Welcome, Sue!

I haven't really worked outside the home in about 2-3 years (one of the benefits of freelancing), but I also hadn't done all that much IN the home until quite recently. I just couldn't be bothered unless I literally had no more clean dishes to eat off of, or some similar situation arose.

About two months ago (I have trouble believing I've kept it going that long) I finally started actively tending to my home on a regular basis. It's funny how the stuff one can't be bothered to do can turn out to be rather enjoyable. Of course, there are exceptions - I would gladly outsource the cleaning of my bathroom - but most of the work passes by so quickly and pleasantly that it's actually kind of soothing.

I've been quick in finding out my favourites. Cooking, of course, is in a category of its own. I can go all day on nothing but coffee and nicotine, spend an hour and a half walking home from the supermarket with groceries, and still have no trouble spending another two hours on my feet chopping, stirring and sauteeing because it's just this Zen thing. Ironing would probably be a close second. There's just something about the steamed scent of fresh laundry that's relaxing despite the heat and time involved. Plus, it turns out that freshly ironed bedsheets (especially of the high-thread-count variety) feel rather incredible; I hadn't actually experienced ironed sheets before in my life until I ran across the section in Cheryl Mendelson's Home Comforts showing how to do it.

Part of the enjoyment probably comes from actually becoming acquainted with the results of consistently taking care of one's home: not being embarrassed to have guests over (my younger sister once burst into tears over the condition of my apartment), not dealing with the depression and overwhelm of living in a place where so much isn't done that you don't even know where to start, and the coziness and comfort that comes from being in a place where you know where everything is located, where you don't have to dust off your feet if you walk barefoot...What's really funny is that I don't even know where all the crap that would otherwise be covering my bedroom floor and dining room table even went.

I think Cheryl Mendelson's right about another thing, too. In her introduction, she describes homemaking as one of the least alienated (in the Marxian sense) forms of work currently existing. That, I daresay, is spot on. When I translate or edit, I enjoy the fee check that comes in (immensely, I might add), but the finished product I produce is not something that I derive any use or enjoyment out of. When I spend time cooking or taking care of my home, I actually get to enjoy the result directly. There's a lot to be said for that.