Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Puttering and journaling...

The Spring buffet...

Yesterday was my first full day at home (with the exception of going to the walking path) in quite some time.  It gave new meaning to Edith Schaeffer's encouragement that there must be at least one person in the family who takes responsibility for the home.

It took four loads of dishes to clean the kitchen (I do not have a dishwasher except me) and that is with just two of us here.  It is a good thing that my hubby makes his own breakfast and lunch... so I will not complain (much) about the number of dishes he leaves behind.

He tells me the dishes reproduce by themselves in the sink.  He helps a lot around the house but despises doing dishes.  I get unsettled when the kitchen is messy so it was a wonderful feeling of accomplishment to have a clean sink and clear counters again.

I love puttering around the house decluttering and tweaking it here and there but it is only enjoyable when there is a clean canvas to work with!  Never perfectly clean, of course... we do live here.  :)


For a few evenings (during the very busy days), I spent some time perusing my original scrapbook journal which is only photos and prose cut out of favorite magazines like my old Victoria issues.

I get inspired just looking at the pictures of pretty rooms and beautiful scenery.  It is full and now I created a different kind of scrapbook journal (inspired originally by the dear Jewels!).


I'm just starting to add the "Garden 2012" pages to the journal this year.  Above is an example of last year's garden pages.   I'm also going to add some Wendell Berry quotes today, all from a library book called "The Selected Poems of Wendell Berry".

If you are interested, I wrote a post about how I put together my scrapbook journal... here.

The additions I'm doing now are the first in about six or seven months!  Sometimes I get inspired to write, at times just to "paste" (with double sided tape) some inspiring magazine photos or prose, and then there are months and months when I just read through it.

I don't feel a bondage to it like I must always be keeping it updated.  I don't use mine like a daily diary, instead it is full of snapshots of my life... my interests at the time.

Although it would make a lovely journal for writing in more often if one was so inclined.  :)

5 comments:

Vee said...

Beautiful zinnia header, Brenda. It's so cheerful.

I have such a journal. I use it just as you do yours...when the mood strikes. I did enjoy reading Susan B's blog about her journals, which she seems to use better than either of us are doing. ;> Perhaps a talent for drawing and penmanship are required.

Thickethouse.wordpress said...

Your garden is looking good (the comment I didn't make on your Tuesday post before your Wednesday post was up) and I'm glad you are having a quiet day at home and can catch up there a bit and also work on your scrapbooks. I don't have a scrapbook, but think about it! I do keep a journal. I love Susan Branch's blog which Vee mentioned. Such a talented woman. I do enjoy puttering about at home as you write about doing. Puttering and tweaking! And blog reading from time to time! ;->

Deanna Rabe - Creekside Cottage Blog said...

I too have a journal like this. I haven't written in it for a while now. I would like to keep up with it better!

Deann

Thickethouse.wordpress said...

Forgot to say how much I like the new header. L.M. Montgomery, whose books I love, made a few snarky remarks about zinnias being so stiff, but my grandmother grew them in many sorts and colors and even striped some years and I see them as resolutely cheerful and steadfast. I love them.

Suzan said...

Hi Brenda,
Your post was so soothing today. I too live in the country, this year we will have corn growing next to the cottage. It rotates every year. When we first moved here I was out hanging laundry on the line. It was ahot humid day and I could hear the corn rustling and cracking as it grew. This was such a new experience for me. I mentioned it to my sister and she laughed at me. I never mentioned things like that again. But I still listen and enjoy the things that God has to offer.
Have you ever read any of Lisa Wingate's books. They are wonderful!
Suzan
Ladybug Cottage