Willa is doing a book study on Keeping House: The Litany of Everyday Life by Margaret Kim Peterson. I downloaded it onto my Kindle and started reading it. Somehow I didn't stop at the Preface but read right through to the end of Chapter One. Very undisciplined of me!
Since I can't keep my remarks to just the Preface because 1) it has now blurred with the first chapter and 2) I'm expecting guests soon and don't have time to go back and reread at the moment, I'll just quickly post about why I wanted to join in this book study.
See, me and housekeeping, we don't get along. I am at my most ADD when it comes to keeping tidy. I often joke that I am like Pigpen in the Peanuts comic strip. Where ever he goes, there is a cloud of dust. Where ever I go, there is a pile of clutter. I've been like this all my life. As a child growing up, my mother was very strict about keeping things tidy. Once I left home, however, I completely fell apart and never ever gained traction again. I have struggled with this all my life.
One thing I know about myself is that I can fall easily into despair and feeling overwhelmed. So I have to work at keeping myself buoyed up. Prayer is good, cultivating my spiritual life is good, surrounding myself with encouragement is good. And all this does a wonderful thing - it keeps me from being a subject of that reality show Clean House! I am able to just barely keep myself above the water so I don't drown. And this is even with housecleaners that come to our house every other Monday and vacuum and scrub it for me! That's how pathetic I am!
So as the holiday season approaches, I tend to really want to get my house clean. Even though I'm terrible at keeping things in order, I crave order especially around the holidays. I have a very hard time with Christmas. I find it completely overwhelming and sadly, I don't enjoy it much. I'm always exhausted when it is over and it takes me a while to recuperate (like all winter!). Every Christmas I vow I'll be different. So far I haven't accomplished this. But hope springs eternal!
Anyway, I am hoping this book study will be a source of inspiration to me as we move into the holiday season. I've had a rough fall. I've overbooked myself and have run into a lot of bumps in the road. I'm very tired. I suspect that I have fibromyalgia. I don't know for sure, but I am exhausted and in pain much of the time. I've been feeling very down lately, though I'm fighting mightily! Anyway, I know perseverance is key. I know that if you wait long enough the sun will rise. I know God will never abandon me. So things are good even when they seem bad!
Back to the book, I like the author's clear-sighted and intentional approach to housework. Her voice rings very authentically true to me, so I am finding the book very appealing. It gives me food for thought and make me want to be more intentional about my wifely and motherly duties. And that is what I need. So I am looking forward to this book study very much!
I get so demoralized by Christmas, too! I love the holiday but hate all the responsibility that goes with it.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if there should be a "get real" standard of housekeeping like a "get real" type weight goal?
I'm glad you're participating, Faith!
When we had a bi-weekly cleaner it helped me get organized because I had to tidy before she came so she wouldn't have to work around our piles and clutter. But I could never keep the effect going for very long : (.
The problem is the bar gets raised way too high this time of year. When you have 2 MONTHS to prepare for a holiday, you start thinking you have to get EVERYTHING "right" and do every stupid activity you see on the Internet (I'm looking at you, Christmas Elf on a Shelf!). I've taken to waiting until the very last week (I know! Scary!) to do my Christmas preparations. You'd think that would generate more stress, but it doesn't. Less time to prepare means lower expectations and more enjoyment of the holiday. Also, I'm not sick of Christmas when it finally rolls around.
ReplyDeleteI am so with you. Housekeeping is always the first thing to fall apart for me and the last thing I get back together (though it never stays together for long). I think I might need to join in this book study!
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