EASE, ELEGANCE, and ECONOMY

 

EASE, ELEGANCE, and ECONOMY

 

I am a big fan of Jane Austen. Even more than her books, I like her letters. Even though she was born two hundred and fifty years ago, she said a lot in her novels of contemporary nineteenth century life that still make sense today.

She wrote a letter to her sister, Cassandra, in July of 1808 that contained this passage: "In the meantime for Elegance and Ease, and Luxury...I shall eat ice and drink French wine, and be above Vulgar Economy." Jane did like a good vacation.

Many years later I read these familiar words again in another book that I happened to find. This one was printed in  1971, and was one of my favorites when I was a young wife: 

It's out of print now but used copies can still be ordered through book stores. I liked it because it was funny, yet filled with charts and schedules. I remember she said that the only thing she really liked about housekeeping was arranging red roses in crystal vases. 

The words I remember most were her opinions on ease, elegance, and economy. Basically, she said that you can never have all three at the same time. You can always have two of them, but never all. And it changes. If you want to buy something, make something, entertain someone, or just do something wild and crazy for yourself, then one of these will have to be excluded.

It's possible to plan a party with ease and elegance, but not with economy, because you will have to spend more money. You can have an elegant, economical party, but it won't be easy, because you will be doing most of the work yourself. Or you can just throw something together and make it easy and economical, but you'll be missing all those fine touches that make it elegant!

I'm not sure why this has stuck with me for fifty years, but it applies to just about every situation. I'm not sure what happened to my copy of the book, but it is worth reading more than once. I remember making some pretty elaborate schedules when my kids were small. 

Another housekeeping book I liked was this one:

For quite a while I kept my whole life on index cards. The authors' motto was "We change lives with 3 x 5's. They were two sisters, Pam and Peggy, and were hilarious. They had a tv show for a while, and I always tried to watch it. They were even keynote speakers at a convention I went to, and let me be their assistant, because I wrote them a really schmaltzy fan letter. They wrote back to me. I probably still have it somewhere. I finally got rid of all their newsletters, and instantly regretted it.

Another homemaker author I enjoyed was Peg Bracken and her "I Hate to Cook" book and "I Hate to Housekeep" book. As people can probably tell, I am drawn to the funny and the ridiculous advice books, as long as they teach me something I want to learn.

And, then, of course there is Martha Stewart, who tried to make us think that we could have the Three E's, although I never feel that economy is involved. One year I wanted to use one of her Christmas ideas, but I realized that just the ribbon would cost my entire budget. And Martha isn't funny. Impressive, but not funny.

Today, I still enjoy all the housekeeping and decorating tips, but am becoming addicted to YouTube videos. Everyone I see has a perfect life. Recently, I've been watching several of the videos called "Wise Elders Insights." They are filled with good advice for our twilight years, but not with a lot of humor. They are narrated with a very soothing voice that makes me feel like I must have known Jane Austen personally.  (I might be a little touchy since I just had a birthday!) I'm still hunting for the perfect clean your house, organize your day, be clever, and enjoy your life and laugh whenever you can information. I know it must be out there.

Daily Joys and An Anniversary

 

Daily Joys and An Anniversary

As I was idly looking through past blog posts, I started reading them all. When I got back to the beginning I realized that this is my anniversary month. I started my blog in June, 2005. It was first called "The Victorian Gypsy". Twenty years ago!!! Sometimes I feel that maybe I am still writing about the same things. And then I realize that of course I am, because these are the words of my life. I've talked about things I like to do, things I like to see, things I like to make, people I have loved, houses where I've lived, and moments that broke my heart.

I keep coming back to the same stories, hopefully with a new twist. I am always looking for ways to be more organized. I always like to decorate my house with items that have a history or are handmade. I only like recipes that are quick and easy. I still procrastinate. I enjoy traveling and reliving my trips through photos. I also like to make lists, and keep notes that don't always make sense when I read them later.

There were lots of times when I didn't write. I had moments of deep grief when it was all I could do to keep going through the fog. I can see those times in the blank spaces, but I didn't want to write about them here. I need to write, but I didn't always want to share.

Before I started blogging, I had a group on Yahoo called "Living With Intention" or "IntentionalWoman". It never had a big following, but I had big plans. This was during a much busier time in my life, when I expected every day to have a happy ending. It looks like my head was full of the same stories as now! Here are a few excerpts from those writings. They were many years ago but are still relevant:

"I am concentrating right now on decluttering--my life and my head. I read that it is very important to list your complaints and clear out what you don't want. This helps us to see the things that we do want. Then list the five things that are most important to you. Make these your daily joys and try to do something every day that relates to these five.

Are you making time for these five things? I discovered that I am consistently putting the most important items at the bottom of my list--just because I think I will have time to do them eventually"

"Think of all the years passed by in which you said to yourself "I'll do it tomorrow," And how the gods have again and again granted you periods of grace of which you have not availed yourself.                                  It is time to realize that you are a member of the Universe, that you are born of Nature itself, and to know that a limit has been set to your time. Use every moment wisely, to perceive your inner refulgence, or 'twill be gone and nevermore within  your reach."          --Marcus Aurelius (Roman Emperor 161-180AD)

Perhaps this quote from his Meditations sounds a bit dark, but that is not my purpose. There seem to be a lot of books and articles lately about slowing down, taking time for your life and doing the things that really matter. After years of thinking that maybe there is something wrong with us if we can't do it all, and that we should feel guilty when we take time for ourselves, suddenly it is okay to examine our lives and concentrate on the things and people that really matter. This is good. But, it is hard to do. Some days our lives are just a series of loose ends and minor annoyances, and no matter what we do, we haven't made a difference. That's why I am trying to remind myself of my own Daily Joys--they make me glad that I am here today and that I am heading in the right direction. As a culture, we don't like to believe that our time on earth is limited, even though we are conditioned to think that we never have enough time and that we are always rushed and overscheduled. Being busy and overworked and overwhelmed makes people feel validated. We think that we are the only ones who can do our work correctly. And that is not good.

How many of us are living for tomorrow? As I look around my home and office, I see so many projects, some unstarted, many unfinished. How much time do I really think I will have to do all those wonderful crafts and quilts, collages, and dolls? When will I write the best seller that surely lives within me somewhere? Sometimes it is so hard to be realistic about the way to spend time, because the process can be as involving as the project. When I am living for tomorrow I just keep starting new things, without the joy of completion, because I am counting on having those "periods of grace"

Sticks and Strings and Other Things

There was a time in my life when there was never enough time. Isn't it strange that we can be so busy that we dream of a few moments of solitude, but when it arrives, we don't quite know what to do with it, do we? I grew up in a large family, and then was the proud mama of five, so I have always known a little bit about noise, and the difficulties of finding a quiet time and the space to be alone. And, then, suddenly, there were months and then years when I was alone, and everything in my life became reduced to doing the necessary things, and then staring out of a window or losing myself in a book for hours every day.
And then suddenly one day, I took a giant step and moved myself into a little space in a big house. There is a lot of noise, and activity, and laughter, and wrestling matches, and arguments about whether a hot dog is a sandwich.... And I am hearing certain words and phrases more times in one day than I have ever heard them in my life. My job here is to be nearly invisible and in the background, which is understandable. How many young men want to live with an old (who, Me?) woman?   None, of course. And I totally get that. But, yes, they are friendly to me, and polite, and respectful. And most of them talk to me a lot. And I am laughing again. I have the feeling that Jim and Rich are laughing too.

This began as a post about all the things I have been making with my free time. That is the Sticks and Strings part. I really miss having a crafting room, because, at one time, I had the best of the best. But knitting and crocheting don't have to take a lot of room, so I have been busy in my little space. First, I made a large afghan, as a Christmas gift.

Next, some smaller projects. I needed a bag to hold my yarn.

And then, a smaller bag.....

I couldn't resist this granny tea cosy:

And a decorated vase:

I saved my best for last, and now my picture won't come up. So I'll be back.........

Time to Renew and Redo

I am beginning to work on my much neglected blog. So far I haven't done much, but changed the background. I really liked my old background but I know that it was hard to read. I am taking an online workshop with Raine of  Lime Tree Fruits. She designs the most wonderful planner pages. Take a look. This is the time of year when I always want to get organized. I haven't done much with my blog for a long time. I have changed directions in my life so many times since I started my little crafting blog in 2006. It has taken me this long to get 200 posts, so I am obviously not a very active blogger. I have also reopened my Etsy shop and will be adding new items shortly.
Even though I am officially "retired" from my office job, I am still working the same number of hours or more each week, but could use another income source. (Couldn't we all?) I am hoping to be successful at the things I used to love to do.
And, yes, since it is January, it is time again for Word of the Year. I have done this for a while. Last year's word was Discover. Before that was Mindfulness. And in my darkest time, my word was Acceptance. This year I am going with HomeKeeper. Even though I moved a year and a half ago, it has been difficult to feel that this is my house. I like it well enough, but it just hasn't felt like mine, so this is the year I want to concentrate on making it truly my home.
I'll be back soon.

100 Things About Me- Part one

I was sorting through boxes (still and again) and found this picture. I think I was probably three. It made me think of the lists I often see and have never tried to do. So here it is---Things about me That Aren't Really Important to Anyone Else......but isn't that why we have blogs?????
1.I don't want to be too predictable.
2.I am from a really unusual family who could easily fill this list, but I am trying to make it all about me.
3.I really do love Irish music.
4.I prefer tea but drink a lot of coffee.
5.I like to knit and crochet, but have never made anything that has to be fitted.
6.I still have the first "antique" I ever bought. Candlelsticks. 50 cents
7. My absolutely favorite job was at  a living history museum. It was my life for many years.
8,I can make jewelry from hair. (See #7)
9.I can cook on a woodstove (Ditto)
10. I know more about nineteenth century ettiquette than anyone probably wants to know.
11. I always spell etiquette wrong. Other than that, I am a really good speller.
12.I was a page at the Iowa Legislature when I was in high school, and worked there again for a session four years ago. Loved it.
13. I've always hated office jobs.
14. I work in an office.
15.I have always wanted a gypsy wagon in my back yard.
16. Now that I rent, I don't have a backyard.......or a gypsy wagon.
17. Sometimes I tell fortunes at parties.
18. I used to have a fairy ring in my yard. Every day I made a wish when I got off the school bus. For years.
19. I'm mom to five children. My mother has five children. My grandmother had five children.
20.Sometimes I write poetry. Not often.
21. I really want to write a book, but I'm afraid to start.
22.I have been baptized three times.
23.Every single moment of my life is touched by grief. I have learned to live, even to enjoy. But it is there. Every. Single. Moment.
24. I married at nineteen and never regretted it.
25. New furniture makes me nervous. I like things to have a little wear.
Okay. End of Part One. 100 really seems like a lot.

Word of the Year-2014

Every year I pick a word. And this year the word is Discovery. Or Discover. Or Discovering. I thought about picking Adventure, but want to notice and learn about things first. I actually used this worksheet to help me pick out a word. I thought about nearly a dozen words, but discover was the one that seemed just right for the year I have ahead. Last year's word was mindfulness, and I spent most of the year thinking about things, and moving and clearing out my life. So this is the year to discover new things about my self and my world.
Did anyone notice that the link goes to an address called "Word of the Year Discovery Tool". I filled out five pages of worksheets trying to come up with the perfect word for me. And only just now I noticed that I "borrowed" my word right from the title! Maybe I need to go back to "Mindfulness" for another year! Stay warm and think about a word. It's probably right in front of you.

The Party's Over!

Well, you haven't heard from me too much this month because I was so busy shopping for the birthday extravaganza. And now it's over, and I am back on a budget. So, of course, I needed these little Budget Banks. One even came with most of the labels. The holes are for paper money, and the slots collect change. The compartments inside make sure to keep your money separated. They are metal, and I guess they were popular in the 1930's through the 1950's. I'd never seen them before my late nite dates with online shopping. These were two of my  birthday gifts to myself, thanks to Etsy and Ebay-places I will be staying away from for awhile! I did have fun, picking out little gifts for myself. It is so easy to be extravagant. I bought an old magazine rack, a lovely little tin with a lighthouse picture on it, a kit to make a table runner, a couple of tutorials and online classes.

Soon after I decided on my "I'll get myself whatever I want" plan, I found something I have been looking for since we moved here. So I did have a big splurge. Here is my birthday gift to myself. I love it. Just the right size for my little big house. As you can see, this is where I'll be, blogging and budgeting. But no more shopping for now!

Penny For My Thoughts

I've been looking for something crafty to do-something which only takes a part of my brain, and this is what I have come up with--Penny rugs--a nineteenth century applique technique using wool. This looks big, but is actually a small mug mat. Now I'm in the process of making a table runner. I just ordered some wool pieces from etsy, so I am waiting until they come before I progress much farther. I did buy a yard of white wool with a coupon (50% off) and have been dying little pieces of it. Wool is very expensive, so this is a good way to get a variety of solid colors.

I have also been working on some memorial pieces as Christmas gifts. Well, not so much working on them as thinking about them. I call them "Grief Goods". Maybe there's a market. Baby steps.

It's been six weeks now that I have been alone. It does not get easier. Of course, I already knew that. I don't know what the future will bring. Right now I am just getting through the days. And the nights.

Soul Restoration

Remember this class? It's over now, but still a big,big part of my life. Monday and Tuesday they are sponsoring a contest, and inviting students to blog about what the class meant to them. Well, very simply, I loved it. It came at a perfect time for me, and let me mess, and glue, and cut, for hours at a time, without having to think too much about my sorrow. They are having a second class in June. I'm not too sure what it will be like, but it involves lots and lots of index cards. The winner will get free registration to the class for herself and for a friend.

I mentioned the time line before and how it made me see that I have really had a good life and that it has gone by very quickly. We also made another book about soul restoration and a book of Promises for the future. I am still working on that one. I also did a lot of journaling. Some of it was pretty dark, but I needed to do it, and it helped. I think my very favorite project was the Truth Cards. I put mine on a little easel and have one out every day to remember my own personal truths. Every person's truths are different, but they are all very motivating and uplifting.

I remember a tv show when I was a child called "Queen For A Day". Women would come on the show and talk about how awful their lives were. At the end of the show, the most pitiful one was chosen to be Queen. Maybe I am mixing it up with Miss America, but it seems to me that she got a robe, a crown, and flowers. And she always seemed to win a washing machine. I sort of feel like I have become those women, because so many awful things have happened to me in the last year. Some of them I have never even mentioned, because, really, how much can you believe??? But, as someone, who has always been pretty happy and content, 2009 and 2010 were like one of those barrels you see rolling down a big hill in old movies. Over and over and over again, and then another big bump, while I just tried to hang on as best as I could. I really think, that if I can't win the class, I should at least get the crown.

Soul Restoration

I know I promised myself that I would post more, but I have been spending every available minute Mod podging, collaging, journaling, cutting, pasting, and thinking. I am totally involved in this wonderful workshop. I knew I was a brave girl after everything that has happened to me in the past year, but I can use all the reinforcement that I can get. Right now we are working on a time line, which is kind of scary because it only goes to age 80. Now I imagine that some of you think that is an advanced age, but to me it seems like it is right around the corner, especially as I see how quickly my time has gone so far. So I am adding an envelope at the end of mine to put all those things I will still want to do after I am eighty. I know several women who are still volunteering, working at jobs they love, traveling, and enjoying life in general. That's the way I plan to be.
Seriously, this is a great class. I am learning all sorts of things. There are four weeks left, and I will be sorry to see it end.

Forecasting A Happy New Year

Don't you love this post card? Wishing good fortune is always a part of New Year Festivities. I know I'm a day late. Not the best way to start a new year, but I have been busy. I'm still undecorating the house. It seems to be hitting me harder than the original decorating. I pack a few ornaments, cry a little, pack a few more, take a break. Hopefully, I'll finish the tree tonight or first thing in the morning, and then tomorrow it will go back out to the garage. When we had a live tree, it always let me know when it was time to banish it from the house. Droopy, prickly branches were obvious. But, now, the artificial trees look as good after Christmas as they did before.

I enjoy that empty space when the tree is gone. I didn't really make resolutions this year, but I am doing a lot of space clearing. For a person who hardly ever shops, I tend to accumulate things at an alarming rate. I am trying to eliminate the things that I don't absolutely love. As William Morris, the Victorian designer and artist, said, "Have nothing in your house that you don't know to be useful or believe to be beautiful." I look around and I just have way too much stuff. So, no resolutions, but a definite determination to clean up, clear out, and have some sort of control. That's how my life is now. William Morris also said, "The true secret of happiness lies in taking a genuine interest in all the details of daily life."
Nothing matters, yet everything matters. I'm not sure if someone else said that first, but it explains so much about the way I feel.

A Belated Birthday

Yes, I recently celebrated another year, and as the card says "May many birthdays yet be mine to know, and countless blessings future years bestow." That is certainly my Wish. In the past two months I've certainly spent more time thinking about my future than ever before. I know that although I am very happy with my life, and have many blessings, there is more that I want to do, and see, and have, and be. I think that being faced with the possibility of one's demise probably has that effect on a person!!! And there are things that I want less of . I promise myself that this year and every year coming up is going to be the best year of the rest of my life. Hoping you will join me as we live our adventures.

Special thanks to The GraphicsFairy for this postcard.

Today's Health

Good news for me! The surgery is over. Everything tested well and that little bit of cancer is gone. Now I have lots of reading to do before I meet with radiologist because I want to know all the choices. Input is welcome. Life is good.

A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Rest Of My Life

Well, once again, it has certainly been a while for me, and as you may guess, some things have changed in my life. I've actually been very busy, finishing my delightful job at the Legislature, interviewing for a new career, and starting back at my seasonal museum job. Yes, indeedy, I was getting things in control. And then suddenly, I bumped right into the cancer whammy. So that's where I am right now, diagnosed and waiting for the next step. Talk about shock and awe. I still can't believe it. I am finding that writing is very helpful to me, so I may actually become a better blogger. As you can see, I am looking for that silver lining. This blog may take a crazy turn for a little while, but I am hoping that some of you will stay with me, as I learn from this journey I must take, and come out a better person for it.

"Oh, the comfort, the inexpressible comfort of feeling safe with a person; having neither to weigh thoughts nor measure words, but to pour them all out, just as they are, chaff and grain together, knowing that a faithful hand will take and sift them, keep what is worth keeping, and then, with a breath of kindness, blow the rest away." ~ George Eliott

Inspiration and Whimsy

I need a little inspiration when it comes to pictures. I never seem to have the ones I want for the things I want to write about. I've spent a lot of time this week looking for the perfect photo. It's a picture of the group of Senate pages taken the last time I worked at the Capitol--in 1967! And would you believe it, they are still wearing the same style of blazers, and wearing the same nametags. Sometimes my life seems to be a cycle of deja vu! I love my new job, and am so sorry it is only temporary. My only problem is the wardrobe deficiency. But I am working on creative accessorizing. As for the picture, I knew exactly where it was before the big move, nearly four years ago. If I find it, I will post it, just for the amusement factor.
Wish for Today: "Do what you can, with what you have, where you are." Theodore Roosevelt

Another Employment Adventure

Here's a picture of our Iowa Capitol building. It was started in 1871 and finished in 1886 and is a beautiful building. Beginning tomorrow, I'll be spending a lot of time there for the next three months. I'm going to be working at the switchboard for the 2010 Legislative session. Behind the scenes, yes, but I think I will really enjoy it. (Because of budget cuts, I will only be employed at Living History Farms for six months a year from now on. That would be lovely if I were independently wealthy or a lottery winner, but no such luck.)
Since I've spent most of my recent years living in the past, a suitable wardrobe is a bit of a problem. I'm really not used to dressing for business, wearing make-up, and leaving the house, oh, so very early in the mornings. It will be good for me, I'm sure.

And Ringing In The New

Happy New Year! Resolutions, anyone? As for me, I have been making the same ones every year forever. (Lose weight...Clear out clutter....Exercise...) This year I am going to concentrate on feeling grateful. My last year was all about a sense of lack, of having less and doing less and being less. So in 2010 I am going to see, and do, and feel the abundance that is my life.

For years I have been making "Wishes", little messages in bottles. They are a mixture of quotes and sayings and things that I just make up. My plan is to pull a Wish out of the WishBottle whenever I write here and just see what it says.
So here is my Wish for January 1:
"An Everyday Wish:
Take the time to play today."
And I did. We spent some time with Finn and Tess while their parents went to a movie. Who better to play with than two and four year olds with new Christmas toys?

Ringing Out the Old

Obviously, the birthday month idea didn't work out! I've been gone for ever so long, but I had to say goodbye to 2009. It wasn't my best year ever, though it is starting to pick up a little here at the end. I'm back. I'm anxiously waiting for 2010, because lots of good things are ahead this year, and soon the past will be a mostly (un)pleasant memory. I'm wishing lots of good things for all of us in this New Year and hoping I will have blog friends again.

Words I Live By

OWOH Hand Warmers And A Bit of This and That

Gotta love these hand warmers I received from Barbara at All About the Buttons. They are just perfect to wear while typing here in my chilly attic. Look at her packaging too. They arrived wrapped in tissue, with a large button sticker. The little folder of handmade paper is adorned with a real button and encases her business card, which also has a teeny, tiny button glued on it. I love how she does that. If you like buttons, be sure to visit her site. She has an etsy shop too.

Things have been kind of crazy here lately. I've always thought that being flexible was one of my strengths, but now it seems like I have no schedule at all. I won't be working full time again until mid April, and now it seems like I'm never quite sure where I am or what I'm supposed to be doing. My first temp job has ended. This was my first experience with being an office temp and I am really not suited for it. By the last day I worked, some of the people were actually saying hello to me, but most of the time "the temp" felt pretty invisible (and clueless, I might add). I was hoping to stay there longer, but they fired someone on my first day, and then decided that they needed to have a full time office manager with accounting experience, rather than a two day a week receptionist. Originally, I was going to be there for a couple of months, which would have been perfect, rather than just a few weeks.

About half an hour after I was "released from my contract", and feeling like I had been totally rejected by the workforce, I got a call and picked up about 40 hours in March as our soap maker at my real job. We are going to be selling lye soap in our LHF gift shop and as of now, I'll be the first one making it. So that will help. See what I mean--no set schedule, no continuity, but lots of surprises, and very small paychecks.