Dinner went very well, the kitchen was easily cleaned and everything put back, though I washed a sink full of dishes this morning.

When this group comes over I scurry to get dishes out of the way to soak quickly--"help" is never very helpful. Last time the matriarch in this group was over she "helped" and I survived, but it could have been much different. This time she was stacking dishes in the dish water and I told her I generally scrape the food off before putting them in the dish water. "Why don't you use your dish washer?" I never have, I don't like them, I have to wash the dishes before I put them in or else I have to re-wash them after it finishes.

I counted the sharp knives before I started the dishes. That's what I meant by "surviving" the last visit, when I came up with a handful of silver and a sharp knife positioned to slice a finger. How has she managed to wash dishes this way and survive to her late 70s?