I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, somewhere during women’s liberation we got led astray. The frozen dinner folks were ready to pounce. “Yes, women, go get a job! We’ll take care of dinner.” Every convenience began to show up, pushing women into the work force in droves. Children left raising themselves and food being neatly packaged in factories in other countries. Oh, and we still get to do all the housework!
I am thankful for the ability to vote and that my daughters can be lawyers if they so choose, but I will take my original jobs back, thank you very much. My father-in-law wondered when I am getting a job. Let me tell y’all about my job and earnings.
When you gaze down fluorescent lighted grocery shelves with the sounds of bad music and customers in the background, do you ever wonder where the food came from? Or ever wondered what would happen in an emergency and you couldn’t come shop these aluminum and box lined shelves? Have you read the ingredients? Lord, have mercy. A good 50% of all those foods are poison. Not to mention grown who knows where, handled by who knows who, sprayed with who knows what. I am my own food preserver. I can, I dry, I fill my own grocery store shelves with nutritious, delicious foods.
I am the farmer. I grow all of our produce for half of the year, increasing yields each season. I grow our own chickens (a new venture, granted). We gather our own eggs. To fill in, I use other housewives’ farm goods; beef, pork, milk, and organic vegetables to preserve. It takes a village of us.
I am the cheese monger. I make our own variety of cheese, along with yogurt and ice cream, and butter.
I am the baker. In my bakery I make coffee cakes, and fresh bread for sandwiches.
I am my family’s own doctor. I make my own medicines. I am the veterinarian around here.
I am the tailor. I am the accountant. I am a hell of a gourmet chef. I am the winemaker.
I make body products and cleaning products and support my husband in his job.
I buy organic flour and coffee, sugar and nuts. Things of that nature. I save a ton of money by growing, bartering, supporting local farms, and doing it myself. Just think of all the things I don’t buy! I don’t really have time to get a job, you see. I am busy working and giving my family a homegrown, healthy life.
Farmgirl School 
Well said.
Appreciate that.
AMEN! This post has inspired me to journal about my own “jobs” description as a traditional housewife. Thanks Katie!
We’d make business cards, but we would run out of room with all of our jobs! 😉 BTW, LOVE your artwork!
Poster-sized business cards would be rather impractical – lol! Thanks for the encouragement on the art-end too!
Such a great post! We are on our journey to become more self-reliant. We also grow, preserve and make as much of our own food from scratch as we possibly can. It’s really important to us that we know what’s in our food and where it comes from.
That’s wonderful! None of us will ever be perfect but as close as we can day to day is worth it.
Great words- keeping a home functioning at its optimum for all is a very hard job – you are an inspiration. I am in awe of your pantry goods and I agree with you, supermarkets are to be avoided. By the way, love your pretty dresses and aprons – good on you.
It does sometimes feel that the chores just keep coming! Thank you for the compliments. They mean a lot!
Absolutely agree! YOU ARE THE QUINTESSENTIAL WOMAN! Speaking as a doctor who only became one because that was the only choice given to me as a child (!) that or lawyer-which my brother became, it took my first baby to realize how utterly disastrous the feminist movement was for us and our children. It takes two working people to pay a mortgage now instead of just one, kids with no parents, exactly what you said. So I worked myself to death (literally am on disability at age 50) to properly raise my 4 kids and make due with my inability to mother. All the guilt, etc when I would’ve wanted to do what you are doing had I been given that choice. The illness was a blessing as I’m doing the best I can to farm our veggies with the little energy that I have each day. But I’m home as a mom finally although my youngest is now 12, and loving every minute. I feel Gd looked out for me in the end! Congratulations for what you do!
Glad you are living the life you want now! We all do the best we can. There is no right answer or path, just what’s the path today? Proud of you for pursuing your heart.
Oh and I encourage self sustaining lifestyles for my kids!! Love reading your articles!