I can't really say that I've ever looked forward to housework.... there were times when I caught 'Spring Fever' and thoroughly enjoyed cleaning every nook and cranny. The house would stay clean for at least a day. After emptying the dirty clothes basket, washing/drying/folding/hanging clothing for eleven people, I would feel a great sense of accomplishment as I went to sleep with the sound of diapers in the dryer. (Yes, I used cloth diapers for most of my babies!) Living in southern California, there is yard work to be done year round. Except for mowing the lawn and edging, the care of our gardens gradually fell to me. Plenty of days I would come home from taking children to school when a weed by the driveway would catch my eye. Before I knew it, children were coming home and I was still working in the soil. For years I grew all sorts of vegetables. In my yards, I have three citrus, two plum, two peach, one pluot, one dwarf fig and one white nectarine trees. The fruit was wonderful this year. Except for one very old Chinese elm and the ivy on our south fence, I've planted every tree, bulb and perennial in the yards.
Not only was I Domestic, but I felt a great sense of unity with my family, nature, my instincts... My instinct now seems to be every woman for herself.
I can barely water the Meyer Lemon in its lonely pot.
Fall has always been a good season for me; the weather begins to cool a bit and there are promises of rain. The soil is still warm... fall is best time for planting here in our area. Sweet peas I planted spilled everywhere in the yard; strangers would photograph their delicate beauty and post them to the internet. Yesterday the gardeners were here. Instead of having Mias just prepare the soil, I handed him the sweet pea and poppy seeds and told him what I wanted done with them and where.
I feel like such a slacker.
Currently, I am considering bartering quilting with a friend who cleans houses.
Sunday night I did grind some wheat and made five loaves of bread. I don't know what got into me. I gave a couple of loave to some of the neighbors; one of them told me today that she and her husband would like a loaf a week.
Fat chance.
3 comments:
It's called quilting. :)
I'm sure that's part of it!
Is David enjoying his quilt? Except for the binding, I've finished Sophie's :)
Its called welcome to your senses.
I definitely did not get your work ethic. Although I did get all the laundry done yesterday except for our towels!
I find I clean the best when I am mad about something. Unfortunately, Elliott doesn't irritate me enough, so if it wasn't for my recently rehired cleaning service, my house would be a disaster!
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