I'm with you on this. When we were raising kids, I had very little time for myself. My sewing was constructing clothes to wear to work (no time to quilt), and no time at all for my oil painting. It was important to me to raise kids in a clean house, with regular healthy meals on time. I felt that strong responsibility.

Since we both have retired on a finite budget, we have to manage our "hobbies." My husband built a shop building and installed a big area for my studio! I am thrilled because we can do what we want in our spaces, and still be near each other (a habit after 49 years)!

Have you noticed how many young women (choosing kids) without an outside job have no clue how to keep a clean house or cook! I get frustrated wondering what good are they as a parent (or wife) when they teach the kids nothing. Their kids are becoming dysfunctional too.

My house is clean but not organized. I don't have time for that because I have quilting to do.

Oh yea! I keep it decent, kitchen, bathrooms, laundry, garbage out, but the dust bunnies around here sometimes grow up to be big ole rabbits!

Yes,I used to be like that.Today,not so much.The health board isn't going to get me.But,if you drop by I will be embarresed.But,I will pour you a cup of whatever you are drinking and we'll talk/do some quilting.This is better.

Love it! :D

My floors have no food crumbs, as we have a 7 lb. dachshund. :thumbup:

I am so with yall. I used to work 60 hour weeks, kept my house spotless and did activities with my 2 boys and my ex (who wasn't an ex at that time) !! For a few years, we had a cleaning lady but I always felt I had to pick up the house before she came. LOL When I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, I had to totally readjust my life. Boy that was hard since I was a perfectionist. After re-education, I can live with clothes to be folded, dishes in sink for a day at least and things don't always have to be picked up. I spend my energy with my grandchildren and doing hobbies I enjoy. When I get a big energy spurt, I'll do the bathrooms, dust and mop the floors, etc.

After middle age, I think we all re-adjust our thinking about what's important in life!!











ibromyalgia and chronic

Yes, i do. My DH has OCD and it drives him NUTS! My 1st mother in law would come to my house and inspect and always try to find something to complain about. (Yes I was Young and Nieve!) I think that has also lead me to feel if I do it, it still won't be good enough. Sorry a little off subject, but YES it is a problem at my house!....

TG for dishwashers, washers & driers! Less for vacuums, 'cause I rarely use mine. The dust mop & broom are faster, tho' less efficient! The rugs won't die if they're not deep cleaned. All my floors are hardwood, and the rugs get taken outside & shaken once in a while - a long while if I think about it.

I shudder when I think of how much time my mom & grandma spent on housework before they could knit, crochet, quilt. Mom didn't quilt, but GM did, and I have 2 of her quilts. They were REAL utility quilts - filled with the sheep's wool from the farm - BLACK sheep's wool stuffed in gobs into the quilt made from worm men's shirts and trousers. I doubt if GM thought of quilting as a LEISURE time activity. The farmhouse didn't have central heating. However, I also have a crocheted bedspread she made - which is in no way a utility item! That was definitely made in 'leisure' time. Wonder when that was?

my kind of man...............LOL

I have the house neat and clean and then piece tops. I can't work in confusion and am lucky enough to have family all grown and am now alone with a whole room for my sewing/quilting. Also I send my quilts out to be quilted as I have arthritis in wrists so do all sewing on my trusty Bernina.

same here only he weighs a lot more than 7 lbs. LOL.....

After reading these posts I realize I have to get off here and do some cleaning. LOL...haven't been quilting but the yard and garden needed a lot of help.

I use to try & keep up. Then we moved from CA to NC in 97'. At first, I tried to do the same here. Got tired of it too. No company, almost never anyway, & DH doesn't help, & doesn't care, so I thought, why should it bother me, right! Now, like you, I clean if I know company is coming, & lol, & so does DH! Otherwise, I clean when it bothers me & I am in the mood to do some. Otherwise, I would rather be quilting, or doing other things I enjoy... I guess cleaning is for women who consider that their hobby, lol... I really like clean, I just don't like cleaning, especially when pretty soon, it's there to be done all over again, ugh!...

QUESTION: Do I let my housework go? It can go anywhere it wants, I'm not holding it captive.

Donah

That was me, when the kids were at home, the house was cleaned every week whether it needed it or not. Now, that it's just my DH and me, he sweeps the floor and does the cooking (and usually the dishes), vacuums when I ask him to and I sew and watch NCIS. How cool is that!

You know, when your kids were home and you were working, etc., you were YOUNGER then! Now, you may be on the downward side of your excess energy, early rising, rushing around. Take your time and enjoy your new life style. You've already been there, done that!

Company
 

AMEN! There are so many things that really matter and, as far as I am concerned, spotlessness is NOT one of them. Enjoy the day!

Just curious, DH and I disagree on the company thing.....He wants to clean before and I say after they leave. It is usually DGC, so why before???????

I saw something that made me think of this thread:
"Instead of cleaning I just watched an episode of hoarders. I didn't realize how fantastic my house really looks!"
Hugs
April

:thumbup: I love your way of thinking.

My mother was an excellent housekeeper, but took time to enjoy life. She told me many times, "l00 years from now, no one is goint to care if you cleaned your house very day. Enjoy life and your family"

I've said this before about housekeeping. Once a year we have to pay our town property tax - I always bring in the check on the very day it is due and say, "OK, I pay my taxes, I can keep my house. That's my housekeeping for this year!" Seriously, we are retired and do the basics as needed. Kitchen clean enough to eat in, DH does dishes and most laundry, I cook and do the bills. When company is coming we do a bit of extra spiffing up, dusting, vacuuming, etc., but we just enjoy our lives together, and we each have our hobbies. If someone comes in someday when I've passed on unexpectedly, they can tsk, tsk all they want about what I may not have done. But I hope they will admire and enjoy my work, and remember when we laughed together.

You remmber[?] when we were called ,HOUSE WIFE, I always I was not married to my house. I clean when I know someone is coming. Not often.

If you look up "housework" in the dictionary it says, "Loyal and trustworthy, will never leave you". It's more faithful than any spouse, child, friend or pet. Soooo..... that being said, there's really no rush to do it today because it will wait for you until you decide that it's something that you want to waste time to do. You can't get rid of it because when you think you're done, wait 24 hrs and it will be back.

I guess I'm the odd ball and I'll probably get a lot of boo's from this - but I can't stand a messy house (mine, that is. I'd never presume to judge anyone - so please don't get me wrong) and can't sit down and sew when there are "chores" to be done. It's just me and it doesn't bother me if other people choose to keep (or not LOL) their house as they please. Whatever works for each of us is just fine.

Years ago, when I still belonged to a Guild, there was one lady that was such a prolific quilter. When it was her turn at show and tell, she'd stand up and she'd pull out amazing quilt tops. She'd show a king size FG, then perhaps two more smaller quilts from the left overs. Then she'd be semi-apologetic saying that she could have gotten so much more done if her twins hadn't come home from college, or having cooked Thanksgiving dinner, etc. Another lady sitting next to me, leaned over and whispered "sure she turns these quilt tops out like a production line, but I bet she lives in a pig sty". I've never forgotten that nasty, catty comment.

I need (my need) my kitchen table clean at all times. That's it. I need very little. :)

I used to fee the same way...until I learned the hard way that life is very short indeed!

Exactly!!!

When I worked I kept a much cleaner house, everything was on scheule now I'm retired and a widow just me a cat, a must have to quilt,lol. a bird and a 96 yr. old mother-in-law to care for, so the house is here for my benefit to enjoy and I keep it reasonably clean but do other things I enjoy like quilting and enjoying my family I worked so hard to raise. God and my friends forgive me for all my short comings like keeping a spotless house. I just have a lived in HOME!!

I have a sign in my sewing room that says "Boring women have immaculate homes." Also, we just hired a cleaning lady who comes in every other week. I love the smell and look of the place when I come back after she and her team have been here. Never seemed that good after I did the work.

I dust regularly - open the windows and pray for the wind to blow !!

I could have written your letter. I was obsessed with a clean house. Now I keep putting off the most simple tasks,
"till tomorrow". Oh well, it is not going anywhere, right?

Absolutely! The joyful things are first on my list. I get the housework done a wee bit each day, and then the rest of the day is for me and my Janome :)

I'll Bet the majority of us quilters are like you. I know that I am.

Donna- you are showing that you are from Western Pennsylvania....LOL!! I LOVE that you "red up" your house, too!! "Yuns" know what she means?!! Spoken like a true person from the Pittsburgh area.

Well said Lisa.

Jeanne,
The only place housekeeping comes before quilting is in the dictionary.

Ditto!!! I am always thinking, how i am getting older and won't have time, screw the house work