The life of a domestic goddess
Now that I'm done with school, I'm getting all sorts of stuff done. And I'm back to playing in my hobbies and interests, too. I've never thought of myself as a domestic goddess--my house is pretty much always a disaster--but what else can you classify this stuff as?
I made strawberry jam a little while ago. I made the quickie version for the freezer because I haven't yet learned how to can (I'm going with my sissy to a canning class next weekend, and afterward we're going to make our own raspberry jam). The strawberry jam smells heavenly! I can't wait to try it on a piece of toast...made from homemade bread, of course. Also, it was really cheap and easy to make, too; the organic strawberries were on sale for $6/2 lbs., the pectin packet was only a couple bucks, and it made 6 half-pint jars. Normally, I'd pay $3-4 for a half-pint of organic jam at the grocery store, so this is a great deal! I want to try making peach freezer jam, too.
I finally got Patrick to hang a clothesline for me. I've been begging for one since last summer, because I wanted to save both money and energy. Patrick insisted on a retractable clothesline because they're not unsightly; it's actually pretty cool, because it just retracts like a dog leash into its housing when it's not in use. I need to wash our bedspreads and blankets and get them out to dry.
I have baby Cherokee Purple and Stupice tomatoes in the garden. They're awfully cute, about the size of a nickel. The two pea vines are producing beautiful pods but they're not making it far; I have a nasty little habit of shelling them and eating them right in the garden. I've never tasted such divine peas.
Next on the list...cheese making. Ever since I read Barbara Kingsolver's Animal Vegetable Miracle last summer, I've wanted to try making my own cheese. Soft cheeses like mozzarella, ricotta and cream cheese are supposed to be pretty easy. Because school made my life too nuts, I've been waiting to order the beginner kit from Ricki Carroll's website for over a year. I'm ordering this week!
I pulled my first carrot (heirloom called Scarlet Nantes) from the garden a few days ago--WOW! It was about finger size, so it wasn't fully grown, but it was both tender and crisp, and so flavorful. They taste nothing, and I mean nothing like grocery-store carrots.
I also pulled my first scallions from the garden, Franz Evergreen heirlooms. They're sweet and spicy, not at all sharp. I immediately went out and sowed more seeds because I had only sown about 6 scallions, and now I want more! Everything's small-scale this year while I'm learning. I wish so badly that I had more than 32 square feet of bed space (I have 16 square feet planted in strawberries). Next spring, or maybe even this fall, we're adding a nice long bed, at least 4x50, so I can do even more next year.
Comments
I know...but I have to admit it feels kind of weird to enjoy this stuff. I feel guilty about it, because I'm such a total feminist that it feels like I'm a hypocrite to enjoy it all. I always wonder, does it make me less of a feminist if I'm more domestic?
I'm amazed at how delicious all my garden goodies taste. I can't wait for the beans and tomatoes.
Just think, by growing your own veggies, you don't have to worry about salmonella like the rest of us.
The whole idea of the feminist movement was to give women a choice. This is your choice, a wise choice a loving earthy choice, you are not barefoot and pregnant down on the farm, you are a well educated, very skilled writer who happens to love the natural things. It is wonderful that we are in an age where we will not be held down or sent out to work or told not to work or how many children we must or must not have. The whole thing is about choice and your choice is a valid one.
I think it's so fascinating to listen to a "first-person" account of what it was like to live through such a huge cultural shift.
I agree, that if we enjoy doing it, we shouldn't feel guilty about it. I'm glad I'm not the only one who's dealt with it, either. It's funny that I feel all weird about it when I'm not even having kids and taking the traditional path for a woman!
Even though Earth Mother was meant as an epithet, I'd take it as a compliment. Not many women can be Earth Mothers! You rock!
I agree about the choice, but I feel guilty making the choice for domestic hobbies when women seemed to have worked so hard to get away from the home. It seemed like domestic stuff became taboo, like a dirty word, after feminism. But I guess it was more about getting the option to do it...not so much the acts themselves.
And I am VERY glad not to be barefoot and pregnant. Well, I'm glad not to be pregnant, anyway. I enjoy running barefoot. ;-)
But I don't have regrets. My choices have led me to a great family, retirement from a well loved career..... but I do not like to hear women feel guilty if they choose a more traditional role in life. It was all about the right to have choices!
Your thoughts and experiences remind me of a book I read a while back called The Mask of Motherhood. It was an excellent book, and the author spent a lot of time focusing on the accusations and judgments women make against one another: stay-at-home vs. working mom, breastfeeding vs. formula, natural birth vs. drugs, etc. The author spoke about how it was worse than counterproductive to focus on judging other women for these choices and speculated that it was a continued form of sexism, albeit in a new manifestation.
And I do think you're right--when we listen to our true desires, things work out as they should. That came out sounding like a meaningless platitude, but you know what I mean!
Oops, I commented on that last comment before I read this. You've got quite a variety of heirloom tomatoes! I saw Black from Tula in the Seed Savers' catalog this year and it looked so interesting with all those different colors. I haven't heard of Carbon, sounds like a neat name.
I'm going to try to save my own seeds this year; the tomato seed saving sounds a little difficult what with all the fermenting, but I'm going to try.
You have to tell me how the cheese making goes! I've wanted to for years. I even got a few books and ponied up for a cheese making kit, which I never used.
Fun post!
Thanks so much! Nice to "meet" you!
My sister and I tried canning strawberry jam this weekend. She wanted all the strawberries sliced rather than crushed so it took a while to slice 16 cups, but that was really the only time-consuming part. The jars look so pretty! At our class, we learned how to make dilly beans, so that will be my next venture; beans will be in season here soon.