tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post629549038569988109..comments2024-03-28T15:55:53.792+10:00Comments on down to earth: Reminders of what is important to us - homeUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger54125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-47656915736930167262015-10-08T00:13:14.899+10:002015-10-08T00:13:14.899+10:00Simple can be accomplished by anyone, it can be ta...Simple can be accomplished by anyone, it can be tailor made to fit your life. If you are new to this, begin by making small choices of elimination of those things which clutter your life, replacing them with things which matter, have substance and bring grace and charm to your existence. Find the simple beauty in things. I like to crochet and bake bread and meals from scratch, I love making up my home and keeping a home for my family.Faithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17808242476123222488noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-75751863526240209642014-05-08T21:03:09.910+10:002014-05-08T21:03:09.910+10:00I couldn't imagine being anywhere else but hom...I couldn't imagine being anywhere else but home. I get so much satisfaction and feel my work as a homeworker vital to the existence of my family well being. I spend my days cooking, cleaning and organising our needs. Today I made a pillowcase for my son, yesterday I baked biscuits. Tomorrow I have a big long curry to cook that will hold us over for a couple of days so I can knock some more things of my long list of things to do. I'm glad we live so far away from the big shopping centres and our post box is not bombarded with junk mail to buy buy buy. Our next big cooking development for long time health will be fermenting food and grinding our own wheat. Relatives who live a convenient lifestyle will think that we have lost our marbles when they find out those last two things but for us this is a natural progression to our way of living. In fact I have never been happier and I am prolonging working out of the home for as long as possible. Btw Rhonda your home always looks so welcoming and warm with all those lovely food and knitting and sewing pictures and you have such a beautiful thriving backyard.Zenahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16373747863822737468noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-28676324699223471362014-05-08T16:21:39.995+10:002014-05-08T16:21:39.995+10:00You certainly do that Rhonda. My life has changed ...You certainly do that Rhonda. My life has changed dramatically since I met you almost twelve months ago and you are right, you do get right down to homemaking, something my generation has let slip. Gosh, I especially loved how you covered how to hang the washing in your book...no one ever taught me that :) There is peace and beauty in stepping back to basics and slowing down xAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14839024984118135715noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-36294408322739960022014-05-08T12:20:02.005+10:002014-05-08T12:20:02.005+10:00A refuge. Physically and emotionally comfortable. ...A refuge. Physically and emotionally comfortable. Love it and agree wholeheartedly.Adminhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10256694028091667413noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-90085071877748013432014-05-08T01:52:42.817+10:002014-05-08T01:52:42.817+10:00What's the most important part of homemaking f...What's the most important part of homemaking for you? Why do you value your home?<br /><br />Rhonda, at first your questions sounded straightforward, but I really had to think deep and hard about them...and I realized that our home is the place where I can share the gift of hospitality....as H Nouwen once wrote: "...hospitality of the sort that does not set out to change people, but to offer them space where change can take placeā¦ "<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-74445903476035235912014-05-08T01:21:55.517+10:002014-05-08T01:21:55.517+10:00This is a lovely post! I have just recently given ...This is a lovely post! I have just recently given up a busy job to work less and spend more time doing things that matter. For me home is where love and care starts. For me care is having time to prepare a proper meal, fix clothes, invite people round to share good times. I could barely find the time or energy to do this before and life feels much richer for it. <br />Loubahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17549035547694951182noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-72652392592784429672014-05-08T00:41:38.670+10:002014-05-08T00:41:38.670+10:00I don't know what else to say - you have all w...I don't know what else to say - you have all written everything there is to say about the pleasures of home making! So, in addition to all that, I love it when people come into our home and look around appreciately, saying "I love this room! It is so comfortable and has so many interesting things to look at". My hubby says our house is cluttered, but it is a tidy clutter if there is such a thing. Over the years we have bought and been given lots of lovely things that we appreciate and like to have around us, and it is nice when others feel that sensation of contentment as well. <br />Like others here, I never take for granted our good fortune in owning a house and land, our own little bit of the best country in the world. Gina E.https://www.blogger.com/profile/07532527261977368083noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-31461695634144472392014-05-08T00:28:47.540+10:002014-05-08T00:28:47.540+10:00I am also sympathetic to Nanette's plight. My...I am also sympathetic to Nanette's plight. My husband was a heavy smoker until 12 years ago and I had to put up with the constant smell that permeated everything in our house. Ironic thing is that when he quit, he started noticing that our neighbours (mother and three teen girls) sat in their back yard adjacent to ours and smoked all the time. He couldn't stand it, but couldn't do anything about it. It really is the most disgusting habit, and even worse when women do it.Gina E.https://www.blogger.com/profile/07532527261977368083noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-71070380928466581032014-05-07T23:37:00.903+10:002014-05-07T23:37:00.903+10:00Before my husband passed I thought I was doing thi...Before my husband passed I thought I was doing things for him. Before that - the children and him. Now that I live alone, I see I have always done things for all of us, me included. Our home has always been an oasis for our family. Now it is one for me. I feel safe and comfortable in it. I like being home. I like cooking and I love to clean. I started gardening (DH did it before) and am excited when the first radish springs up. All of my activities and loves are done at home. I have gone back to crocheting and I love to read, as well. There's so much, it would take forever to list. I am a very blessed woman.Angie's frugal Househttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07501238383146880477noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-61956442016724932762014-05-07T23:18:33.747+10:002014-05-07T23:18:33.747+10:00I have this quote on a post it note on my computer...I have this quote on a post it note on my computer:<br /><br />"The business done in the home is nothing less then shaping the Bodies and Minds of humanity."<br /><br />GK ChestertonErin Joyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05571781926262298266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-60806593437274384492014-05-07T22:44:38.724+10:002014-05-07T22:44:38.724+10:00Aw, Kathy... your mom and grandmother are my heroe...Aw, Kathy... your mom and grandmother are my heroes!!Little Penpenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01374048900216199298noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-15978267063927766222014-05-07T15:24:47.822+10:002014-05-07T15:24:47.822+10:00I think my greatest joy alternates between the qui...I think my greatest joy alternates between the quiet moments of peace in the garden or my sunroom on a winters afternoon, or having people over to enjoy food that is not only cooked from scratch but grown too, their joy and company as we extend hospitality. han_ysichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01869649893259740949noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-39352191558333095082014-05-07T14:10:44.051+10:002014-05-07T14:10:44.051+10:00My home is a haven - I grew up in a haven of a hom...My home is a haven - I grew up in a haven of a home and so did my parents, I never really did fit into a fast paced lifestyle and so this is comfort to me. My home represents health to me as well, I grew up eating from scratch and still love to cook that way, slow it down, make it right, don't waste anything, eat slowly and visit while you do it, work hard, laugh harder, remember there is not much that cannot be born. My mother is 79 and takes care of her mother who is 101, they went out mushroom hunting today - yes it is a good way to live! Kathyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18209722078916803400noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-79951726850825200572014-05-07T07:34:11.595+10:002014-05-07T07:34:11.595+10:00I would get an industrial fan to blow it all back ...I would get an industrial fan to blow it all back and keep my windows and doors on that side of the house closed as well as all the other suggestions here. I hope you find a resolution soon. Perhaps she would agree to smoke on the other property line of the house to yours...Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05470302888634102707noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-51913512181483743102014-05-07T07:18:11.670+10:002014-05-07T07:18:11.670+10:00I have learned that homemaking is more about famil...I have learned that homemaking is more about family than it is about a house. I like creating a reasonably clean, cheerful, comfortable, serene home for my little girl. I know that I could do the same whether we live in three bedroom house like we do now, or if we live in a tent. I like that by doing the housework I am taking a burden off of my mother. I like that by slowing down and taking stock I am able to let go of things and hold on to the people I love (in a healthy way). I love making things with my hands, so I am learning to crochet, knit, sew, and cook from scratch and in so doing my daughter is learning the same things. I slowly unwinding myself from the hectic tangle of modern life. I value faith, family, learning and creativity above acquisition. Kimhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12027426814685426766noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-37609530768632748012014-05-07T07:15:17.067+10:002014-05-07T07:15:17.067+10:00It's the peace & tranquility I value most....It's the peace & tranquility I value most. No traffic jams or aimless wandering around shops looking at 'stuff' I just don't need. I will always love this kind of life, though some don't understand me.<br />You put it so beautifully Rhonda.<br />Best wishes,<br />AngelaAngelahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17514068136782167469noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-50389529661088166672014-05-07T06:26:53.216+10:002014-05-07T06:26:53.216+10:00I value my home for the simple reason that I once ...I value my home for the simple reason that I once was on the verge of being homeless, and at the time also had 3 small children to think of. Having a roof over my head and a veggie garden is something I shall never take for granted. In my home I feel happy and comfortable. Here I can relax and unwind after work I have to do outside the home. You could say that I`m a part time homemaker at the moment as I go to work three days a week. At each end of a working day I look forward to cycling home and being able to slip into comfortable wear, often PJ`s and a dressing gown, able to throw off the stresses of the day and be myself with my loved ones. Cooking a comforting meal for us all is a pleasure when I can do it in my own kitchen, a space that I have created with my own fair hands. I love my little frugal kitchen as I have built it myself a few years ago. An achievement I`m quite proud of, as not many women have that much DIY skills to do just that. My home means an awful lot to me and I feel the happiest when I can potter around in it on my non-working days. I can`t wait until I can spend all my time here, doing the housework, washing the dishes, cleaning and mending the laundry items, making my soaps and laundry liquid from scratch and spending the days the way that I would like to spend them.<br />Not having to answer to a boss, but to be my own boss, that`s the goal I`m striving for. My garden is equally important as the house, as I try very hard to grow enough veggies out there to help supplement our diet with organic produce. My garden is not a show piece but has a purpose. All my veg bed surroundings are made from recycled shed wood and other materials. Nothing is matching, but I can grow my veg and love to harvest what`s grown for us. The satisfaction of knowing that I have the skills to sustain us in the home and from the garden is the best feeling in the world. Happiness grows from within, and our happiness has grown in this place and within ourselves over the last few years. But, what also makes for a happy home are the lovely neighbours that we now have either side of us. It makes for a pleasant atmosphere knowing that you can call on these neighbours if you should need<br />help at any point in time. My home is my sanctuary the moment I step inside it. There is peace and<br />space for me to just be. Here I can read a book in silence, drink a pleasant cup of tea and do the jobs I need to do according to my own plans. Nobody dictates to me here and I`m the one in charge of all that I survey. Being responsible for the way I want to live is possible here, when outside the home the world can be so different. Here I feel safe and warm on cold winters days, cool and shaded when the summer sun beats down too hard. It`s also the place that needs me most. Within these four walls I can lead my life my own way and don`t have to answer to anyone for doing so. Having a home to come home to means the world to me. I`m not an expert at doing housework, but I do it sufficiently so that I don`t have to feel uncomfortable or embarrassed to invite someone over for a cup of tea. My family and friends feel welcome and happy within these four walls, too. That`s all the satisfaction I need from my home. Over many years I have learned to be a cook, a homemaker, gardener, good partner and parent, and now I`m also learning to be a good grandmother. Life in my home is good even so we are living on just one person`s income (mine). Despite my partners redundancy over a year ago and his health failing, deep down we are quite content with our frugal way of life. The way we see it is that there are many more people in this world that don`t have a comfortable home to rest in. We count ourselves lucky to have a home and a reasonable, even if frugal, standard of living. What more could we want?Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09114653674812242486noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-90365286696484705952014-05-07T04:03:31.063+10:002014-05-07T04:03:31.063+10:00Our home is a place - as you said - to be safe and...Our home is a place - as you said - to be safe and comfortable, to belong. My mom never liked to do housework (she grew up with a maid); as an artist she always thought her creative work far more important than cleaning house. Consequently I grew up in what Flylady (have you run into her?) calls CHAOS (Can't Have Anyone Over Syndrome); worse, I never learned to keep house and had to teach myself. My aim is to have my house tidy enough that I'm not embarrassed if anyone drops in unexpectedly. After that, I just want it to have my family heirlooms and a decor that reflects our priorities (virtually everything we own is either inherited, homemade or bought second hand). I'm actually tackling spring cleaning for the first time ever (in an older house we find we 'have' to re-decorate every few years as the plaster cracks and such and deep cleaning has always taken place around the re-decorating process). I'm finding it quite satisfying - a little at a time. I tell myself I am following my beloved Mom's example by putting creativity first (I have plenty of craft/sewing/knitting projects going on as well). The difference is that I'm taking satisfaction from Creating Order. That's a new mindset for me. Shelleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10239488936038510294noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-30723191300351484702014-05-07T03:14:46.673+10:002014-05-07T03:14:46.673+10:00I think you hit the nail on the head when you said...I think you hit the nail on the head when you said homemaking creates a safe and nurturing environment. I would also add that I like homemaking because it allows you to beautify your home to your liking. My husband and I were talking the other day about what we would do if we suddenly came into a lot of money. The consensus was that not much would change because we are so content and comfortable in our own home. Even traveling at times is a chore because we love being in our home so much.Bmore Bungalowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06809187061540149960noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-17754181596949079912014-05-07T03:14:40.529+10:002014-05-07T03:14:40.529+10:00Home to me Rhonda is the same as it is for you, a ...Home to me Rhonda is the same as it is for you, a safe refuge and a comfortable place where I can just potter about in peace either inside or in the garden, heaven! On the basket making, oh yes, do have a go, and if you can get just a one-day instructional workshop in it then do so. I have just done this and I so enjoyed it, and learnt things that I wouldn't have been able to learn just from a book. I have become so enthused that I got a book from Amazon and am now churning out my own baskets. They may not be perfect yet, but that comes with practice, but really, it's such fun, enjoyable and you get something useful out of it as well. Do it now Rhonda!Sue Ghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16463317651625459406noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-46707067172798494272014-05-07T03:04:53.373+10:002014-05-07T03:04:53.373+10:00"I learned long ago that home doesn't mea..."I learned long ago that home doesn't mean the house you are in, it means the spirit you bring with it-- the love, the memories and the people. Home is a haven."<br /><br />BB- I love this! Thanks.juleshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16351247097680979735noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-8041147490207002462014-05-07T02:36:31.596+10:002014-05-07T02:36:31.596+10:00Hanging clothes on a sunny day, watching the chook...Hanging clothes on a sunny day, watching the chooks with a worm, baking up a storm in the kitchen and picking fresh veg in the garden. When I go to town I can't wait to get back home. Having our grown children and spouses come for a holiday meal around the table talking and laughing. The freedom in the morning to plan my day of homemaking. Lastly just peace and quiet.Carolhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00645417159193407561noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-38780318648778391492014-05-07T02:36:08.254+10:002014-05-07T02:36:08.254+10:00First I must say that I love your blog - Sometimes...First I must say that I love your blog - Sometimes I feel like I'm all alone in my desired lifestyle and your words inspire me to press on. I love the simple life and am making my way towards it and enjoying the process. Although I am surrounded by home repair projects and the chaos of everyday life, it is my own home and I can visualize the end results. My creative projects are slowly coming along and more space is being made for them. I love an orderly home even though it takes work and patience at this point, I know I will get there soon. My comfort is in the kitchen, I enjoy cooking but baking is my therapy. So I am thankful to have a kitchen where I can create my baked art which is very good for the soul!Cal Davernhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05291458485701574889noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-57435467172845473932014-05-06T22:41:38.389+10:002014-05-06T22:41:38.389+10:00My home also means freedom...to do exactly what I ...My home also means freedom...to do exactly what I want each and every day. Our saving grace has always been we have no debt. I would say we do without to stay that way but we really don't....we have everything we need and then some. We never know what the future might bring but for now I know we can outlast most people if things really hit the skids. We can just live and there is nothing wrong with that! ain't for city galshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14938751007704247232noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-50418621040994222312014-05-06T22:22:43.258+10:002014-05-06T22:22:43.258+10:00'Working at the job of life itself'. I hav...'Working at the job of life itself'. I have always loved Tom Good's words to describe the life he wants to live and I try to live by them too. Home is the hub of that life for me. I work from home too and love to weave all the work in my my life together. Cook, sew, plant, clean, bake and make, design and draw, feed animals, feed family...the wonderful list goes on.<br />kate x <br />Rapunzels Wild Gardenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04273047547787107088noreply@blogger.com