site features words of wisdom found in the home and hearth journal I keep my country kitchen’s pantry. You can subscribe by email (see the links in the top-right corner of the site) and drop in to comment whenever you have the time.

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Now I suppose you’d like to know who I am.

My name is Linda Martin. A very common name… there are hundreds of us. Sometimes on the internet I use my middle name, like at my writing website where I’d like to stand out from the multitude of Linda Martins.

I’m not a natural cook, but I’ve adjusted to it over the years.

I’m a vegetarian, so you won’t find meat recipes here, but I’m not a fanatic about being vegetarian. I’m 55 this year and long ago decided I don’t want to be fanatical about anything.

I have five adult children. Only the eighteen-year-old is still at home (2008) but not for much longer. When he leaves, my second childhood officially begins.

I have a boyfriend, Bob, who cooks for me sometimes. He is awesome.

My country kitchen is located in a remote section of the Klamath National Forest in Northern California. I live in a very small town and work in one of the local restaurants part time. Cooking is a big part of my life now and I love writing about food.

I’ve been studying and using herbs for 35 years now! Seems like a long time. There’s plenty of herbs to gather locally in this forest, and I have a few others cultivated in my yard.

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When I’m not cooking or eating, I’m writing. I’ve written a lot of journals and done a lot of blogging. I hope you enjoy reading this food blog as much as I enjoy writing it!