Friday 18 February 2011

Wannabee Domestic Goddess


My hero was my grandmother. She was a housewife. Her house was always clean and tidy, there were always home-cooked meals on the table everyday, and plenty of home baking. She knitted, she sewed many of my childhood clothes, and she grew the best runner beans in the whole world. I may be biased.

She could also wire a plug, change a lightbulb, paint and decorate and hang wallpaper. She knew which end of a screwdriver was which because my grandad certainly didn't. She sewed parachutes in the war, and, after she died, we found a book of poetry she had copied by hand for my grandad who spent the war in India in the paycorp. She couldn't drive, and she left all the financial stuff to grandad.

Now - I'm a housewife. By choice. I never had a career, I never knew what I wanted to do! Then I had children and discovered that THEY were my career. Except I'm a Sagittarian, and have an octopus as a totem, which basically means I'm not good at housework.

I am - when I actually get around to doing it. But there are so many other things I could be doing that are a whole lot more interesting. All those books, computer games, and to coin the phrase of a dear friend, the whole smorgasbord of magickal wondrousness.

Perhaps I am having a mid-life crisis, maybe it's the coming of spring, because I've suddenly come over all housewifely. I count myself extremely lucky that I'm in a position to choose to be a homemaker, many women would love the opportunity. But there is magick in homemaking, in food prepared from scratch, in clutter-free environments where the energies can move without stagnating.

It's my dream to have a home that works as well and as efficiently as my grandma's. Where everything had its place and everything was in its place. As I move into this new season, and a new decade for me, perhaps it is my time to achieve this goal. Though I'm afraid that due to a severe lack of green-finger I will never produce a runner-bean as tasty.

Love and hugs

Blaidd

2 comments:

  1. Enjoyed! Sounds alot like my Granny :)

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  2. I recently discovered your blog and decided to read some of your past postings. I've enjoyed reading through your blog, and this particular post reminded me of my mother. She has always been an excellent homemaker. Several years ago I was lucky enough to be a stay-at-home mom and homemaker and I absolutely loved it! Unfortunately, I am now in a position of having to work, but my desire is to be a stay-at-home mom and homemaker again. That was the most satisfying time of my life and I cherish that time! It's wonderful that you have the opportunity to do exactly what you want to be doing. Brightest Blessings!

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