Feral Domesticity

In my juggling act called life, I don’t always have the quiet time writing requires. My mind is scattered with tasks needing completed, lists that need added to, and the desire to be a better housewife. Housekeeping is at the bottom of my priorities most days. As long as everyone is fed and has clean clothes for the day, we consider it a win. I would much rather spend any free time catching bugs with the little cowboys or going on mini adventures together. After all, no one will remember how much fun we had sitting in a clean house.

I do love to cook and preserve food, though. Good food is one of my love languages. If the little cowboys want chocolate waffles for breakfast, I make it happen. Cookies for a road trip, done. Greasy finger steaks or home fried chicken appear on our menu once a week. Our food dehydrator is humming with drying fruit or jerky. The kitchen counter has neat rows of jars, filled with freshly preserved produce. My reading pile is mostly comprised of cookbooks. Always searching for inspiration or a new twist. Alas, I am a messy cook. My kitchen is never without dirty dishes. My dishwasher may be the best tool in my arsenal. Despite running constantly, the dirty dishes multiply with each meal.

There is a term on the internet that refers to a “Feral Housewife.”” Definition is the opposite of a “Domestic Housewife.” I now know that I am not the only one that has that diagnosis. As a young single woman, I rotated laundry in dresser drawers. Otherwise, the bottom socks would never get worn. I changed sheets, once a week, religiously. My bathroom fixtures shined, reflecting light. Friends coming over required extra cleaning & menu planning. Now, I get excited when I have all the socks folded & put away. The little cowboys don’t care if the sheets are wrinkled, when they assemble a blanket fort. There is almost always a jar in our house with some form of wildlife inside. Right now, it’s a coffee can of snails & pond water. I keep smuggling it outside, but Mr. C is persistent in his pet keeping. Special rocks and twigs can be found in every room. And Big W has an interesting animal skull collection on his bedroom shelf.

I have grown tired of the added stress required to keep an immaculate house. It is just not at the top of my list these days. So we fly thru each day with enthusiasm. Bug catching is always encouraged. Mud puddles are created, followed by mud baths. Weed bouquets are collected & placed in mason jar vases. Last-minute adventures surface from trips to check on cows. There is rarely a dull moment. At the end of every day, a shower is required. Supper may consist of a slice of warm pie and homemade ice cream, but no one ever goes to bed hungry. Our house all too often looks like there has been a recent explosion. Yet there is always good food, blanket forts, and usually matching socks. And one happy, crazy family, living in the desert, surrounded by nature, and fat, happy animals.