"How we need more homemakers" so that all who live in this transient, contemporary world might have a place to belong, to feel loved and valued, to serve and be served, to give and receive and celebrate all that is good." - Sally Carkson
I often say that we need to bring back a love for homemaking, that home economics is something severely lacking in schools today and we could very well do with it being brought back.
I recently read the quote above by Sally Clarkson and thought it so poignant. It goes hand in hand with what I've been saying here on my blog, especially feeling that if we focused more on our homes and families, the world wouldn't be so full of hatred and vitriol.
Lately, I've been feeling more and more pulled to the basics, to cooking more, creating, reading, slowing down and really soaking in each day. A few days ago I found myself with a plastered smile on my face and a joyful, filled to the brim, heart. It's not a feeling that happens very often, I think we allow the world to slip in through the cracks of our soul and before we know it, we live in a constant scowl, judging, angry, seeing everything as dark and evil.
And while I do believe that we live in unprecedented times filled with evil people and evils things, I don't need to accept it, tolerate it or even allow it to seep into my heart. Problem is that sometimes we don't even realize how we are being or feeling, so we continue on that path of self destruction. To put it simply, I was feeling overwhelmed, annoyed, irritated and every thing grated on my nerves, it made for a frustrating life to be honest.
And quite frankly, I don't know how I realized it, but when I did, I immediately did a 180 and threw myself into the things that I knew for a fact brought me joy. That is when the smile hit my face, when I looked at things through different eyes, when I stopped letting things annoy me and started enjoying every moment. The feeling is unbeatable and so freeing. I am going to try my best to not fall back into that old way of doing and thinking, as I much prefer a life full of contentment and joy instead of sadness, anxiety and anger. ♥
:::: Crochet ::::
I was cleaning through my project bags, and found the Cosmic Blanket from Helen Shrimpton at Crystals and Crochets. I immediately grabbed it. I have missed working on these big elaborate blankets, even though to some (I used to feel it too at first), it may seem too complicated and too long to make, I have grown to love them. They are so simple to make, yes they take longer than a quick project, but the joy of seeing each row being finished and the pattern developing right before your eyes, is amazing.
So I grabbed it, hunted down the yarns and thankfully I still had 3 of them, because the fourth I have had a hard time finding. The darker cafe colored yarn. I threw out the skein sleeve and my local Walmart no longer carries this color. I was feeling pretty defeated and sad thinking that I may need to change the colorway halfway through the blanket, but I think I was able to find it at JoAnns. I ordered two skeins and it should be here this week. We no longer have a JoAnns in our town, so I had to order it from another State. Fingers crossed that it actually is the right color, if not......sigh!
:::: Reading ::::
Reading used to be one of my favorite things to do. I am a fast reader, always have been, and it may just be because I've been a book lover my entire life. But like everything else, I sometimes get into phases of not wanting to read at all, and sometimes those phases last years.
With so many wonderful books waiting to be picked up, on my shelves, I just kept buying more or trading more, and they kept filling the shelves but not being enjoyed. Thankfully, back in July I suddenly grabbed a book and read, and that sparked in me the old love I had suppressed so long ago.
Just in the last two weeks of July I read 6 books.
August, I haven't finished one yet. I think because I grabbed my crochet and now I'm trying to reshift and reorganize my time so that I have time for both hobbies. I will get it, I will succeed, but I do need to figure it out so that I don't focus on just one and neglect the other.
:::: Homemaking ::::
Sandra but you already do that, what do you mean?
I mean homemaking with a happy heart and a purpose, not just because something needs done. I mean happily doing things to make your home cozier and happier, not just moving quickly from chore to chore with the purpose of quickly finishing it so you don't have to think about it, or because you hate it so much that you just want it done and away from your sight and mind.
What does that mean to me?
It means putting on a pretty apron.
It means grabbing a cup of hot tea made in a pretty mug.
It means organizing a bookshelf, not just because it is untidy but because you want it to be pretty and appealing to the eye.
It means making an extra special meal for your family, not just a quick thrown together premade meal just to fill their stomachs and stop them from asking when dinner is done.
It means pruning and watering your thriving garden.
It means sewing or crocheting or making something for your house to give it your own touch.
It means putting on a good old series or movies that are not filled with gross things. Good ol' family shows like Little House on the Prairie, Anne of Green Gables or Road to Avonlea, Lark Rise to Candleford and so many others.
Surround yourself with things that bring you comfort and joy. That's what I've been doing. From sweet like minded women sharing the sweetest, slow living videos on Youtube, to books that drag you into a world of fantasy, little cottages or the cutest animals.
See when you do things like this, you start craving more of it and it starts reflecting on your life. You start reflecting calmness, happiness, joy, blessings and a homemaker that thrives within her home.
That's what I've been doing and it's lifted my spirits.
Yesterday I crocheted, today I'll be reading in my spare time. Tomorrow, probably sewing, or gardening, well Fall garden planning that is. I really want to get that sorted and figured out.
I'm a bit bummed out that I didn't get my pumpkins in the ground, but I may just do that this weekend and fly by the seat of my pants, whenever they grow, they grow, if they don't they don't. I'm not specifically looking for pumpkins to carve, but more so to eat.
Two years ago we had a great pumpkin harvest and I was able to roast, and freeze a ton of pumpkin puree. Yum!!!
Whatever you do my friends, do it with a happy heart, and if you can encourage a young girl to love being a homemaker, a wife a mom, then do so. We have a generation that needs more encouraging in the old arts of homemaking, at least in my opinion.
Have a blessed day!
