One thing I have discovered

...about myself is that I really enjoy "homemaking"/housekeeping. It's not always pleasant, and sometimes it hard work, but there's nothing better than feeling that your house is clean and well-run because of your management.
I like all aspects of it: cooking, getting a good deal at the store, finding a home for everything, keeping only things have a good use, folding towels, etc.

I remember my mom once saying that we should "find joy in the things we have to do each day". So true. I find joy in experimenting with cleansers, scrubbing the pots after dinner, arranging bouquets of flowers, stocking the pantry, and always trying to have extras of everything so that we never run out.

Then there's the even more exciting part of making a home- having a yummy smell wafting through each room of the house, putting this and that into attractive containers, making sure the lighting in each area is inviting, and that the bathroom is a place where you'd actually want to have a good soak.

I like to always keep a wreath on the door and the house tidy in case someone unexpectedly drops by. I like to fill the house with things that make me feel good inside. Things like: pictures of my family, bottles of fragrant lotion, books that remind me of days past.

I don't want my house to feel sterile, so I don't mind scattered toys that demonstrate my child's creativity, notebooks lying around to help me gather my ideas and be more efficient, lists on the fridge, in the bedroom, and everywhere else. I don't mind that Dusty leaves the newspaper on the kitchen table in the morning and some left-over breakfast on the stove.

I realized long ago that I was a "homebody". There's no where I'd rather be. I feel comfort and security. It's a place I can cry, let my hair down (or pull it up), put on my lounge pants and curl up with a blanket; most importantly, it's the place where I hear the laughter and feel the love of the most special people in my life. And that's the best of all.