We are living in a time when the habits of frugality and thrift are being forced upon us, and to my way of thinking it's not a bad thing.  In the book Nella Last's War one gets to peak inside a WWII housewife's mind to get a glimpse of the creativity and cleverness people everywhere display during hard times.  Nella Last kept a diary throughout World War Two, under the auspices of the Mass Observation Archive.  In the UK a television drama called Housewife, 49 was based on Nella Last's diary entries.  Wartime allowed Nella to enjoy more independence than earlier in her marriage and she writes with candor about her fears of invasion, changing feelings for her husband, and worries over her sons.

 In many ways this book reminds me of Shirley Jackson's Life Among the Savages, or Terry Ryan's The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio.  All three books reveal women who were well-read, independent mothers who made the best of life as a housewife in the 1940's and 1950's.  All, very good reads.

Let the romantification of my children't early years begin!  Okay, you know how we always joke that our mom's don't remember what it was like to have young children?  My mom was like, "I just played with you all the time.... You guys were easy...We just had fun."  I never remember her talking about feeling frazzled or stressed out.  And she went back to work shortly after I was born.  Same with my sister.  And she pumped.  And she used cloth diapers.  Sounds like a vacation to me.
 
I think the idealization begins when you move out of the home you were in when most of the chaos/ damage was created/committed.  The house we currently live in is cute, warm and has served us well for ten years.  But it has not been easy living in a house with only one bathroom, no garage, and little storage space.  But talk about moving out and suddenly images of cutout cookies, babies taking baths and kids learning to ride bikes overshadow all of the incredible messes, bad odors, and yelling.  It's like a memory altering chemical enters your bloodstream when you consider moving out of a house.  One that makes you nastalgic.  One that erases bad memories.  I just wish it would also erase the stretch marks, the dirty carpet I have to shampoo when we move out, the marker on the door I have to paint over, and the debt accumulated over ten years of diapers and daycare.

Okay, what I'm about to say may be controversial but I absolutely must get this off my chest.  I have had it with businesses and business people who flout their political affiliations and opinions at their place of business.  Here are a few examples evident in downtown Marshall.

Kate's Diner and Herman's Hardware- While I have not visited these businesses recently, it wasn't very long ago that they had articles, signs and other paraphernalia around their businesses in support of a high school team name that is a hot point in our community.  While they may have been married to the Redskin mascot, I was not.  I felt that it was important for our community to move on, and we have.  The Marshall Redskins are a thing of the past.  While I'm sure some of their customers support their racist Redskin love affair, I do not.  You won't see me in their businesses.  

Schuler's Restaurant- Three times I went to Schuler's to dine in the Pub, and three times Fox News was on their pub TV's.  Fair and balanced though it is (tee hee), I finally made a complaint to the management pointing out that while Marshall used to be a conservative bastion, the large number of Obama signs in yards might be a signal they ignore at their own business peril.  I find Fox News offensive (remember "Obama's Baby Mama?").  I'm sure others do as well.  Since my complaint, every time I dine in the Pub they have a sports channel on.  Good thinking.

Today, another of example of a prominent business person/family with strong public political views came to light.  A gentleman who has been a friend of mine for 20+ years is showing us a few houses and has helped us to determine an asking price for our house.  I'm sure he'll be listing our house as well as benefiting from the purchase of our next home.  Imagine my surprise/disgust when while on Facebook I discovered his affiliation with several NRA online groups including Students for Concealed Carry on Campus (are there really people out there who want college students carrying weapons?), From My Cold Dead Hands, We Love Springfield Armory, Keep Your Laws Off My Guns and the National Rifle Associaiton of America.  Nice.

Now, I agree that these businessmen/women have a first amendment right to free speech that is no different than any other citizen.  I just think it is unwise to potentially alienate many of your customers by being overly vocal about your political leanings.  I don't like the thought the money I spend in these businesses being used to fund the RNC or the NRA.

1. The world is not a fair place.

2. I love you (to my four year old)  was the last thing I said.

3. I wonder if I'll get anymore snow days.

4. Punctuation at the end of all things.

5. There's something to be said for flexibility.

6. A clean house is where I want to be.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to Michael C's Pizza, tomorrow my plans include getting a haircut (yeah!) and Sunday, I want to get ready to go back to work.

It was an unusual Sunday-feeling Thursday for a New Years Day.  The whole day felt strange in the way that the day after a time change feels.  "It's already 4:00?  It's only 6:30?"  I wasn't even sure what to cook today.  I spent much of the day puttering around the house and wandering around the internet aimlessly.  I did, however, manage to get the tree down.  The rest of the decorations are scattered around the house, but the ugliest tree in the neighborhood is at home on the curb.