Doll House Kitchen

Years and years ago, Mary Englebreit was my icon.  I wanted everything she had pictured in her magazines.  In fact, I kept all the magazines (until a few years ago) and regularly opened them to look at the pictures.  I would have swooned to own the kitchen above.  I even hunted down that canister shelf in antique shops.

Time changes everything.  Now I am eagerly looking at sleek modern kitchens.  No little shelves of cute but useless antiques.  No shelving over the cabinets to fill up with clutter and DUST.  The magazines are gone and the love affair is well and truly over.

As the years of being 60 come to a close in a few months, I am choosing a new and different path. Wanting what I love, not wanting things that require work--like dusting.  I was the gal who ironed my teenager's tee shirts and jeans in the 80's.  I also starched and ironed all of my husband's work clothing and my own.  That stopped when he retired.  I don't even iron the pillowcases anymore which shocks me to my core.  I often wonder if the iron even works after such a long rest period.

This is pretty radical for a girl who was forced into ironing at a young age and was required to  starch, dry, wet (sprinkle), roll and then iron every single thing that a family of 6 used/wore etc.  Sheets, pillowcases, dish towels, underwear, tee shirts, dresses and curtains.  No steam iron.  And the ironing was done in the dark, chilly basement year round--one overhead light bulb.  Eventually the slave labor included a radio.  I was 15 when I got the radio and had been ironing since I was 11 or 12.  Even college summers---- I was in the basement, ironing.  Every Saturday of my life at home--in the basement ironing.  My mother never liked me.  Wanted me to be as unhappy as she was.

I think the Mary Englebreit stuff was a fantasy world where things were different for little girls. Things were pretty. And I guess I needed a fantasy to help me survive.

Now, I'm happy all the time.  I don't know when things changed for me (but it was recent), but I'm so thankful that they did.  It's nice being happy.  Smiling.  Enjoying the day.

Today I have things to plant.  I have pizza dough in the oven (with the pilot light) warming up and rising.  I have strawberries to make into a strawberry smoothie.  I am almost finished with my book and have another ready to start (like money in the bank for a reader) and the taxes are not only done, they are in the mail.  And I didn't eat ANY candy while doing the taxes (bonus).

G is out walking the dog. The sun is shining.  No rain or snow today (I hope).