Zechariah 13:9

And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried; they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The Lord is my God. Zechariah 13:9

Wednesday, December 12, 2012

The Reality Is.......

.....I am NOT Martha Stewart!! 
Nor the Proverbs 31 Woman!!!
Oh, yes, I do make cheese, and sweet little projects with my Ag Science students.  I can sew a dress, and paint my own house.  But, really, I am not a wonder woman like someone called me.  To prove it, I am choosing to expose the real me.  If you would stop by my house unannounced, you would see what I can't do - like keep an organized house, start and complete the laundry in one day, never have my kitchen sink clear of dirty dishes.  Kitchen floor clean?  Can't tell you the last time I used the mop.  Spider webs?  Yep!  Right above my sink, and over there and over there. And finding things?  Forget it!  Well, I can't!  When something is lost, I become this obsessed woman, wracking my brain on where I left it.  Please don't tell anyone, but the frustration of it drives me to tears occassionally.  Ok, Martha, how is it done again?  And did you homeschool your children?  And what size was your house?  Oh, you have 20 closets to neatly stack all your possessions in?  You have a maid that does your laundry?  And a chef to cook your meals?  My oh my!  Life would be quite peachy if that were my case.  Or would it?  Really?  My head yells "YES", my heart yells right back, "NO!" well......depends on which day you ask me.....

The playroom/laundry is always the worst.  We can clean it up one day and the next it looks like a tornado went through.  I finally gave up.  If the boys are going to play in there, they have to learn to be responsible and keep it tidy.  Well, here is a picture of how it looks sometimes (this was right before a major clean up where some stuff went to the trash and some stuff went to Jubilee), .......


    But, what do I do all day?   Don't you love it when someone asked you that?  And  when you start to think about it, you really don't know?  You know you did something, but what was it?  I decided that I am going to keep a record of how many times I do the basic things for one week.  This does not include the meal fixin', school teachin', grocery shoppin', etc.  I started on a Monday morning and ended Saturday night.  Here are my results:

How many phone calls did I make? 25 
 How many times did I answer the phone (this does not count machine messages)?  40
How many times did I do laundry (does not count those that Dave did)?  12
How many times did I wash dishes by hand?  9
How many times did I run the dishwasher (not counting when Dave did it)?  8
How many eggs did I make?  91 (approx. 7.5 doz)

So what can be gleaned from the results?  Not exactly sure, except how did we talk on the phone while eating all those eggs?

And the laundry......it gets washed, hung in the basement to dry and then ends upstairs to fold....

Sometimes it goes days till it gets folded, in fact, finally yesterday I folded quite a few baskets and do you know how many pairs of socks I matched?  61!!  I can imagine what you are thinking.......poor Brenda's family.  In fact, I remember my big sister telling me when I was about 10 or so (we shared a bedroom) - "I am going to pity your husband one day!"  I didn't realize she was a prophet!  

So, you now see, I am no Martha Stewart nor the Proverbs 31 woman.  I am me!  A woman who God created, a woman who can make cheese, sew and paint, and obviously talk on the phone and make eggs, but has a more difficult time keeping on top of the house.  The point that I want to reach, though, is to be able to remain pleasant and loving, even though the house is sometimes chaotic and I can't find something (like a library science DVD that would've cost $25.00 to replace, which by the way we finally found, but I really don't want to tell you where).  My husband and children will not be near as effected by the topsy turvy house as they will be by my attitudes and manner towards them.  So, next time you come to visit, I will be sitting under the pile of laundry that needs to be folded singing my heart out......... move on over Martha, bet you wouldn't do that!!

Until next time.......
 

11 comments:

Licia Augusta said...

Oh Brenda! Are you my long lost sister, separated at birth?!?!? Just this week I hoed out the toy closet and have probably 1/3 of all the toys ready to go to the Good Will - if not 1/2! And in my house, we make friends with the spiders - cuts down on flies and fly paper. And the floor? We have one of those fantastic linoleum floors that completely hides the mess - most of the time. You know you need to mop when the mess ain't hid! So, you are not alone! And find things? Brenda, I used to be so with it. Andrew would ask me about such and such or where is this and that and I would hand it right to him! Now, I look at him (likely with glazed over eyes), shrug my shoulders and say, with shaking head, "Uhhh... I really don't know." "Honey! Are you slipping? Maybe, maybe not. But I know my kids have most of my brain cells!

And about being that Prov. 31 woman, don't let others' definitions (or your own!) fool you! I'd bet you're closer than you imagine, messy house and all! :-) After all, a clean house doesn't make a home!!!

Love you!

Licia Augusta said...

PS - I didn't deign to mention laundry because I refuse to acknowledge the enemy. After all, naked we came from the womb and in the end, we will return to God naked! (Job 1:2, Ecc 5:15) hehe!

Twila Henry said...

Sometimes it's good for us as women to read other women's honesty....to know we are really not alone!
Let me tell you, I think homeschooling is a full time job and it lets way less time for laundry, and general housecleaning than people who don't homeschool can imagine! ;)
I remember my Mom faithfully doing spring and fall housecleaning. My kids don't even know what that is! :/
Blessings to you Brenda....keep that house cheerful and cozy! :)

desiree said...

Is that why you wouldn't let me hang out that load of wash on our cheese making day?? So I wouldn't see the laundry room?

I just re-read Proverbs 31....I'd say you are more things in there than you are not.

As do your husband and your children, I see you for your heart. I look at what is in you not around you.

BTW, you neglected to you have a part time job AND teach other peoples children!

I love you and consider myself blessed to call you friend.

Heather said...

Brenda your not alone!! you would swear that a daily cyclone comes through my house LOL Between school and chores the inside just doent seem to get done. Every so often I get sick of it and get the whole house clean and tidy and by the end of the day you can barely tell its been done at all. Spider webs... got them too... lots of them. I dont mind because they take care of all the bugs.
My house may not be clean and will never be in amagazine but I do my best to make it a happy home and I think that is the most important.

Dave ~ Brenda said...

Thanks for all the comments of encouragement and input! I love hearing from you! Somewhere there is a line between be a "cleany" and being a "messy". Not exactly sure where I fall, but I am looking for the balance. It might really take me a the rest of my life! :)

Gail @ http://biblelovenotes.com said...

Well, for one thing, Brenda, Martha has a truckload of paid help and I think she had one child. And I do believe her husband left her for another woman because she was so busy with her career.

And, you are a pretty amazing woman to do all you do. And someday you will be at my stage of life (empty nest) and will only have the grandchildren to come over and remind you how it used to be.

And I love Proverb 14:4 that says when there are no oxen, the stable stays clean...but no work gets done.

Obviously, stables/homes that are always clean are not very productive.

Dave ~ Brenda said...

Thank you, Gail, for all you wrote. Martha, then, is really not a woman I want to mimic. I would rather live in a messy house and have my dear hubby and children around me. And I love the last part of your comment! Seems we are EXTREMELY productive!! (even if it is eating eggs and talking on the phone!) :)

cairncottage said...

Hi, Brenda. Sounds like you already have quite a following of women who can fully relate to your post, including me! By the way, my futon on my 4 season porch looks like your couch 90 percent of the time! Seems like I'm ALWAYS folding laundry and seldom get it put away, before half of it gets worn again!! :P Homemaking is a never-ending battle of trying to "get things done/organized." Thanks for sharing.
Blessings, Ann @ Christ in the Clouds (http://cairncottage.blogspot.com/)

cairncottage said...

I accidentally posted my other blog, Cairn Cottage, which you are welcome to go to, also. My blog, Christ in the Clouds is at this site - http://christintheclouds.blogspot.com/
Blessings, Ann

Anonymous said...

My house is clean, but my children are gone. Oh, what I wouldn't give for too much laundry, dishes, and laughter. . .

Visiting today from Hungry for God: Starving for Time and glad I did.