I love to read. Since having children this has been one hobby among many that has taken a serious hit. I manage about two books a month if I am lucky. Beatrix Potter is now serious reading for me.
The Tale of Mrs. Tittlemouse by Ms. Potter was written in the Victorian era and is a lovely little piece of fiction. I am guessing it is less than 60 sentences long, but it fits into the category of classic literature for me.
The Tale of Mrs. Tittlemouse by Ms. Potter was written in the Victorian era and is a lovely little piece of fiction. I am guessing it is less than 60 sentences long, but it fits into the category of classic literature for me.
If you are not familiar, Mrs. T is a little wood-mouse living her impeccably clean house, in a hedge. She is probably between the age of 30-60 and seems to live on her own without a partner (The “Mrs” though leads me to believe she was married, or is, but perhaps separated).
However, she receives many houseguests who seem to disregard her desire to keep her home neat.
However, she receives many houseguests who seem to disregard her desire to keep her home neat.
I feel that Mrs. Tittlemouse is a bosom buddy of mine. A fictional friend. Her life and mine have some similarities.
First she feel asleep in her chair, then she went to bed. “Will it ever be tidy again?” said poor Mrs. Tittlemouse.
Like Mrs. T, I put a lot of heart and soul into housekeeping. Keeping home is an art- albeit a bit of a lost one. It doesn’t rate high to many people. People who have stayed at home beyond the socially acceptable maternity leaves, sick leaves, etc. usually are not considered to have “worked hard” over the course of their life.
So far, it’s the hardest job I have done. But also the most satisfying. I'm not saying this is what I will always be doing but I am finding myself falling surprisingly in love it.
First she feel asleep in her chair, then she went to bed. “Will it ever be tidy again?” said poor Mrs. Tittlemouse.
Like Mrs. T, I put a lot of heart and soul into housekeeping. Keeping home is an art- albeit a bit of a lost one. It doesn’t rate high to many people. People who have stayed at home beyond the socially acceptable maternity leaves, sick leaves, etc. usually are not considered to have “worked hard” over the course of their life.
So far, it’s the hardest job I have done. But also the most satisfying. I'm not saying this is what I will always be doing but I am finding myself falling surprisingly in love it.
Its not so much what it gives me but what I see it gives to those around me. A made bed, a hot meal, a clean home to wake up and go to bed in. Order. Fun. Familiarity. Peace. Peace. Peace.
It’s always a balance between keeping the space neat for the sake of all our sane heads, as well as allowing freedom for everyone to be who they are in the house. Mrs. T seems to struggle with that too.
Mrs. Tittlemouse was a most terribly tidy particular mouse, always sweeping and dusting the soft sandy floors. Sometimes a beetle lost its way in the passages. Shuh! Shuh! Little dirty feet!’ said Mrs/ TIttlemouse, clattering her dust-pan
Like Mrs. T, I find myself murmuring to myself after a day when I have swept up for the 14th time – “I shall go distracted!”
It’s always a balance between keeping the space neat for the sake of all our sane heads, as well as allowing freedom for everyone to be who they are in the house. Mrs. T seems to struggle with that too.
Mrs. Tittlemouse was a most terribly tidy particular mouse, always sweeping and dusting the soft sandy floors. Sometimes a beetle lost its way in the passages. Shuh! Shuh! Little dirty feet!’ said Mrs/ TIttlemouse, clattering her dust-pan
Like Mrs. T, I find myself murmuring to myself after a day when I have swept up for the 14th time – “I shall go distracted!”
But most of the time there is a ebb and flow through the house that makes it very workable. I love taking the time to design and plan how the house will function.
You may be laughing now but some of the best planners and builders have given their life’s work to this kind of thought. What is the home, but our castle?
One of my favorite toilet reads – A Pattern Language by Murray Silverstein, Sara Ishikawa, Christopher Alexander (1977) is a classic and popular in design and architecture classes around the world. It is kind of like permaculture, but for cities, homes, kitchens and even bathrooms. Applying many of its design suggestions has changed my home-life a lot. I'll explain a bit below.
You may be laughing now but some of the best planners and builders have given their life’s work to this kind of thought. What is the home, but our castle?
One of my favorite toilet reads – A Pattern Language by Murray Silverstein, Sara Ishikawa, Christopher Alexander (1977) is a classic and popular in design and architecture classes around the world. It is kind of like permaculture, but for cities, homes, kitchens and even bathrooms. Applying many of its design suggestions has changed my home-life a lot. I'll explain a bit below.
Houses should be liveable. But aesthetics are important too. William Morris, the great leader of the Arts and Craft movement of the 19th century said “Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful."
Here are some ways I have tried to make things smoother in what my stepson continues to remind me, “is a very very very small house for 5 people”. (Not that I agree – we are blessed beyond measure though it may seem small to some).
Here are some ways I have tried to make things smoother in what my stepson continues to remind me, “is a very very very small house for 5 people”. (Not that I agree – we are blessed beyond measure though it may seem small to some).
Bunk beds are never fun to make each morning, even for adults. So sleeping bags it is! I put in a fleece insert that I can take out and wash when I need to and the bags themselves only washed once in a century. Plus making the beds is a breeze for the kids.
We never had family pictures up and finally I made a wall downstairs for framed family pictures. But who has time to update these?!! Not me. But frames make pictures beautiful and prompt us to stop and look. Also we never looked at them downstairs.
Here is our solution in the kitchen. I can chop and change these whenever I like. Or feature a kid during the month of his birthday. Or even put up pictures of those family members who have passed when their birthday or anniversary of death approaches.
We never had family pictures up and finally I made a wall downstairs for framed family pictures. But who has time to update these?!! Not me. But frames make pictures beautiful and prompt us to stop and look. Also we never looked at them downstairs.
Here is our solution in the kitchen. I can chop and change these whenever I like. Or feature a kid during the month of his birthday. Or even put up pictures of those family members who have passed when their birthday or anniversary of death approaches.
A sacred space in necessary for us and for many others, whatever faith path you follow. Ours is in the hallway just outside our living room and always is there to bring me back around to what is truly important.
For a small house, A Pattern Language suggests adding “depth” to walls and corners to create other places to be in and to live together. Sometimes we all want to be together in the same space but also want to carve out a nook that gives some privacy. Here our book nook serves in this way (with some handy toy storage beneath). Our window seat is very similar.
I know there are two extremes that can happen in homes with kids – either the toys take over and its seems there is no neutral space left in the house, or there is no sign of toys anywhere and the identity and life of children is relegated to the margins. I am probably more susceptible to the former extreme but have tried to find ways to allow my kids to share the space with adults but not take it over (at least not all the time).
Nonetheless, sometimes I find myself - in the spirit of Mrs. T - scrambling after the kids to try and keep the place from getting out of hand ("She followed Frog with a dish-cloth, to wipe his large wet footmarks off the parlour floor”).
Nonetheless, sometimes I find myself - in the spirit of Mrs. T - scrambling after the kids to try and keep the place from getting out of hand ("She followed Frog with a dish-cloth, to wipe his large wet footmarks off the parlour floor”).
We have a fine, large eating area that we intentionally created - taking away from additional 'living room' space - to make sure that family meals and hospitality feature in our daily lives as much as possible.
There is nothing I love so much as a finely set table with friends around it. It doesn’t always happen and that’s ok. Because when it does, I love it all the more!
There is nothing I love so much as a finely set table with friends around it. It doesn’t always happen and that’s ok. Because when it does, I love it all the more!
I probably go overboard with storage and labeling but as some wise soul once said – A place for Everything and Everything in its Place. In a small house, these words are magic.
When I read The Tale of Mrs. T for the first time I was sure that it was going to end with a moral about not being too tidy and particular or you're going to miss out on life. But I don’t think Beatrix Potter went in for “the moral of the story” that much. Not in a Caillou sort of way.
In the end Mrs. T, “makes the door too small for some of the visitors she really doesn’t want to come by”. I promise you I will never do that. Even Mrs. T has to let loose.
[When her house] was beautifully neat and clean, she gave a party to five other little mice, without Mr. Jackson [the dirty frog]. He smelt the party and came up the back but he could not squeeze through the door.”
Sometimes I will have parties and the kids won’t be invited too. However, I think its fair to say that like Mrs. T, the home is worth investing time in. It might even be a legit full-time job. Most people think you have to have way too much expendable income for that sort of thing but I disagree. Many homemakers I know are the most frugal people out there and live on one salary that most people would bawk at.
Habitat for Humanity operates under the belief that if everyone had a home, many of the world’s problems would go away. I wholeheartedly agree. But a home isn’t just four walls. It’s the heart and soul of a family, whatever shape or size. Mrs. T had dirt floors but she still swept them. A true home isn't just the luxury of those with money.
Ours homes should receive the respect they deserve as the castles of our children, as the our own castles - hedge or mansion on the hill.
In the end Mrs. T, “makes the door too small for some of the visitors she really doesn’t want to come by”. I promise you I will never do that. Even Mrs. T has to let loose.
[When her house] was beautifully neat and clean, she gave a party to five other little mice, without Mr. Jackson [the dirty frog]. He smelt the party and came up the back but he could not squeeze through the door.”
Sometimes I will have parties and the kids won’t be invited too. However, I think its fair to say that like Mrs. T, the home is worth investing time in. It might even be a legit full-time job. Most people think you have to have way too much expendable income for that sort of thing but I disagree. Many homemakers I know are the most frugal people out there and live on one salary that most people would bawk at.
Habitat for Humanity operates under the belief that if everyone had a home, many of the world’s problems would go away. I wholeheartedly agree. But a home isn’t just four walls. It’s the heart and soul of a family, whatever shape or size. Mrs. T had dirt floors but she still swept them. A true home isn't just the luxury of those with money.
Ours homes should receive the respect they deserve as the castles of our children, as the our own castles - hedge or mansion on the hill.