"So many people imagine housekeeping to be boring, frustrating, repetitive, unintelligent drudgery. I cannot agree. In fact, having kept house, practiced law, taught, and done many other sorts of work, low and high-paid, I can assure you that it is actually lawyers who are most familiar with the experience of unintelligent drudgery."
--Cheryl Mendeson, Home Comforts
Just this! I too have done lots of different types of work, including practicing law, and I completely concur with Cheryl's assessment.
(evidence that spring is here....yet it's still supposed to snow a little this weekend.....)
Although it is Saturday, my husband has to work today, which is rare for him. So this morning I got up early to exercise for about an hour, then I cooked breakfast for my children and we ate in a leisurely fashion. My goal this morning is to immerse myself in domesticity: I'm going to tidy and clean the main room (that's living room, dining area, and kitchen for us), take careful stock of what's in both freezers, make several freezer meals that I can use on busy evenings in the coming weeks, bake a batch of granola for my husband, make chipotle-rosemary nuts for lunches, and (less exciting but still necessary) make a batch of laundry detergent. And I hope to do it all while listening to beautiful music with the windows open and a scented candle lit.
I do not consider any of that boring, frustrating, repetitive, unintelligent drudgery!
Polly,
ReplyDeleteWe must be kindred spirits indeed. I did so many of those exact same things yesterday! And all of it was sublime...
It really is a good way to spend the day! Feels great to "look well to the ways of the household." And I'm also adding a triple batch of peanut butter-dark chocolate cookies...so my children are happy.
DeleteThis sounds lovely!
ReplyDelete(I left a comment very similar to this a bit ago, but I think it disappeared. Hope this isn't a repeat.)
ReplyDeleteWhat a delightful day you have planned! I have always wondered about the practice of law. It seems like it would be very tedious and detail oriented, kind of like the tedium of writing and editing footnotes.
And what is it with the weather?? Spring is having a hard go of it this year. The blooms on your tree are so pretty.
It can be tedious! I *loved* doing legal research and writing memoranda and briefs, but those "exciting" (to me) things were only part of my job. I'd rather keep house. :)
DeletePolly, Loved this article! "I'd rather keep house"...Exactly!
ReplyDeleteMy family always likes it when I have some cookies made too...currently we have Chocolate- bittersweet chocolate chip Almond cookies :) Linn
I love this, Polly, and you lit a little fire of domesticity under me! I'm going home in a bit and puttering and taking care of my little home. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteWell, there are those tasks that can seem like unintelligent drudgery (scrubbing a filthy kitchen floor comes to mind), but I listen to book on tape/cd, or when ironing (an old-fashioned task for sure) I can watch a favorite movie; and for those actions I can't and won't be fired! I don't recommend trying those things in an office setting. Homemaking is my chosen career and as you know, it's the most challenging of all. God bless all the Homemakers!
ReplyDeleteSo true! I tend to love the mundane tasks because they allow me the opportunity to *think*. I also love listening to interesting things while I work. It's great to have that kind of freedom at "work!"
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