Showing posts with label domestic goddess. Show all posts
Showing posts with label domestic goddess. Show all posts

Friday, January 30, 2009

Why I love my job

Good Morning!


In the depth of the Minnesota winter it is very easy to be overtaken by the winter blues. Realistically, it is easy to fall into a deep dark despair/depression.

This depression has a name - S.A.D. Seasonal Affective Disorder. It is a true blue (get the pun?) studied disorder backed by science. See, we lack enough sunlight to fill the bodies' need of Vitamin D. Plus it is too cold to be outside for long amounts of time. This limits our amount of fresh air and exercise, and really, the amount of things available to do are also limited by both the snow and cold. (We couldn't go outside yesterday because it didn't get above +5 degrees)

Being an incredibly social person and a stay at home mom on a limited budget only adds to problem. I am around people under 4 feet tall who have a limited vocabulary. My outings typically include preschool and the grocery. Not the ideal situation for my personality type.

To battle these feelings I am going to post something fabulously positive and sunny (literally)

Why I love my job (today):

My "office" has a great view
Our morning "meeting" is usually very low key.
The level of creativity my employees show is astounding! "It's a wobot"
I have worked in a variety of job environments - including (but not limited to) a bank, gas company office, flower shops, greenhouses, dance line coach, nanny, hostessing/serving and bar tending, teaching elementary school, cheer leading coach, and insurance sales. But, this job has been the most challenging, tiresome, and frustrating. But at the same time, it has been the job with the most long term rewards.

Plus, slippers are accepted footwear!

Thursday, January 15, 2009

Domestic Goddess

“Meddle not in the affairs of the dragon; for you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup.”

I started the day saving the castle from the evil dragon... it was close fiery battle but the dragon lost after his wing was chopped off-it is a secret that a dragon can't survive this.

"Now they show you how detergents take out bloodstains, a pretty violent image there. I think if you've got a t-shirt with a bloodstain all over it, maybe laundry isn't your biggest problem. Maybe you should get rid of the body before you do the wash!" Jerry Seinfeld

I spent the rest of the morning staring at (and not working on) piles of clean laundry. Laundry is one of those thorns. It is NEVER done! Seriously unless we all ran around naked for a day there is always something that is going to need to be washed! I usually have around 13 baskets a week to fold. My machine used to run 24/7. But, when I came home from the hospital with wee one #4 in tow my beloved surprised me with one of those HE machine sets that does three loads at a time! I went from washing 21 loads down to about 7 or 8. Now that it is winter and more layers are required the number of loads has increased. So how to make a molehill out of this mountain?

I have tried to look at these domestic duties in an enlightened manner. One book I have from the early 90's (Simple Abundance) states - The time has come for us to look deep within. Reconsider how caring for our homes can be an expression of our authenticity. We may not know how to bleach linen, make cowslip wine, cure ham, or bottle gooseberries. But, it's not too late for us to rediscover the sacred soulcraft of homecaring. Creating a comfortable, beautiful, well-run home can be among our most satisfying accomplishments as well as an illuminating spiritual experience. Like sweat equity, channeling your time and creative energy closer to home will produce a big emotional return for yourself and those you love. (are you done laughing yet?) (Don't get me wrong it is a lovely book and has helped many.... just not me today!)
I want to believe it. I want to sit and fold my mountain of laundry, wander the house searching for missing socks, turning shirts right side in and huffing basket after basket into rooms to then place them in dressers - the whole time thinking how authentic this work is making me. I want to be able to feel the love from my family when they know they have clean, wrinkle free, folded clothes...I do! But, I can't. Maybe I don't want to.

Maybe if I was doing laundry on a wind swept beach wearing a house dress and dancing in the sand.... hmmmm Did women fall for this?

Laundry to me is nothing more then a necessary task. Something I HAVE to do. So, in the spirit of trying to keep my chin up - I will pretend I am a domestic goddess... I will have a sword of domestic power, laundry will fear me! After all I have already slayed a dragon today!