House and Home

I’ve been reading this really great book on homemaking. (I’ll wait for y’all to stop snickering) Its not on housekeeping per se- though part of it is- but is also on the art of home-making. I definitely came from a house where there was a Right Way of doing things and there was the way everyone else did things. Its been interesting to read the book and see other ways of house-keeping presented. Some things I’ve been pondering:

1. The “a little bit every day” method: I can’t decide if I like this. While I always clean up after a meal or activity, and I “neaten” the house before bed, I don’t usually do an end of the day sweep of the floors or wipe down of the bathroom. Though I agree that it would probably make the bigger weekly cleanings a little easier, I wonder if I would feel bogged down by the added items on my to do list or if it would make it seem like I was cleaning all the time.

2. I don’t consider cleaning the inside of the refrigerator and sanitizing the garbage can weekly activities. Gross or realistic?

3. I really liked the chapters on serving meals. I’m a total dork in that if someone can give me an exact number of inches that the tablecloth should hang down from the table for a formal dinner, I’m so going to make sure mine fit the next time I have people over.

4. Was geekily excited that I could recognize all the cutlery pictured in the flatware section. I even got the Oyster fork!

5. I very much agree that the kitchen is the default center of the house. I think my ideal kitchen (in addition to having more cabinets than Home Depot) will have a window seat, a large kitchen table and lots of windows. I like having people in the kitchen when I cook but I don’t like them hovering or underfoot (ahem, Fussbot). A large table so kids can do homework or adults can sit around and be chatty makes the room work as an entertaining area and a practical kitchen.

6. Growing up my parents often had people over on weekend afternoons “for coffee.” There was always a freshly baked cake served as well as mixed nuts, fruit salad or some cookies. When my parents were here last weekend for the wedding, I told them to come over after the wedding with their friends. My mom looked at me, and totally seriously yet incredulously said, “but you don’t have any cake to serve them!” Its funny, but no matter what, I always try to have some cake/cookies/fruit/nuts on hand to whip out if people stop by or if we do a last minute invite. Its one childhood rule I can’t break.

7. I feel like a little bit of the art of home-making has been lost. The fact that I have to read a book to learn more about flower arranging (yes, I have done this) and the chemistry behind household cleaning makes me feel like a little is lost between each generation. I’m sure my mom knows these things, certain that my grandmother is an expert, but I somehow missed picking some of this up. I also feel like it’s a taboo topic to bring up; no one wants to be seen as a simple home maker even though a lot of us bear the home making responsibility in the relationship.