As most of you know, I recently took the Leap of Faith and quit my day job. Now I get to spend my days as a full-time writer, wife, and homemaker. I adore the fact that I get to spend more time writing and following my dream. Not to mention, my husband and I get to have more time together too. Sounds perfectly lovely, doesn’t it? And it is – most of the time. But there are days that I just shake my head and wonder what part of my delusional mind decided I would be a good “Betty Homemaker?”
I mean, I have been in a steady career and/or job for most of my life. My mentality for over 15 years was that the “stay-at-home” thing was for those who love housecleaning and do-it-yourself crafts. And there is nothing wrong with that, it just wasn’t for me. I was the career-minded business woman who didn’t have time for frivolous things like making your own door wreaths. I was the kind of woman who hates housework and liked to buy those wonderfully hand-made items, not make them. Heck, I rarely even cooked a meal that wasn’t a quick and easy, pop-it-in-the-microwave kind of deal.
And yet lately I find myself ogling over hand-made crafts, do-it-yourself projects, and palette wall decor on Pinterest. I’m Googling “how-to” articles on organization and storage ideas. I’m looking at new flowers to add to my garden and how to get my patio tomatoes to grow just a wee bit bigger. I own a Juicer and I’m looking up recipes in cookbooks. Yesterday, I even went to the store and grabbed a bunch of vinegar and baking soda so that I can do more Eco-friendly cleaning.
Yes, it’s official. My inner “Betty” has taken over!
The sad part is that I never knew I had a Betty Homemaker buried inside of me. I was so busy trying to be who I thought I was supposed to be, that I never stopped to think if there was more to me than just that one aspect. Funny how life makes you see things about yourself sometimes, isn’t it? So, I decided to embrace my inner Betty and explore that side of me a bit further.
My home is in need of some serious spring-cleaning and organization which means there’s a lot of little projects that Betty can dig into. I informed the hubby of my intentions while we at the store purchasing the vinegar. He gave me a worried look until I told him that I wasn’t going anywhere near the garage. That’s “his” place and it’s off-limits to “Betty,” but I guarantee it won’t stop her from offering some neat storage ideas.
I’m looking forward to sharing my experiences with you and allowing my creativity to expand to other parts of my life. Don’t fret, I’ll still be working hard on writing my novel. That’s one dream that all parts of me share – even my inner Betty.
So tell me, have you ever realized that there was more to you than you thought? Have you ever embraced different aspects of yourself and found new hobbies or interests you never thought you’d explore?
Go, Betty Go! I wish my inner Betty would come out, because my house sure could use a good sprucing up! Soooo many projects! lol. I can’t wait to hear what sort of DIY madness you get into, Jennifer!
LOL! Yes, I think “madness” may be the correct terminology here. It should be interesting that’s for sure!
Thanks for stopping by Laird!
Hi Betty! Oh, I mean Jennifer! LOL!
Who knew! Who knew that you had a inner Betty lurking inside waiting to come out!
And I do know how good it feels to clean out the cobwebs in our life. Real or mental cobwebs. And I’m all over the natural cleaning agents since I myself have chemical sensitivities.
But now that your busy cleaning house, sort of speak, you are ready to clean out and spill your creative guts on that page/word doc. LOL!
Go for it Jennifer! 🙂
Thanks Karen! I’ve been kicking butt on my WIP lately – this cleaning thing really does work! LOL!
Over the last 15 years, I’ve had two stressful careers, first as a corporate trainer, then as a paralegal (the latter I took so I could have steadier hours and write). Unfortunately, I also have a VERY LOUD inner Betty. I just bought fabric to make cat blankets, so their fur is contained. LOL
Oh, Debra, cat blankets – now that sounds interesting. You may need to share that one with me! 😉
Ha! When I was younger, I hated housework, couldn’t stand the thought of being a homemaker, and made a grand total of 3 dishes. Now, I love to cook, make my own bread and would love nothing more than to be a stay-at-home writer. Working on it! Congrats to you Jennifer for being so brave. That is quite a leap of faith and it must feel wonderful!
Retirement is looming and I’m of mixed minds about it. on the one hand I can’t wait, but on the other I’m a little nervous that everything else will get in the way of the writing. keep us posted on how it’s going.