17 February 2009

The secret life of a happy homemaker



Don't let them fool you, there is joy to be found at home. If you listen to the people who don't know that, you'll be thinking that being at home, and the chores to be done there, are demeaning, demanding and disgusting. If you read magazines, they'll tell you all about how to do this and that, they'll give you lists of "the best 10 holidays ..." and tell you 20 different ways to serve a chicken leg, but they never write about the satisfaction of homemaking, or the joy to be found by making your home a safe and cosy haven for all who live there. That is my job. ;- )



I used to be one of those people who looked down on housework as something to be avoided at its best, and demeaning at its worst. But when I came to live a simpler and gentler life, I discovered along the way that doing the work needed in my home, slowed me down and made me think about my daily work in a different way. The work remade me.



Instead of whizzing through the housework as fast as I could, I slowed myself to do each job well. That slowness allowed me to think about the task as it was being done and how that task connected to the others that followed. I realised then that all those connected tasks made our home what it is - and that it could either be the comfortable and nourishing place I wanted to live in, or a chaotic jumble of disconnected and generally unfinished chores that didn't encourage anyone to relax and put their feet up. I wonder now if having that chaotic home caused me to go out shopping for things to fill our home - I think I might have been looking for comfort in the shops instead of hand making it at home. That's what we've been encouraged to believe - that if we need something we will find it in a shop somewhere. We are taught at a young age that we buy happiness.

I'm wiser now, I know now that my happiness is made with what I already have at home. There are no special requirements needed; rearranging, keeping everything clean, changing with the seasons and making odds and ends, gives me more satisfaction than shopping ever did.



So how is happiness and joy found in the normal course of the everyday? Shhhh, it's a secret, but I'll let you in on it. It's found by slowing down, focusing on what you're doing, taking pride in a job well done, and repeating that on a daily basis. When you get into the rhythm of your home and work towards making every square inch of it comfortable, the work itself gives the reward because you make your home exactly what you want it to be. Housework isn't difficult, and remove all thoughts from your head about it being completed every day. Every woman knows that housework never ends, so take your time. Slow down and do it well, stop thinking about getting on to the next task, just do what you're doing, then take a short break. Don't make it tougher than it is. Look at your work when you've finished and think about how that space works for you, could it be changed? Could you rearrange things to make it better? Is it just right? Good! Then tell yourself you've done a good job and feel happy that you did that. It is okay to be proud of your work, despite what anyone tells you.

Working slowly through your work will slow you down too. If you stop rushing, so will your brain and heart. Slow down and enjoy what you do, well, most of it, I doubt too many people enjoy cleaning the toilet or washing nappies. But even those things are part of us, so carry our those chores as best you can and enjoy the ones you like.



I don't have children to look after now, but I used to and I know that my routine now would have suited that time of my life very well. Now I do my every day chores slowly throughout the day - I make the bed, sweep the floor, bake bread, tidy up and cook, and alongside those everyday chores are others that are peppered through the hours. They make the day interesting because they are different every day. All of the photos here today were taken in my home during the course of one day. On this particular day, I cut open THE pineapple - the one that has been growing for two years in the back yard, and we tasted the finest, juiciest, sweetest pineapple ever. Brussel sprouts, two packs bought at Aldi at a very good price, were blanched divided up into four meals and added to the freezer. A handsome worker in the backyard removed an unstable frangipani and allowed co-workers to scratch in the bare soil, hoping for some fat grubs to eat. Tea was taken on the front verandah. The sewing room was tidied and a tablecloth made with fabric from the stash.

It's nothing special, is it? But it makes me feel good and it satisfies me. Making your home a place that sustains you and your family is one of the most important jobs you can do. Times are tough, there are all sorts of things going on in the world that are difficult to understand, but if you make your home a place that comforts, a place where you can relax and be your true self, a place where your children feel safe and warm, a place where you show your family the joy of living simply, then you are doing a really significant and essential job that takes the hard edge off the outside world. So when you shake open the sheets to make up that clean bed, when you set the table with knives and forks, water glasses and a flower in a cup, when your beef stew and dumplings is slowly bubbling away welcoming your family as they come home with the smell of home cooking, when you sit with your tea, when you sweep the floor, when you sew or knit or cook, I hope you find happiness in your home, because I know it's there. You might not have discovered the mother lode yet, you might just be picking up fragments every so often, but keep at it and you will be rewarded.


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103 comments

  1. Just reading what you wroe today sounds Slower,Calmer...

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  2. Oh how true :-)You are so right Rhonda :-)

    Most of the time my days here at our place are full of simple, quiet contentment and routine.

    Doing the chickens, gardening, preserving, housework, childcare, cooking, tidying, writing....

    Sometimes I have to hurry if I am working outside the home...occasionally I am blue, sometimes I am very happy...but just doing my daily work ( I refuse to call them chores as that makes them sound like drudgery!) is calming and grounding in a way no paid for relaxation class could EVER give me!
    ;-)

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  3. Excellant post! Love it! You are so right about slowing down! The less of the world and more at home makes me happy:)

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  4. Relaxing just to read your post. Thanks! Liz

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  5. Rhonda

    I love this post. I do volunteer work organising a Food Bank, and part of what we are wanting to extend to is encouraging people to improve their skills, and find joy in being ahome maker.

    I would really like to reproduce this post in my weekly "newsletter" I produce - with reference to your blog of course.

    Would this be OK

    Janet McKinney

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  6. Thankyou Rhonda! It's not often I hear someone affirm the role of homemaker. It's so true that the media and society in general portray it as a horrible, demeaning job. Thank you for encouraging us all.
    I just LOVE reading your blog every morning - each day it inspires me to try something new around the house - and today has been another excellent read. Definately one to pass on to my friends and family.
    Thanks again
    xx Miriam

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  7. I just wanted to tell you how much I enjoy reading your blog. I am in the process of taking my family back to the basics. We are planting fruit trees, gardening organically and making some of my own household cleaners and detergents. I don't know if you have ever watched the Andy Griffeth show but here in the South of USA it is a very popular show made in the 50's and things were just so simple then. I long for that kind of simple living for my family. Your post are very encouraging to me and I am glad that I found you! Keep up the good work :)

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  8. Thank you for your blog. I've been reading it for a few months now, and don't think I've commented yet. I like your message in this post, I need to remember it and be patient with myself. :-)

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  9. Hello everyone. Thank you for your kind comments and feedback. Sheri, I do remember the Andy Griffith show and Opie and Barney, I watched it when it was first released. Yes, I am that old. LOL! It was a wonderful program.

    Janet McKinney, we have a food bank at our neighbourhood centre too (I'll be working there today) and I'm sure our clients face the same problems yours do. I would love you to use the post in your newsletter.

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  10. Hi Rhonda,

    Oh my! Oh my! Oh my! Your post could not have come at a better time. I work outside the home four days every week, drive three hours to and from work just to get here, put in eight hours, go home, hurry supper, hurry to clean up the dishes, hurry to wash clothes,,,and the list goes on and on...hurry...hurry...hurry. I AM SO TIRED OF THIS RAT RACE!! Just today, I was so rushed and disorganized that I couldn't even find a check that needed to mailed that I had just written on last Thrsday. Major panic, since I am an accountant. I can't quit work quite yet because we can't afford the cost of my health insurance, but I am counting the couple of more years until I can depend on Medicare for my health insurance. I always take time out of my busy day to get my "down to earth" fix and I laughed out loud whenever I read today's post; it couldn't have come at a better time. Thanks so very much for your inspiration. I'm going to try to apply your suggestions to work and go about the workday a bit more s..l..o..w..l..y. If it works at home, it might work at my office. Anyhow, thanks again.

    Diane in North Carolina

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  11. Thank you so much for this beautiful tribute! Just what I needed as I took a break from re-organizing and cleaning our school/craft room, a job that has to be done often. I would love if you could share more about how you grew your pineapple. I live in a much colder Canada, but do you think this is something that we could do indoors. My daughter has a beautiful bay window in her room that is just perfect for growing things on.

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  12. Rhonda and Hanno,

    Thank-you for this great blog which is a wonderful pick-me-up for those who are headed towards a simpler life. Very informative and inspiring.

    I love seeing your picture when I open your blog, you look so much like my mother-in-law are so much like her it is a real joy. If Ena wrote a blog it'd be a lot like yours!

    I was wondering if you and Hanno could share a how-to for the raised beds edged with the cement blocks? It is time for us to yank the rotten wood edging from our old beds and prepare the new part of the garden too.

    Thanks!

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  13. Janet McKinney, could you please email me on rhondahetzel at g mail dot com. I have some info that you might be interested in for your work.

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  14. What a lovely post. It reminds me of my Nan (still living) and Nana (long gone now); they both have been huge inspirations to me. Both were dedicated homemakers. Neither fussed and carried on but they went about their work diligently and calmly, no rush. Their homes their castles and places of pride, homes so welcoming that you were comfortable from the minute you arrived. That's a homemaker and the sort of house that is a home.
    I also feel drawn to Little House on the Prairie and more recently Janette Oke's Love Comes Softly - both written about the pioneering times when homemaking was directly involved with survival.
    These days we have too much 'stuff' for sure.
    Bec xxx

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  15. hmmmm... i don't think i will ever be happy with being a home maker... well i take that back. i think once all my kids are old enough to help i will feel better about it. but going behind them and redoing and having to to do everything myself is for the birds. i would love to have a clean happy home everyday. i would love to be able to open my front door and not have to block anyone's view of the monstrosity of what lurks behind it... those will be the days!

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  16. Thank you for the encouraging post. Some days I cannot find the words to defend my staying at home, but you wrote it down so well. You are so right that in this day and age we are bombarded that "stuff" makes one happy. What people don't see is that they work so hard to make so much money to buy so much stuff, that they never have time to sit down, and enjoy what they have. Having less makes you appreciate what you have more. God bless!

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  17. Hi Rhonda

    As usual, words of wisdom. Thank you, I'm going to try and have a slow day - quick tidy of the kitchen, load of washing, make bed, off to work until 4pm, pick up daughter15, early dinner then we are off to the movies (hubby and daughter18 aren't home tonight). It's date night with my baby.
    Have a lovely day,

    Cheers - Joolz

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  18. Oh, THE pineapple looks fantastic, Rhonda. I've been waiting for you two to eat it - how weird does that sound??! A grounding post once again.

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  19. Good morning Rhonda,

    "A simple gentle life "

    That is just what I am learning is the key for my life. Thankyou Rhonda for reminding us all that the simple things in life are the best. I love my little nest but sometimes get overwhelmed by the things that I have accumulated over the years. In times gone by, I shopped for fulfillment but not anymore. I am learning to let go of things that hinder my new life. And its true , a homemaker never gets to the end of her work but thats OK. So I'm learning to enjoy my home and I love to have my husband come home from work to the fragrance of home cooking and for him to say "Gee something smells good"
    When I wave the big fellow off to work each morning, I turn my computer on and check your site. Its like saying a quick hello to you (my lovely neighbour ) over the back (cyber) fence and then I'm into the homemaking. Isn't that what they call The Good Life. Thanks for the chat. Been waiting for the pineapple to ripen and that it was the best.

    Blessings Gail

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  20. Lovely post, wise words. We have had a day like that; my husband has done some diy jobs, buying very little and making so much
    out of what we had, and doing a great job too. I have made bread and cakes, held bits of wood while he sawed, freecycled some stuff, cleaned up, visited my mum, chatted on the phone, made dinner. Lovely day. I am glad other people just enjoy their "chores" too.

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  21. I enjoy reading your blog very much. There are several blogs to which I subscribe to help develop my inner calm (if you know what I mean by that - sounds a bit weird, I know!) and yours is one of these.

    I'm a stay at home mum and I do find housework extremely challenging, at best, and soul destroying, at worst. Reading your blog gives me hope that one day I will come to appreciate what I do. It's a struggle at the moment though as I'm bsttling depression (I don't usually talk about that at all) and when I'm having a bad day it is a hundred times harder to persuade myself to do anything around the house, let alone take pleasure in it. On days like that I genuinely struggle to see what purpose I have in the world, so reading a blog like yours is really helpful to remind me that I do have a place and a purpose, and that I can make my family happier etc if I can get my head around enjoying my 'job'.

    Keep writing, please! And I'll keep reading, and one day, hopefully, something in my head will click and everything will fall into place. And I apologise for the content of my comment, but I really wanted to let you know how important I find blogs like yours to be. Thank you.

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  22. Rhonda, everything in this post speaks to my heart because my heart has always known this to be true. I love being in my home, in this haven for my family and I have resisted pressure from everyone- well-meaning friends, family and even DH trying to tell me that I need a 'real' job (ie. one that pays 'real' dollars) to feel fulfilled.
    Now my heart may know it, but I still battle with my head at times. This 'slowing down' is something that I need to do to take the next step. At busy, interrupted times in my life (like a new baby in the house, or a sick child at home) I narrow it down to this- if I only get one thing done today, it should be "_____". If that one priority is done, set another. Then even one accomplished task feels rewarding, and do-able.
    Jenniepowell, more power to you for sharing your thoughts! You are certainly not alone in feeling that way. I don't know if it will all fall into place at once, or if one day you will look back at what you do now and compare it to what you do at that future time and see how much you have grown stronger, little by little. Never 'despise the day of small things'.

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  23. Thanks so much for your wisdom and advise. It came at just the right time as I am giving my house a good clean and it was beginning to overwhelm me.

    Tania

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  24. Oh YES! I completely agree!

    I think of our home as a haven, not a pit stop ...

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  25. Rhonda,

    As usual beautiful, encouraging words.

    Making peace, finding contentment and living with joy in our homes is vital.

    We women at home need to be reminded often. There are so many negative voices and detractors out there..

    Your site is a mine of inspiration.
    Thanks so much Rhonda!

    Sandie in Oz

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  26. Rhonda, you couldn't have said it better. In fact, you spoke the words that are in my heart. What a blessing it was to read this today. Thank you!

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  27. Thank you for this. Sometimes we need a reminder...at least I do.

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  28. These are lovely, inspiring thoughts.

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  29. Oh Rhonda... what would I do without you? Just taking a break from deep cleaning the bedroom and planning the rest of the day until the kids come home and just reading this post has given me renewed calmness and purpose. Thank you.
    I smiled when I saw the pineapple-that is one cherished piece of fruit!And very apt with today's post, too-the long slow process coming to fruition.

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  30. I love this post! It really spoke to my heart! Had to link to it on my blog...

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  31. Rhonda,
    Thank you for sharing these thoughts. I used to be a "multi-tasker" until an accident left me with a brain injury. I can't "do everything" any more & it frustrates me greatly. But reading your post has helped me realize that it's okay to slow down, do one thing at a time & enjoy doing it. Thanks again for making me feel so much better.
    Barb

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  32. I could not agree more.
    Oh I am so excited for you and that pineapple! Joy!
    Those foods we grow even slow us down to really appreciate what it takes to gain it. The true value of it.

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  33. Rhonda your words are wonderful. I am very lucky to have found contentment in being at home enjoying my two small children and even making a home. I am very grateful to have found your blog just after having my second baby. Babies do cause you to slow down and then you have a choice to reenter the ratrace or continue with the pace they create and grow with them. I chose to stay with my babies. I now love baking with them, gardening with them and sewing with them. It certainly creates a lot of joy in doing all the home making activities and I know I am teaching them so much at the same time. Yes about simple living but also simply about being creative, cooking, preparing, language, nature, hygiene, cleanliness. Thankyou for affirming what I chose. I feel I now know the reason I resist going to the shops more than once a week - I just don't like those places. You know I'd much rather stay home and make a toy or sew a househelper cloth than take the time and energy to go out and purchase - and I know I am showing the girls greater value in what we have at home rather than needing to rush out for stimulation, comfort or purchasing to meet some ill-perceived need.

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  34. Amen to that, Rhonda. If only more of us would realize the truth in your words, our world would be a different place. I get such peace and learn so much from down-to-earth. Thanks. Hedy

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  35. Rhonda,

    You did it again!!! Great Post!!


    ~Renee

    gardendesk.com

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  36. This is something that I'm working on, slowing down, that is.
    I'm finding that it takes me no longer to do things when I slow down and focus on that task because i don't make mistakes like I do when I'm rushing and thinking ahead. By the time i fix the mistake,or clean up the spill etc it takes me just as long as if I slow down and do it properly the first time. The added bonus is that when I finish I feel calm and satisfied not stressed and angry with myself.

    cheers Kate

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  37. oooh I just found your blog today and so happy I did, it's wonderful and so inspiring!!! thank you

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  38. Wonderful post Rhonda, thank you. I’m still working towards the realisation that looking after my home is looking after me!
    I’m so pleased to see you enjoyed the pineapple!

    Jenniepowell - sending you positive thoughts; I have similar problems but I’m on an ‘upbeat’ just now. When I’m not so good I do what Joanne does, fix on one priority for the day, and that is enough. RosieB

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  39. Lovely post and just what I needed to hear today...my home life is about to get busier with more work and I need to develop a different attitude. This work IS important :-)

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  40. Dear Rhonda Jean,
    many greatings from the other side of our mother earth! I appreciate very much the way of your thinking about slow down many things in daily life and to act and to be more a conserver than a consumer.
    And I would like to have this fine pineapple *smile* but it is not possible here, not even in our summer. But we still have winter time in Europe, again with snow, and are longing very much for having spring time as soon as possible. Nice to meet you!

    Best wishes of Anemone from Germany

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  41. I think this may just be one of your loveliest posts.

    What you are sharing can convey to any of us, wherever we are at in life. It's about being grateful, really, and taking the time to appreciate what we do have.

    I get down sometimes because of my health and inability to do as much as I would like. But if I choose to view things with gratefulness, I can easily see blessings before me. It's a choice in one's life to be grateful or not, even through challenges.

    I think I'll print this out to remind me when I need the encouragement, thank you.

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  42. I'm so glad you keep a blog, especially for the younger women like myself who have no other mentors!

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  43. Thank you so much for this post, you are so right in everything you said. I am actually sitting here with tears in my eyes because since school has gone back I feel like life is just spiralling out of control and I just can't seem to get on top of anything. My house is a bombsite and way too cluttered, its been so hot and my garden looks crappy aaghhhhh, my youngest isn't settling into year 1 at school at all and he has been making himself ill each morning and the tears he has shed could have refilled the River Murray....oh man you get the picture!!

    Your blog is like a gigantic mug of hot chocolate on a cold winters day for me, it is so comforting. It makes me want to just about step into your life for a day and just learn how the simple things are making you so happy. My hubby and I are striving for a similar lifestyle to yours, to just slow down and smell the coffee as they say.
    Thank you again, I love reading your blog and always learn something new from it.
    Take care!!
    Colleen

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  44. I struggle with enjoying tasks around the house...even cooking which I typically enjoy. Thank you so much for the reminder to take it a bit slower.

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  45. I wish that I could hug your neck!! You encourage me on days that I really need it. Thank you my cyber friend!!!

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  46. Hi Rhonda, As a young woman I wore a suit and carried a briefcase, worked in a skyscraper, had an expense account. I disdained housework, and homemakers flummoxed me. I mean, what did they do all day?
    The reason you never read about happy homemaking in the mainstream media, is that it is peopled by types just like I used to be. They cannot conceive of fulfilment at home. Fulfilment comes with a big pay cheque, promotions and recognition, but they are forever anxious. I know. I used to be one of them.
    Children changed me, not overnight, I might add, but ten years later I am unrecognisable from the person I was. I am happier than I've ever been, and cannot conceive of putting on my suit again, except perhaps for a funeral!

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  47. Thank you for your wise words....They are inspiring!

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  48. This is such an encouraging post ! There is amazing wisdom in what you have to say Rhonda. I am glad you write this blog and that I am able to come and read it !! Thanks !!

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  49. very true.
    lovely brussel sprouts and that pineapple looks delish..and so nice to see your hubby with the chickens..yes..it all looks very nice.would that many more people would learn to enjoy the simpler things in life.

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  50. What a beautiful post. Thank you. Thinking of housework as nurturing my family makes it so much more enjoyable :)

    Kim x

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  51. So enjooying your blog. Today I had to laugh looking at the first photo. Brussel Sprouts don't make me happy because I loathe their flavour, now I can no longer eat them I don't miss them at all.

    I do miss cabbage, especially in a really good slaw.

    A lovely post to reflect upon - thank you once more Rhonda

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  52. You ate the pineapple! And it was really good? That is great!!
    I really love this post, a beautiful reminder and very true.

    Christine

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  53. Brilliant post - those words are so true, home can certainly become more and more of a refuge for us in these troubled and uncertain times....and love that pineapple - can almost smell it from the photo.

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  54. Hello! :)
    I've really been enjoying reading your blog for some time now, and if you don't mind, I'd like to share an award in show of appreciation.
    Could you come by my blog to pick it up?
    http://serenadesandsolace.blogspot.com/2009/02/thank-you.html
    Kindest regards,
    Alecat

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  55. Thank you so much for this timely reminder :) !
    Blessings,
    Catherine

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  56. Thank you so much for this timely reminder :) !
    Blessings,
    Catherine

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  57. Love your blog and it is such a inspiration to those of us still learning how to be a good homemaker! You are truly a inspiration.also just curious I signed up for the swap and I just want to be sure I did not miss anything on when that would be posted.
    God bless.
    francine

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  58. Hi Rhonda,

    Just wanted to say what a lovely post.
    I work full-time and have three little ones (6,4 and 2) to keep me busy and seem to spend all my time rushing to get the "chores" out of the way so I can do what I enjoy. But more and more I am coming to realise that this is not a healthy attitude towards the things I have to do everyday and that should really add quality to my family's life.

    Your words have really inspired me to look at it from another angle, I'm going to try doing everything slower today and with more thought and see what the difference is.

    I'm very interested in simple and more thoughtful living so your blog is an inspiration, do keep writing.

    P.s. I can't believe that you grew a pineapple in your garden! Or that it too two years.

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  59. Wise words from a wise woman and timely as well. Love your blog.
    Victoria

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  60. Well said Thank you for your posts I enjoy everyone of them!!

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  61. Thank you so much! it was just what I needed to hear today. :)

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  62. Your blog is such a blessing to me. Reinforces what my calling is . . . to make a home for my husband and 5 children and for me! Everyday your blog is a help and an inspiration and a treat.

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  63. I really needed to hear this today! It is so true... Thanks for another great post. I so need to slow down.

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  64. Oh thank you so much for posting this. ♥ I have truly come to *love* your blog.
    I was wondering if it would be alright with you if I reposted your post on my blog? With a linkback to the original, and I'll put it in block quote form and all, I just would LOVE to put that on my blog for my own self, but also for anyone who would benefit from reading it.
    Please let me know? Maybe I'll try to email you if I can find a place to do that. Thank you so so much. (((hugs)))

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  65. From the bottom of my heart, Thank you! I needed to hear this right now, today - I need to relax, slow down and get on with what really matters

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  66. Thank you so much for this lovely post. As I work outside of the home I find myself rushing around to get things done instead of enjoying the process. The reminder is very timely. :)
    Shannon

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  67. Thank you, Rhonda. I LOVE being home, taking care of what I have, being grateful for what the Lord has blessed me with. If one were to look at my outward circumstances, they would think I have not much to be thankful for. I know better. Your post is a good reminder to slow down. Take a deep breath. And put one foot in front of the other. "Taking no thought for tomorrow, for tomorrow has enough worries of its own." The Bible

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  68. I have been reading your blog for a few months now, and am so blessed and inspired! I live simply, in that I don't have alot of things going on, yet I have much improvement to do in the area of consumerism. I have been making laundry soap for a good while and now I want to make bath soap. I am excited and nervous at this undertaking. I know that I can not use aluminum when making the soap, can I use aluminum molds? I found some tiny bread pans that would make perfect bars of soap and am hoping that I can use these. I also don't know how much soap the recipe you use makes. How many bars do you get from your recipe? Thank you for sharing your life with me!
    ~Suzy (Ohio, USA)

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  69. This is such a wonderful post Rhonda, thank you!!

    Harmony

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  70. I love your blog. I wish I had found you several years ago when I was a stay at home Mom and not feeling good about myself. Reading your words would have affirmed what I was feeling and thinking but not getting support for. Thank You!

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  71. Beautiful post! I, for one, love to spend time outside hanging diapers on the line. : )

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  72. I can't even begin to tell you how much I enjoyed reading this post! Thank you from deep in my heart - because that's what you touched.
    Sylvia

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  73. I just enjoyed this particular blog so much and am so motivated by it! I worked outside the home for a very long time before I was blessed with my child (at age 37), and my husband and I shared all the housework (and ate out a lot!) Very soon after my daughter came along I gave up my career, although I still work from home part time. At my job I felt competent, even successful, something I rarely ever feel as a homemaker or mom! There have been very few days over the last eight years I've felt even remotely adequate in this position!!!:-) I just want you to know that I so appreciate your comments as I had kind of gotten in the survival mode of just getting done what has to be done and lost the importance of creating a haven for my family. Thanks for the reminder! Marsha B.

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  74. There are blessed moments in housekeeping... but there is nothing blessed about forcing the 7yo to do his homework, do his music practice or tidy his room. And those things are par for the course, just like the enjoyment of feeding the chooks, making bread etc. There is always light and shadow.

    (Oh, and I like cleaning the toilet -- it's quick!)

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  75. Love ya pineapple Rhonda! What a wait for that little beauty. It really illustrates the simple life though don't it!

    The sweetest fruits are often hidden behind a prickley skin that takes far too long to harvest.

    The way of the pineapple is a simple life...don't stress, let it go, eat when ready. :)

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  76. Rhonda, what a lovely post. How great it is to visit at your "kitchen table" once in a while when little Shira is taking a nap. :o)

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  77. I'm coming out of lurkdom to say thank you, this is a wonderful post. I want to link it from my blog, it is exactly the reminder I needed right now. We are really working on simplifying and me not being so "scattered". You are just wonderful.

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  78. You're sort of confirming what I've been trying to do lately, and that is to enjoy every moment of the day, no matter what I'm doing. Some things are more fun than others -- that's for sure -- but usually a bit of joy can be found in just about everything.

    We're always rushing forward to... To what? Death? That's kind of tongue-in-cheeck, but it's also the truth. The future comes in its own time. What we have now is fleeting.

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  79. This is such a great post. I was fortunate to be able to be home full time when my kids were young - and I loved it. I also miss it now that I work full time - and this was just the reminder that I needed.

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  80. Farmer Gal, you hit the nail on the head. :)

    Much of life is how we view it. Some of the things we take for granted are the same things, people, and opportunities that others would dream to have in their life. Even in the menial things in life, there is joy if one has the right perspective.

    Live in the moment! Life is not promised to us.

    Lyn

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  81. I'm in love with you. Will you marry me?

    The pineapple story tied in so well--it had to grow for 2 years?!!!

    WOW!

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  82. Popped over from Nesting Place...

    THANK YOU...it is so hard to go against the grain of modern society...and little encouragements like yours go a LONG ways :) I chose to cut our income by a quarter when I chose to stay at home after our third child. We stopped getting insurance in order to have money for food. We don't have the latest in decorating fads, but God has blessed us with creativity and ingenuity. Yes, there are sacrifices to be made as a keeper of the home, but the rewards are so worth it! I am the happiest in this career that I have ever been in the workplace.

    Slowing down is a great reminder. I often think that I can get ahead of the laundry only to sigh when I see another mound to do. Job security!

    Thank you for this lovely post on what homemaking is really about!

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  83. I came for a visit from Nester's Place and I'm so glad I did. What a different perspective you have ...and I love. Sometimes life gets so chaotic and it's funny but lately I've been reading things about simplifying your life. So, you fit in perfectly. I want to come back to visit and take it all in. Thanks for blogging on this topic.

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  84. Thank you so much for this post!

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  85. Thank you! I am just beginning to realize this after some yrs of trying to get the work done so I can go on to "better", more enjoyable things. I am finally finding satisfaction in the "doing" of the work and hope to pass this new life lesson on to my young girls.

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  86. I just discovered your blog and your words ring so true to me right now. Isn't that funny "right now"? Funny how those what matters "right now" changes. I am a 30 yr. old mom of 3 amazing girlies and I have spent the last few years chasing down the bigger and the better and the easier. Now don't get me wrong, I know some of that stuff is out there, but I no longer feel like I need it so badly.
    I actually came to this revelation last Wednesday. Sounds silly, but God and I had a little conversation about being content and satisfied. I realized that day that when people say, "you should do what you love" they are referring to what I get to do everyday. At least for me, this is true. I get to stay home with my kids, pick them up and take them to school, and be at home with my two yr. old all day. That's a pretty fantastic life, with a husband who works very hard to make it happen.
    Thank you for your words. I don't know about anyone else, but they hit home with me.
    *Tricia

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  87. I love this blog because of posts like this. There is much satisfaction to be had as a homemaker and you convey that so well. As a homemaker, I wish I could do the same. The next time I come across a naysayer, maybe I will direct them to this site!

    Thank you for the encouragement. I am an award winning writer and I think your posts are better than anything I could write on this topic.

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  88. Thank you for putting this post at the top of your blog.
    I was thinking along the same lines this morning and about the responsibility we have to ourselves and our children to enjoy the house and the tasks we have to do instead of bemoaning them and wanting to get through them as soon as possible so that we can then relax! And that parents interrupt children's lives to torture them with chores when in fact we are and should be training them how to become adults and assume the resposibilities (gradually) that come with it. Instead of being trained in consumerism, fashion trends and gossip mongering. I will be referring to your new found blog regularly whilst training my daughters in the art of becoming a keeper of the home. Thank you again.

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  89. Wow, THANKYOU....

    If only you knew how much the words you have written here mean to me!

    I have tears in my eyes. I have 3 littlies now aged 6,4 & 2 so life is busy, chaotic and often stressful as I struggle to be a mum, wife, and study at the same time.

    My dream is for my life to be exactly as you have written in this post, something I vow to work towards every day. I look forward to returning to your blog :)

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  90. Thank you for such an ecouraging post. I despise housework and often shop for things to fill my home. I love your perspective on this. I actually chose to educate my children at home becasue I wanted to slow down and hated the merry-go-round of rush rush rush.

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  91. This a beautiful post that brought tears to my eyes. I will re-read it often. I am a stay at home Mum of three young children, living in constant chaos. This will help me re-focus. Thank you.

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  92. i feel relieved to read this. i've always enjoyed 'home making' and enjoy spending time at home as a result. these days we're made to feel a bit odd because we do feel that way. i'm glad i've found someone else who does though :))

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  93. Thanks so much this was so helpful God bless you and your humility

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  94. Oh Rhonda you say it so well! Thank you for a beautiful post. We all need reminding of this at times!

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  95. I know this was written many years ago - but I just found it today and I needed this. Your words are so simple yet so perfect for me . . . . . "slow down and do it well". I have been running around for years unable to figure out why I am not content at home but I know what I need to do. Thank you!

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