AN EYES OF WONDER POST

Many of you dear readers were followers of Eyes of Wonder back in the day (for those that don't know what I mean, my mama had a blog for a few years and documented the life of our family). 

All of us children still have access to the blog (it's private now) and occasionally I go back to re-read her writings. I thought it might be a nice treat for some of the long-time-ago readers to see one of her posts again.

A Simply Lovely Life.

The simple pleasures of keeping my home

I rose early this morning and savoured each moment alone in the quiet stillness, with God.

Once up and going, I like to light all the candles on the dining room table and start some music playing. If it's warm enough, as it was this morning, I open the front door wide to let in the sunshine through the largely-glass storm door. The house faces south-east, so the front room is flooded with bright sunlight and warmth, first thing.

Today, I filled the sink full of soapy warm water with a few drops of lavender essential oil, and worked quickly to do some early morning deep cleaning in the kitchen; moving things around on the counters and cleaning beneath them, washing down cupboards and walls, the front of the refrigerator and the stove, and scrubbing the sink and my enamel wash basin nice and clean with a bit of baking soda, castile soap, and lavender oil. Everything looked so fine all spruced up, and smelling delightful.

I gave the lovely irises from Claire and Wesley a long drink of cool water and they thanked me by continuing to look fresh and delicately lovely, still. Even more so with the condensation covering the jar, the warm air outside touching the cold water within, through the glass. I stopped for a nice bit to watch and listen to a male and female cardinal that were beginning their day on the sidewalk just beyond my open kitchen window.

When the children awoke, we had a nice breakfast together with Big Papa; scrambled eggs with sauteed mushrooms, onions and cheese, and toast that Rosie and Chubb had made--delicious.

Breakfast over, a loving farewell to Big Papa, and the sink was replenished with fresh warm sudsy water and lavender, the children and I set to work on the morning chores; of dishes, sweeping, vacuuming, washing a few windows, emptying the compost bucket and while doing so checking on the goose, ducks, chickens, and the goat, followed by hanging out a couple loads of laundry that were ready and waiting in a basket this morning.

Rosie and I, teamed together and went in and quickly deep-cleaned the bathroom side-by-side, from top to bottom, chatting away while we worked. We cracked the window open, and left it smelling lovely of lavender, as well.

I'm going to wash another load, some bedding, this morning, and get it too hung out on the line. There's a nice breeze blowing and it's a perfectly lovely day for wash to be hung out, and sheets, fresh, dried in the sun, taken off and brought in, at the end of it. A bit of simple domestic bliss, for me, and for the happy recipients who will be sleeping in the beds to which the sheets belong.

While we worked away the little ones busied themselves in the living room playing "kings and queens", with crowns they quickly cut out and colored and made with Sir Chubb right after breakfast, and capes popped on over their pajamas.

Queen Sophia

King Nicholai

And, Princess Aimaija

Lots of fun.

The morning's passed quickly, and there's-now macaroni and cheese baking in the oven for lunch, which will be a nice relaxing break, all those here together, a welcome quiet of pause from the busyness of the early hours of the day spent tidying the house, the doing of some laundry, cooking, and a bit of schoolwork. The noon meal transitions us over to the quieter part of the day: nap time, for those that decide to curl up and do so for a while, finishing up any schoolwork, some gardening, a bit of hand sewing, perhaps some time on the swing, reading, and surely, fresh air, sunshine, running and jumping and playing for the Royal Court, after their busy morning spent indoors.

I find a sweet pleasure in loving and serving those in my family and making our house as tidy and orderly a cosy home for them as I'm able. I find joy in watching Big Papa come through the door at the end of his long hard day at work, to things that say "welcome home, we missed you, and we're so glad you're once again here"; a nice meal~~it's aroma filling the air. I love watching him begin to relax as he melts into all those who love him dearest and best, once again, each evening. 

Many and great are the rewards of the simple pleasures of keeping a home~~both in the doing, but especially in the receiving. The *something* that comes from the doing of even/and perhaps especially,  those seemingly insignificant littlest things from a heart of love.