A Domestic Anniversary of Sorts

It's the Monday after the Christmas holiday, and if you are anything like me, you are struggling to find the motivation to be productive.  Especially with another holiday just days away.  Alas, we must dig deep and persevere!

I hope that you all enjoyed your holiday.  We had a great Christmas up in the snowy mountains where I enjoyed several days of movies and long naps and knitting by the fire.  Now that I'm back home, I find myself staring blankly at my to-do list, which includes among other things grocery shopping (my refrigerator has a shocking lack of food), cleaning, and putting away all those annual holiday decorations back into the boxes and into the basement until next year.  At least my husband already did all of the laundry (I know--he's a keeper).

I've also caught myself reflecting a lot on my life over this past year, probably because the new year marks an anniversary of sorts for me.  I suppose I could call it my "domestic anniversary" because one year ago I quit my 9-5 job in corporate America and set out to makeover my lifestyle.  I was searching for a more creative livelihood (hence the blogging and the Etsy store), and something closer to home (technically something in the home).  I told myself that I'd give it a year, and then reevaluate my choices.  Well, the time for reevaluation has arrived.

I can't say that this year has been a piece of cake.  Parts of it (many parts of it) have been challenging for me.  It was more difficult than I anticipated to walk away from a steady income, and to answer the "what do you do?" question.  I was also often pulled between my post-feminist cultural upbringing and my secret attraction to domestic life, and had many an argument in my head about the significance of my choices to leave my career and work from home.  Furthermore, starting a business (as many of the mavens I feature on this blog already know) often requires more patience and discipline than I felt prepared for.

Nevertheless, one year later, I wouldn't have changed a thing.  And I certainly have no desire to turn back.  In fact, my "domestic convictions" are growing rather than diminishing.  Yes, certain aspects of my "lifestyle makeover" are still uncomfortable, but no more so than certain aspects of the 9-5 life I lived before.  And when I log onto this blog, or add something new to my Etsy store, or talk to someone about my life, I feel pretty good about my choices.

All of this to say that I am looking forward to another year of creating and writing and making a home and waxing poetically about social issues and how they apply to domestic life.  

Starting, of course, with the grocery list....