Friday, September 28, 2018

Summer was hot and dry. So far, autumn has been cool and wet. It is good weather for reading novels, writing letters, knitting, drinking tea, and playing with cats.

























































Twice in the last month--twice--Presely the boxer was sprayed by a skunk which he then dispatched. I am beginning to wonder if he is really a prince or not. Right now I'm thinking not.

There are so many books I want to read. I have a list and the beginnings of a nice stack. I just started reading The Little Stranger a few days ago. It is an atmospheric, gothic tale about a house--I have always loved books about houses. All the better if the house is creepy and mysterious.

Autumn is my favorite time to walk in the woods. There is a feeling of anticipation as plants scatter their produce and animals gather and store.











In my photos, I try to capture what I really see and how I see it, so I don't use filters at all. This was the sky outside my house the other night at sundown:

 And this was the sky just a few seconds later:




























The world's problems are so large, and I am so small--smaller than most it seems. The world has changed so fast, and it keeps changing faster and faster. I don't know what to think, to be honest. I went to the doctor's the other day, and while going over my history, the nurse said, "Still no work?" Well, actually, I do quite a lot of work: I keep house and cook for seven people, educate my children, care for several pets, tend a large garden, provide hospitality multiple weeks of the year for out-of-town guests, and do all of the bookkeeping for my husband's business. But, yes I am a housewife, a once common occupation that is now considered obsolete, insignificant, and the opposite of "working". 

However, there is no point in dwelling in negativity and other people's perceptions. Far better to dwell in leaf fall and candlelight, stories about spooky houses, the magic of handwritten letters, and the mystery of wild peace. ♥

Love and roses,
Sue

12 comments:

  1. But Sue, you should have said all that to her! It wouldn't have to be put offensively, just as a matter of fact.
    Was that thing a spider? :O

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    1. Yes, that orangey creature is a spider! I think it is a nursery web spider.

      I did tell the nurse, "Well, actually, I work a quite a lot". But, she wasn't really interested in anything but taking my vitals and getting through her questionnaire.

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  2. "still no work" ... really?!

    sigh. good thing it wasn't me. i am not feeling terribly...conciliatory...lately. 'tis better to dwell in beauty, and mystery, and peace. but it can be very satisfying on occasion to call out a small ugliness.

    i know how much work you do. because i have done---and do---it for fewer people.

    #awomansworth

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    1. You're right, it can sometimes be satisfying to call someone out on their behavior, but most of the time it isn't worth it. This nurse wasn't really interested in anything other than taking my vitals and noting my answers to her questions for the doctor. I was just shocked (because it's always shocking, even when it happens over and over) that this came from a young, educated woman who likely considers herself a feminist.

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  3. wth? Still no work!! gah.

    when my youngest was entering first grade a female (!) colleague of my husband's said to me "now you can go back to school and get a degree". I responded "why would I go get a degree when I already have a master's degree?" That shut her up.

    I was so mad. Just because I am a SAHM do NOT make assumptions. I worked hard and I still work hard now and the kids are grown and gone....

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    1. Lol I'm sorry but that's so funny! I would have loved to have seen her face!

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    2. Thank you for this, Karen! I love how you answered your husband's colleague. I am usually so shocked by the other person's remark, that I can't think of anything in the moment. It's the condescending attitude--so often from other women!--that irks me the most. Once my children were no longer toddlers, I often had relatives and friends ask me when I was going to start "using my degree". Really?

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  4. Beautiful photos! I too love books about houses.

    I would have told the nurse all the work I did. Infact when people asked me if I was working or not, I would say yes I'm a mother, or later on yes I'm a homeschool teacher. Usually people just use the question as a conversational piece and don't mean much harm. But that question you got!! I would be offended.

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    1. Hi Sarah, it's so good to see you here! Thank you for the kind compliment about my photos. I truly don't think the nurse meant anything by her comment--she was just doing her job, going through the preliminary details for the doctor. But, her phrasing revealed to me how she--and quite a lot of people, I think--view women who don't have a job outside of the home. As a young, educated female, she likely considers herself a feminist and me an unenlightened artifact. I didn't bother to correct her; my experience is that most people aren't really interested. Besides, anytime I have told a career woman that, "I'm a mother", either her eyes have glazed over, or she has been annoyed, especially if she was a mother, too. So, I have learned to keep peace with silence.

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  5. Beautiful blog!!!! But how can I follow you? :)))

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    1. Hola! Thank you for visiting my blog. You can follow me by email or on bloglovin' (I just added the button to my sidebar). I am so happy to meet new friends online. Your blog "Sopa Azul" (Blue Soup) is lovely. I have never been to Spain, but all of the pictures I have seen of Navarra are gorgeous--you are lucky to live in such a beautiful place! I have followed you on bloglovin'.♥

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  6. Your photos are lovely, I like the two photos of your cats. I see you have a boxer, they are wonderful dogs, though the skunk incidents must be awful.

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