The old outhouse was the most dependable building on the farm. All that was required is that you dig a new hole every three months or so, and she was always ready to go. It did not seem fair that we would get the new inside the house plumbing and completely put her out of a job, but the writing was on the wall. One of the issues with an out house is that you have to go out there in the cold or middle of the night, and an indoor toilet is just so much more convenient. Then the family realized that it needed to be cleaned pretty often, and the trouble began. Being able to remove toilet bowl stains is not a problem with an out house because the seat is wooden. Splinters might take a toll, but not cleanliness. Just take a household cleaning products catalogue with you, to finish the job and you were good to go.

Speaking of household cleaning products, while sitting there reading one day, prior to tearing off a sheet, the magazine said that they had invented something that could remove toilet bowl stains better than anything else. The water from the well comes right up through the limestone, and apparently that makes it difficult to remove toilet bowl stains. However, it was bragged by a famous  household cleaning products company that they could get rid of them easier than a cow can switch flies.

The proof is always in the taste of the pudding though, and so mom had to go and order some of that stuff. You never saw such clean, pure water after that. Why it was a pleasure just to sit there and muddy the water some so that you could see that untainted stuff come flowing out to remove toilet bowl stains. It took out all of that limestone that was making it so hard to keep the bowl from staying that pretty white, natural color it was when it was bought.

The only gripe that anyone has now is where to go and ponder. When you're out of the house sitting, doing your business, you can pretend that you don't here mom calling. Inside the house you just don't get the time to wander in your thoughts the way you used to. It's all work, work, work now.