Housewifery
“Practicing the Art and Mystery of Housewifery”
We took a trip to Williamsburg, Virginia in the summer of 2012. Standing in the hot kitchen building where the cooking hearth fire had just been extinguished, the living historian explained the duties of the woman of this house in the 1700s. She oversaw all the domestic activities and practiced the art and mystery of housewifery. I asked him to repeat that. He repeated this and added, you didn’t want everyone to know all your secrets. I am, however, willing and glad to share mine here.
My definition of Housewifery encompasses mothering, housekeeping, gardening, and cooking. And includes decorating, diapering, and ridding my house of squirrels.
Click On These For The Stories
On ‘The Good Mother’
Or read ‘Mommy’s Thought Thoughts’
On ‘Raising Fair Fiona’
Or read ‘Oopsie Daisy Mommy
On ‘Son Shine’
Or read ‘Ready or Not, Here’s Mommy’
On ‘My Joy of Cooking’
Or read ‘Beautiful Buttermilk’
On ‘How Does My Garden Grow’
Or read ‘My Brown Thumb’
On ‘To Clean or Not to Clean’
Or read ‘New Year’s Urge’
September Has Arrived
September has arrived. The crickets forewarned me. The temperature dropped a delightful 15 degrees Fahrenheit although the humidity has kept its nasty reign on out region. I look forward to these things. To the schedule, rhythm, and routine of the school work week so I may advance with my own progress. To the planning, implementing, and shutting down of the garden workload. To bringing down the fuzzy rug and turning on the fireplace because it’s cold outside. To wearing clothing that covers the back of my thighs. To firepits in the...
read moreWhat Would Make My Life a “Success”
What do you do? The answer to this question implies your worth and productivity to the world. This question is why you stopped going to events where there might be strangers. Because you aren’t certain that there’s an answer you can provide that will bring satisfaction to you and them. But what if we stopped valuing and judging ourselves on what we do? Gasp. What if we valued ourselves and our presence in this world and instead focused on what a successful life looked like to us not others? What would that look like? To spend...
read moreSummer Simmers Along Slowly
Summer simmers along slowly. My daughter’s mood is much improved since our trip to RI. This sweet little thank you note she gave me while we were there says it all. She and her new little cat Sassy get each other wound up and scream and run through the house. The purple stitches will be removed tomorrow from her eye removal two weeks ago. We have a kinda rhythm going. Sleep and eat and do as we need to. I’ve been planning meals to make it easier on me with Eamon making one per week. Eamon has had his band over to practice weekly....
read moreAs Long as Never Enough Is the Mutter
I waste moments in my day thinking about how lucky other people are. Well of course they can work out for two hours, grab a coffee with a friend, or sit and read for hours, they aren’t parents of small people. I’m comparing my apples to their oranges. One day, I’ll have that time back. And this just goes to prove my underlying understanding of my life : there’s never enough time, energy, or money to do all the things I want do. So you’d think I’d go ahead and lower my standards to feel better about my life....
read moreThe Emperor’s New Couch
I had finally found “the couch”. Our TV room couch, aka Parlor couch, is a slip-covered mess. When I got it in the 90’s back in Baltimore, it reeked of smoke and was covered in a blue gray 80’s fabric. The only thing different now is that we’ve gone through several slipcovers and the smoke has been replaced with farts. But it’s gargantuan and fits all of us on it for a movie. And if you stuff a pillow behind you, your back won’t hurt as much. But in the back of my mind, I’ve been cheating on the couch with...
read moreJust Five Things
I have joined a week long exercise in mindfulness and community expansion this week. Created and run by Michelle GD, The Just Five Things Course is asking me to pause three times a day and list five things based on the prompt word of the day. I must admit that “Gratitude” was a hard prompt for me to be inspired by yesterday. However, what came to my attention is that maybe I truly need way more intentional time carved out for myself for my well being. My boundaries are a little wobbly sometimes. Today is Home and I wanted to share...
read moreWhat’s a Sunday Feel Like?
My son said he wanted the weekend to feel like a weekend. A Sunday to feel like a Sunday. Because when you’re home bound, the days can start to feel the same-ish. So today, I made sure we didn’t wake him up. He had a “real breakfast” as in not cereal or frozen microwave breakfast sandwiches. And we didn’t give him too many chores. I asked him if it felt like a Sunday. He said “yes”. What is a Sunday supposed to feel like? I have always been a big supporter of special food and lots of luxury and doing...
read moreStories of Us in Captivity
The complete halt of our lives has given over to some super awareness of family life. Mindfulness on steroids. As the tension subsides and we do find a rhythm, I am also watching and noting how lovely the weather is turning. And how wicked lucky we are. The classroom Beth teaching Fiona sign language clementine candle Fiona on her bed with Chessie Dutch Baby Recipe central Teaching Fiona how to play the piano Teaching Eamon how to chop saw Company in the kitchen Crackers in the sunbeam Kinda Kimchi Reading on rhe lawn kitchen table I hope...
read moreTomorrow begins the 100 Day Challenge 2020
I am a firm believer that creativity builds self-trust and thwarts anxiety. I spent a lot of time studying the inverse relationship between creativity and anxiety. So much so that I have deemed myself an Ambassador to Creativity. As such, I am always wanting to create ways that we can create together. And participating in the #100 Day Project has been one of those ways. I have completed the project two years in a row. I was very pleased with my results from the first year when I validated my suspicion that I could draw with pastels and...
read moreI Feel Your Fear Friend
People are exhibiting some weird fear behavior right now. Fight or flight stuff playing out at the stores across the world. Here in Maryland, the virus has worked it’s way into the state so much that the Governor has put everyone in a timeout for now. We’re to stay at home, Damnit, except for food. And while I’m glad I don’t have to deal with throngs of panicked people, I still had to venture out for groceries today. How do we think in a way that allows for our and others’ humanity in times of crisis. How do we...
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