Monday 8 September 2008

Never Underestimate a Woman's Touch!



GENERATIONS of women in my family have loved this sequence from Calamity Jane! My nana, my mum, myself and now my girls. The girls want me to paint the shed so it looks like Katie and Calam's cabin, but I haven't quite got around to it yet. But "not getting around to things quite yet" is the story of my life at the moment. My youngest has started school, but afternoons only, which means I'm walking to school and back three times a day (3/4 of a mile each way)and I'm only having one or two hours between each walk to get my housework done. Also, I start tutoring today, only for an hour a day, but right at the time when I generally cook tea, so I'm cooking earlier in the day so I can still have a meal on the table for 6 (ish). I've also got one or two meetings in the evening, for both school and church, and my eldest is back at choir rehearsals and singing lessons. My summer was so chilled out, all of this activity has come as a bit of a shock to me! So instead of writing an informative piece organic food for the frugal homemaker I've trawled Youtube for a bit of comfort viewing. I hope it gives you inspiration to glamourise your cabins! I shall be posting, but just quick bits and bobs for fun and inspiration, just until I get myself sorted!

14 comments:

Maymomvt said...

I really envy the amount of walking it's possible to do in England. It is so rural here that there is no way I could walk anywhere to run an errand. I love our hills but maybe I should move closer to a town! We'd all be healthier for it.

Marie N. said...

I look forward to reading more about your tutoring in the future. I hope you and your student find it enjoyable.

Anonymous said...

Good ol' Calam! What fun.

And I know what you mean about back and forth to school. By gum! Does your youngest start school full time soon? Or is she part-time for the whole school year?

Hugs.

Left-Handed Housewife said...

My sons' school is a five-minute drive from here, which isn't so bad, except for those days when I'm driving back and forth four times for drop-offs, pick-ups, meetings and conferences. If I could walk, I'd be as thin as a rail, but the route is along a busy road ...

Things here are finally starting to settle down after three weeks of school. Hope they settle for you soon, too!

Frances

Jenny said...

Oh Natalie, thanks so much for that. I haven't seen that film for years and I don't think my Kate has ever seen it. I'll share it with her later. When I clicked on your blog the Ladies of the Canyon came on and that was another thing you gave to Kate and me and we both love it so much now, it's our song. After a weekend and Monday of out of the ordinary days my house looks a little like Calam's cabin so I'll have to give it a woman's touch and make it all pretty and loved again.

I know that back to school feeling, when the whole world seems to want to organise your day and impose new routines, so difficult to adjust to after being so free all summer.

Tan said...

Id never seen it before - thank you! Ill have to see if I can get the DVD.

Dulce Domum said...

Hi Sarah
I think it's because we're a much smaller country, towns and villages are much closer together. Also, second cars were pretty much unheard of here until the 1980s, so mums tended to walk or bike their kids to school etc, I suppose we've just got the infrastructure to do it!

Hi Marie
It's going fine so far (fingers crossed)!

Hi Sarah
She starts full-time on 15th September. She's doing fine so far (typical second child) but I'm not too sure how she'll cope with full-time just yet. Is your little un part-time all year?

Hi Frances
I once tried to walk into town in New England, there were no pavements so I walked on the side of the road. A lorry driver stopped and called me rude names, saying that I was jay-walking! I think if I lived in the USA I'd be pretty isolated as I don't drive.

Hi Jenny
I'm so glad you and Kate like "Ladies of the Canyon". That song was a real inspiration to me! I used to listen to the album after work and pray that I could be like a Lady of the Canyon..."cats and babies at her feet and all are fat and none are thin" I can't bake a brownie without humming the song!

Hi Tan
It's a lot of fun, and you can see all of it on Youtube, just to test it out before you buy. I love a good musical!

Anonymous said...

My little Squidge starts fulltime on the 15th too. I think she'll be really tired.

Chatterbox is struggling a bit with school at the moment. I think she might be being bullied a little by one of her friends...we are praying and keeping an eye on it. If it is the case I shall be stomping in to see the teacher! Grrr.

Hugs p.s. sent you an email.

Anonymous said...

Lol your response slightly confused me with two Sarahs!

Gumbo Lily said...

Walking to and fro to school will be a nice exercise for you and just think how much it will mean to your little one. It sure does cut into your homemaking though, doesn't it?

Loved the Calamity Jane clip. I've never seen it.

Glad to know you're a "curly girl" too (yes, it was me under the tree) Do you wear your hair the same? Is it dark, dark, brown with silver tresses?

Jody

Dulce Domum said...

Hi Sarah (UK!!)
Yes, I think the little 'un is going to be very tired too. I'd get up the school if I were you and kick ass (metaphorically of course)regarding Chatterbox being picked on. Nothing gets a teacher's attention more than a forthright parent, and the children are just at that age when a visit to a head teacher will stop any bullying pretty sharpish. Grrrr! "I am mother hear me roar..."

Hi Jody
Yes, it's very thick, very curly and very dark brown, but a little longer than yours. I have two grey hairs (I'm monitoring them). I refuse to straighten my hair, life is too short and it just springs back up anyway! I get it from my dad's side of the family who all look Italian, even though they couldn't be more English. Oh, but I have pale skin and blue eyes from my mum, my sister is just the same, we're a proper genetic mixture.

Anonymous said...

Oh I love your blog...it's so varied and interesting! I enjoyed that clip too...it makes me want to girlify this place a bit more!

love, Tina :)

Dulce Domum said...

Hi Tina
Oh, thank you so much for th nice comment. I like the fabric they use for the chairs in that clip, it would sell for a fortune at Cath Kidston!

Laura A said...

Oh, I've never seen this! Love it!

We walk a lot, too. I'll walk two or three times today back and forth from my daughter's music program, also 3/4 mi away.

And I do know what you mean about the shock of starting up again after a chilled out summer.