Sunday, August 24, 2014

August chaos

This time of year, it should come as no surprise that the house is a mess. It's the busy season for our woodcraft business, and tidiness must go by the wayside as we labor to keep up with the workload.

Yesterday evening I looked around and realized the house was in the typical state of chaos, with multiple projects going on, that usually happens this time of year. To wit:

We glued bottoms on about 130 tankards.


I've been canning blueberries as they come ripe. Yesterday I canned six pints.


Pizza for dinner.


Glue pans, tin cans, tankards. Typical tableau.


Half-inch oak (for tankard bottoms), used duct tape (it holds the tankard bodies together until we glue), and boxes and buckets for transporting between the house and shop.


Messes everywhere, right?

I remember once, a long long time ago, I visited someone's beautiful house that was in immaculate condition. It was so beautiful it was almost like a museum. And I remember wondering -- didn't these people ever DO anything? Did they live in a house or a home?

A home full of projects -- woodcrafts, canning, dinner from scratch -- is a happy home, in my opinion. Yes, I managed to get the kitchen clean before bedtime, but at this time of year nothing stays tidy for long.

At least, that's my story and I'm stickin' to it.

10 comments:

  1. The difference between a house and a home. I could not agree more! I too have been in houses that were huge and neat as a pin. Mine on the other hand is likely to have dishes in the sink, magazines laying around, books as well. The floor will not be spotless as living in the country you are always dragging in grass and stuff from the out side in. The beds will be made but only just, no military corners here. Those are to me the signs of a home and not a house.

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  2. A suzy-homemeaker-clean house?!?!
    Bwaaaa-ha-ha-ha-haaaa!!
    Not I!
    Mopping floors will wait. Milking and feeding and moving critters won't....
    thank Goodness!!! lol!

    A. mcSp

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  3. My home is always a mess especially during the summer months due to non stop gardening, canning, milking, etc. The house stays much more put together in the winter.

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  4. Your home is standard for our house, especially right now. We have been rehabbing our house all summer long. Not only rehabbing, but looking for property at the same time. Now it's canning season (our gardens (3 of them) are coming on strong). I AM TRYING to keep the kitchen counter clean, but ONLY because it's brand new! LOL
    My dear friend lives in a spotless home, but there is no warmth in her home. It's more like a place to land at the end of the day. They are very busy out '''doing''' things, '''seeing''' things, etc. They have every little project done by a professional. They don't even mow their grass.
    But they sure look forward to home-baked zucchini bread, canned fruit along with fresh veggies. {Go figure} LOL
    I wouldn't trade our '''out of control chaos"' for a sterile and cold house.
    Keep up the good work. You guys are awesome. I'd be comfortable at your home any time!
    Happy Day To You - Bobbie :)

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  5. We have the same ... gardening chores/putting up food .. AND a wedding on our property next weekend. House has to be tidy for arriving guests .. it's driving me a little batty .. will be glad to get back to a more relaxed HECTIC with just my regular chores.

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  6. I come from a family of neat freaks but I missed out on that gene somehow! I haven't cleaned house for a month! Work, garden, gun show, weekend visit to "neat family member" and canning this weekend means no time to clean! There is always next weekend! And the 10 pints of salsa on the counter look mighty fine!

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  7. We have 3 young kids, one on the way. 4 dogs(all live inside), Husband works a rotating swing shift.... needless to say our house is forever a wreck. Sometimes it really messes with my mental health. I have a natural want for things to be organized, and when things are insane it is hard for me to focus. But it kills me to walk into someone elses home that is immaculate. I wonder the same... Right now we have so many construction projects on the house itself, starting school, and getting ready for winter. It's nuts!!!! I'm coming to the realization that I have to deal with the messes because some other things are more important.

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  8. Same thing with a house that has not one hand made thing in it -- not even a kid's crayon drawing magnetted to the pristine fridge. I knew a teacher who bought her own self plastic resin teacher-trinkets to display in her home, and that matched her décor. I always wondered if she threw out her students' tokens of love; or maybe her students expressed no spontaneous affection? Spiritual (and academic) Stepford....

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  9. Try surgical rubber tubing instead of Duct Tape. It's stronger, adapts to strange shapes, and you won't waste all that Tape.

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    Replies
    1. Actually, we DO use surgical hosing. But we have to keep the sides of the tankards in the right spot before we glue, and duct tape does that. Wen the pieces are glued, we wrap the body tightly with hosing, which keeps the body tight and in the right shape until the glue dries. Magical stuff, surgical hosing.

      - Patrice

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