housewife geek

It used to be that women were expected to be housewives and mothers, and to take an interest and pride in what they do. Then came women's lib, and the rise of the working mother. Suddenly, staying at home was not living up to your potential, it was laziness, it was shameful.

Well, guess what? I'm a housewife, I love it, and I'm pretty awesome at it.

• I like to figure out what to make for dinner, and to find recipes that my husband likes.
  
  
• I could happily spend all of my free time in the aisles of Williams Sonoma, Bed Bath and Beyond, the Container Store and Home Depot - especially if I have gift cards or store credit!
  
  
• Recently, I found blue Thanksgiving china at HomeGoods, and have had my mom on a quest to find service for 12. (I'm currently 2 large dinner plates and 8 bowls shy.) Now all I need is a dinette set, a large serving platter and a gravy boat, and I can host Thanksgiving.
  
  
• I'm excited about the prospect of hosting Thanksgiving!
  
  
• I have subscriptions to Real Simple, Martha Stewart Living and Domino magazines.
  
  
• Sometimes I'll search through several days of programming on the Food Network and HGTV for shows to record.
  

There's nothing wrong with not wanting a high-powered career. I've had fun at work, and have had moments of satisfaction, but 9 to 5 were never my best hours. I make more of a difference in this world by staying home with my beautiful genius daughter and having a kind word for the guys at the fish market or the stressed-out young cashiers at the supermarket than I've ever made taking tuition at an acting school, or renting studio space to Broadway producers, or answering phones for advertising firms.

Some people are movie geeks. Some people are British comedy geeks. Some people are scifi geeks. I'm all of those, but I'm also a housewife geek. And damn proud.

Time to sign off - those dishes in the sink aren't going to wash themselves.

*****

UPDATE: While I was doing those dishes, I thought of a few more things:

• I love baking. No, I love-love-love baking. No matter how many times I tell this to my in-laws, they don't understand it, and always think I'm putting myself through unnecessary trouble. It's no trouble - I LOVE BAKING.
  
  
• Last year I was in rhapsody over a blue-banded lions head soup tureen I scored at 70% off from Williams Sonoma. It's truly beautiful. I must serve soup at my future Thanksgivingses.
  
  
• One of the best gifts I've received over the last few years was from my younger brother, who decided to repay me in missed gifts (wedding, birthdays, XMAS) by buying me a cobalt blue KitchenAid mixer. It's stunning.
  
  
• I haven't yet bought a napkin holder because I have the perfect one in my head and I haven't yet found it.
  
  
• I have made a small quilt, and, once I have time to cut out squares again, I will use the fabric sitting in a bag in my closet and make a quilt for my daughter.

Truly, the list of my homemaking turn-ons is endless.

Maybe I should end my manifesto with a mantra?

How about:

"I am housewife, hear me vacuum."

(That sounds sexist, but I'm a housewife, so I can get away with it.)