Living Intentionally

   

 The world is a busy place now, but I find it hard to believe that our ancestors had less to do than we do.  I vividly remember with what energy and diligence my grandmothers tackled their to do lists when I visited them over the summer months.  The cleaning (even scrubbing), marketing and seasonal work of gardening, harvesting and preserving fruits and vegetables, and the baking that was done almost daily, plus the preparations for celebrations.   They kept their skillful hands flying at their tasks from sun up to sun down.  Their houses were full of beautiful, hand-crafted textiles, skillfully made by their own hands and proudly displayed and/or utilized in their homes.  Their yards were showplaces of flowers and everything was as neat as a pin.  They visited neighbors, friends and relatives and brought them home baked goodies.   My mom too, never left her house unless it was suitable for receiving guests.  Throughout my childhood and youth she was busy at her work and diligent in her efforts cleaning, folding, and ironing laundry, washing counters and sinks, dusting, sweeping, and working in the garden.  She was, and is still, so very talented.  Turning her hand skillfully at many amazing projects.  I have tried to imitate all of them as closely as possible, working at the challenges that presented themselves daily with cleaning, cooking, gardening, and the crafts that I felt I could do, and I tried to inspire my children to do the same.  I think I had less money to work with than my Mom had (but not less than my Grandmothers did), so I had to make use of the resources I had on hand, but usually there was plenty to do day in and day out.

       Now I see the next generation with new challenges.  The computer, which was supposed to make life easier and give us access to so many helpful sites, just consumes the time it was meant to save.  No more time is left for cooking, cleaning or crafting useful items.   Troubles and inadequacies are peddled to this new generation via the computer.   They fill their heads with useless worries or burn off with computer games, the stress they would have, in a previous time, burned off with sincere effort at daily work.   They are too consumed with their own thoughts to be bothered to spend time with their children and they hurry to slapdash together meals (a necessity) and get a few winks of sleep (another necessity), pushing quality of life aside for "KNOWLEDGE" and "FUN"  What good is all that knowledge now, if your life is lived in a garbage pit with scrapings for food and nothing but distraction racing through your sleepless head, and disordered appetites controlling a feeble body?  How much fun are you really having?  But the blame is not with the computer itself, as my husband always says about our problems with the computer:  "Garbage in, garbage out."   What he means is that the computer is, in the end, just a tool and that the computer isn't causing our problems, we are.   A shovel, when used to break a car window, is not being used for its intended purpose, but the fault lies with the user, not the tool.   All the labor saving devices that were supposed to free up our time for more fun and useful pursuits, have just created a race of undesirably grouchy, worried and out of shape people, lacking values or goals.  All pride in achievement is gone, and awards are given to those who show the greatest POTENTIAL.

      Hmm... perhaps we should backpedal just a bit to a time when people were important and things less important than people.  A time when work was valued and a job well done was the source of our pride.  A time when tools were used to bring about a better life, not manipulate people into submission.

     Lets begin our days early (by the recommendation of a healthy, wealthy, and wise man, Benjamin Franklin), lets do all our hardest work right after our morning prayers and get our home and neighborhood environment clean and comfortable, provide for our families and help our neighbors, THEN we can sit down and learn new things with our computer.  Let's add a little dignity to our lives and lift up those who have fallen, "Encourage one another to love and good works." ( Hebrews 10:24) We can start that today, right now.  Maybe you can retrieve your life and cultivate the next generation, rescuing them from the  sad, undignified existence that the world is preparing for them.

First things first, people and animals need to be fed, animals and plants need to be watered.  The rule is feed your animals before you feed yourself, that way you won't accidentally forget them.
 If it is alive nourish it.

Do you have to be at a job today?  Then there is no time to waste, work fast, work well and get as much done as you can before you leave, enlist as much help as you can.  It may take a few days to get your house in order but maintenance is easier than cleaning and the weekend is a good time to catch up on deep cleaning. My mom worked at several jobs and volunteered in her community, but her house was always ready for visitors when she left it for work or an event.  Weekends often find me outside in the garden.  Passers by should be aware that your home is cared for and there are some simple ways to make the approach to your house inviting and the perimeter of your property reflect your care.  We will cover more about that on another day.

So, let's start with cleaning:

If your children are tiny they can't be expected to help clean, but anyone who can understand what you are saying when you ask them to get something for you, can help clean up.  Enlist the kids' help and try to make it fun for everyone.  Put on some music or if they are small make it a game.

To begin with, weather permitting, open the windows.

Then make sure that you:

STRAIGHTEN:

Get rid of the garbage:   Junk mail, expired coupons, old newspapers, used tissues, empty packaging and food wrappers, broken things that cannot be fixed or repurposed.  Dead plant life, vegetable scraps and coffee grounds can be composted.

Clean up dirty clothes:   Put them in the hamper and within the hour sort them into piles that are similar in color and fabric and start the first load washing. (Keep listening for the washer and dryer to stop, then fold or hang up the clean laundry as it finishes.  Switch the loads in the machines, and start another)

Put away Electronics:  They are not pretty, they must be put in a cabinet or shelf with the cords neatly and usefully wrapped up.  "A place for everything, everything in its place." 

Put away books and file papers that must be kept:   Important papers should have a firesafe box to be filed in, other useful papers can be filed according to the date they will be used or the subject matter.   Books should have shelves and can be sorted according to subject in the room where they will most likely be used.  Recent magazines can be kept in a box or basket near where they will be used.

Vacuum regularly, if you have kids and dogs this may need to happen daily, if not, twice per week may be enough.

Mix up baked goods and other mixes that will be useful, refilling mix jars for easy access to what will be needed to entertain unexpected guests (My Grandma kept cookie dough in the refrigerator so they could bake fresh cookies to have at "tea," or when the farm hands came in for "coffee," or when grandchildren arrived.)

DEEP CLEAN:

Now clean up "top surfaces":  Table tops, tops of shelves and the refrigerator, microwave, and stove vent hood.  If you can see something on top of something, clean it. That means throw it away if it is garbage (see above), put it away if it can be put away, give it away if you don't need it and it has value.  Don't forget to clean the ceiling fans.

 Believe it or not the floors and rugs are top surfaces.  Here is where you vacuum and sweep and wipe hard surfaces with a damp rag and, if necessary, a cleaner.  At first this may seem like lots of work but eventually you'll be able to tell how dirty something is and where the worst spots are, so that daily it is just touch up and weekly it is more of a deep clean of the edges and cleaning of the whole floor.

Cleaning the finger print or nose art on the windows or patio doors can be done as soon as you see it or weekly depending on how much of it you can tolerate.

Clean up the kitchen :  Gather and wash the dirty dishes and clear as much as possible off the counter tops.  If something can be put away then do that, if it must stay on the counter put it out of the way.

Clean and disinfect the bathroom:  spray down the sinks, tub, shower and fixtures with disinfectant and with a clean rag wipe everything clean and dry.  Use a scrubber and vinegar to remove crusty hard water stains then wash and wipe it dry. Pull the shower curtain or doors shut so they can dry.

Empty the garbages:  As needed and on garbage day. Don't forget to put a clean trash bag when you are done.  If you keep several bags in the bottom of the garbage can you will find it easier to remember to replace the bag, and the bags will be handy.

Important! Nothing should be left wet (except maybe plants, and flowers in a vase.)  Water is the enemy of almost everything, mold grows where water is, it encourages decay and corrosion.  Dry and dehumidify as much as you can in summer.  Only when the dryness gets to be uncomfortable in the winter should you humidify.

Your home should be modestly clean by this time, so you'll be able to see what needs more work (like maybe the windows or the grout between the tiles or cobwebs in places you forgot existed) and what needs to be repaired or replaced.  These are seasonal chores and can be handled as they come up.  Whatever you have decided to keep in your home should have a place to be put away.  

DECORATE:

Use your own home made efforts, table cloths, pillows, doilies, pictures, pottery and those of your children.  Use mementos of your adventures like family trips special events or classes.  Use flowers from your garden in a pretty vase or fruit from your own orchard in a special bowl.  Frame your family photos and kids artwork and put them around on the tables and shelves.  Cover your beds with homemade afghans and quilts.  Press flowers in a flower press and when they are dry make pictures or frames out of them.  Repurpose a curtain or tablecloth into a valance for your kitchen window,  sew a towel into a colorful mat for drying dishes.  Personalize and add detail to your life to make it uniquely yours.

Now, finally, close the windows, put a fresh tablecloth on the table,  fill the vases with fresh flowers and start some cookies baking to give the house a fresh, home like scent, and to reward your hard working crew. Then get out a new project to work on while the kids are playing/napping.  Life is better in your new world.