Comment by Rosemary Gould on 5th mo. 16, 2010 at 10:19pm

Good wishes, Paula! Thank you for sharing your experiences. I would like to follow your example and make my house less cluttered, dirty and messy over time. It's amazing how these openings suddenly come when you've been living with something for years. I recently gave up eating sugar and flour after years of trying. Suddenly it's no struggle at all.

Comment by Paula Roberts on 5th mo. 17, 2010 at 9:19am

Rosemary, isn't it interesting that a thing you've been struggling with suddenly becomes easy? It's as if you've overcome the strongest resistance - your mind.

My life has become hearth-centered in a way that I would never have expected. I grew up in the West Indies in a tradition that dictated that girls cooked, cleaned, ironed, etc. Growing up, that seemed to me such a rip off! I was ironing clothes when I was barely into double digits. When I left home I ran screaming in the other direction. I have the skills, mind, but aside from ironing - which has amazingly meditative properties I find - I willfully ignored those other arts.

Now they feel really good, and I want to learn more of them. I've asked a friend's mother to teach me sewing beyond my rudimentary skills, and food preservation techniques like canning. I've bought a couple of aprons! Now I need them. This is very different from the indoctrination of my childhood. I take great joy in this slow way now.

I wake up in the morning and make my bed right away. It's like an act of prayer. Oh, I resisted what I was lead to for a bit - I'd make the bed eventually. But after a couple of episodes of muddy dog prints from Yoshi going out and coming back in, I do it right away, and then cover the bed with a flat sheet so my cats and dog can lounge and my bed stays clean.

I take the time to dress. I think my home demands a level of respect that I can't achieve by rolling out of bed and hanging around in pajamas or raggedy clothes. So I put on clothes - from the skin out; undergarments, camisole, and then a shirt and skirt. I tie my hair up, and I begin my day. It's interesting because it's changed my mind set. My days have more purpose. I find myself lounging less and working more -both at my housework and at my profession (I'm an adjunct instructor both online and in traditional university and college classes).

And this isn't regimented by any means. It just feels good.

Comment by Rosemary Gould on 5th mo. 17, 2010 at 10:04pm

It sounds like you're doing everything with intention and love. That's just how I would like to do housework. Instead of that feeling of resentment and weariness.

Comment by Paula Roberts on 5th mo. 17, 2010 at 10:13pm

Rosemary I wish I could tell you what changed; I'd be happy to share it. OMG my kitchen is finally cleaned. This project took days! And I've just had a wonderful fish curry with rice and beans for dinner and I'm tired. Tomorrow the den! (Gotta intersperse relatively easy with relatively hard, therefore the kitchen then the den, then the master bath, then the bedroom, then the mudroom with bath, then the living room). At some point my sister-friend is coming by to help thank, God.

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