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“you know, Jaimie, I remember a lecture I got from my Grandma when I was about your age.”
Jaimie rolls her eyes. “Really Gram? Gosh, I can't picture you being lectured about anything”
Clay grins and says,
“Jaimie be quiet. I wanna to hear what Gram has to say.” Jaimie glares at her cousin and mutters 'I bet-especially since she's singled me out this time...'
“Thank you, Clay!” Gram says.
“Now where was I? Oh yes. Our folks had gone out of town for something; I think it was a bowling tournament towards Duluth. "

"Anyway, Grandma had come to watch us kids while they were gone. One morning I washed my hands after finishing breakfast, took a fresh paper towel from the roll, wiped my hands and threw the crumpled towel in the trash can. Grandma grabbed my arm and shook me as I was going out the back door.”
“Then she went over, pulled the paper towel out of the trash can, unfolded it and said,”
As Gram continues Jaimie chimes in “I have never seen such a wasteful child!”

This time several young voices complain:
“Jaimie be quiet!”
“Shhh... Jaimie don't tease Gram”
“Really Jaimie”
“Alright, alright” Jaimie rolls her eyes again.
“Please Gram, continue your story.”
“Thank you Jaimie, I think I will.”
Gram winks and smiles at Jaimie.

“My Grandma showed me the paper towel I was so quick to through away and she said...” Gram stops and looks at Jaimie, who holds her hands out, palm towards Gram “what did she say Gram?”
“She asked me if I washed my hands.”
I looked at my Grandma, and said 'yes.' “Well then, if your hands are clean, did you dirty this paper towel?” I shook my head no.
Then my Grandma said “well, if the paper towel isn't dirty, then you should spread it out so it will dry, and someone else can use it again for something, like wiping up a spill."

“What do you think of my story Jai-my-mie?” Jaimie looks down at the floor for a moment. “Well, I can see her point...but really Gram, paper towels?” Some of the younger children giggle.
“You younglings may find it hard to believe, but yes there was such a thing as towels made from paper product. It came on on rolls that you could tear off in pieces about 12 x 12 inches. I had already learned the lesson of taking more than one towel to dry my hands on.” This time Gram rolled her eyes. All the children laugh at Gram.

Getting serious again, Gram asks Jaimie “wasn't it turn for your charges to have baths last eve?” “Yes Gram, and we all used the same towel...”
“I know that Jaimie, but when you were done with it, where did you put it? Witih a downcast look, Jaimie admits she put it in the dirty clothes hamper.
“I'll go take it out ...” It''s okay, Jai-my-mie, I hung it up after you went to sleep. Just try to remember in the future, okay?”

The children leave the table room to do their assigned chores. Clay pokes Jaimie on the way out. She slaps his hands and mutters “paper towels” Giggling, Clay asks, 'just how old is Gram anyhow?”
“Its anyway, and I don't know. Next thing she'll want us to save the butt cloths from day to day!”
''Yuck! that's gross Jaimie!”
“Jaimie?
“What?”
“What is 'bowling'?
Copyright 2008 by the Blogged Sink