Diary of a desperate housewife???

Strange...I don't usually think of myself as a "housewife," but I guess I am one. I'm married, and the lion's share of caring for household matters falls to me. Merriam-Webster defines housewife as "a married woman in charge of a household."

I enjoy being married and being a mom, but I must admit, I've wrestled with the whole idea of being a housewife. Since I've worked outside the home much of my married life, I've often felt like being a great housewife was an ideal I couldn't hope to attain.

I'm domestically inclined enough that I love surveying a clean, cozy house, and a compliment on my cooking warms me through and through. But I've often thought that keeping my domicile spic-n-span on a regular basis is a virtual impossibility, and I feel like I'm making progress if I get the Mount Everest of laundry in my basement down to a modest foothill.

But, yes, I am a housewife. And now suddenly it seems I'm part of a group that's getting a lot of media attention.

This from Culture Clips: "'More than 40 years after June Cleaver, TV has again discovered the American housewife. She may wish it hadn't.' —Time magazine's James Poniewozik, writing about the potential cultural damage being caused by such new shows as Desperate Housewives, Wife Swap (both on ABC), Trading Spouses (Fox) and How Clean Is Your House? (Lifetime). He ended his article by quipping, "'Meet the TV women of fall 2004: damned if they dust; damned if they don't' [Time, 10/4/04]"

I haven't seen "Desperate Housewives." Everything I've read about it so far indicates that it would be a waste of my time as a Christian--doesn't look like there's anything edifying there, and nothing to justify it as worthwhile entertainment.

So maybe June Cleaver was a myth--zipping around vacuuming her spotless house in her shirtwaist and pearls, never having to juggle taking care of Ward, Wally and the Beave with the harrying demands of an outside job--an impossible standard for today's housewife to live up to.

But something inside of me wistfully yearns for that more innocent and less complicated time. Even the time of my growing-up years, when I came home from school to a clean house, supper in the oven and a beautiful mom.

I can't be a perfect housewife. I can make a darn good beef stew, though, and I can try to greet my family with a smile, even if I'm wearing sweats instead of a shirtwaist and pearls.

Excuse me, I've got laundry to do. :)

That does it...I HAVE to rent "Somewhere in Time"


LaShawn Barber's blog is what I want my blog to be when it grows up.

I just discovered it recently; do check it out if you haven't. LaShawn is delightful, lovely, brainy, funny, a terrific writer and a conservative Christian. I would love to sit down with her over a cup of coffee.

Anyway...LaShawn blogs about Christopher Reeve's passing, saying she wasn't a big Superman fan but did like him in Somewhere in Time.

That does it. I have to rent this movie. It has been recommended to me over the years by so many people.

Not long ago, on the morning show on 101QFL, Darren Marlar noted that it was "Crying in Your Popcorn Movie Night," or something like that. So we asked listeners to call in with their favorite tearjerking movies.

Of course, Somewhere in Time was mentioned frequently, and no one could believe I haven't seen it.

So, enough already. I'll see it, I'll see it!

BTW, if you're interested, here are the other movies that people called in:

THE WOMEN SUGGESTED:

o Somewhere in Time--I haven't seen it
o Terms of Endearment
o Untamed Heart--I haven't seen it
o An Affair to Remember--I haven't seen it
o Ghost
o Sleepless in Seattle
o Something for Joey--I haven't seen it
o It’s a Wonderful Life--one of my favorite movies of all time
o You’ve Got Mail
o The Patriot
o Braveheart--one of my favorite movies of all time
o Beaches
o Steel Magnolias
o Life is Beautiful
o Savannah Smiles--I haven't seen it
o Titanic
o The Champ
o Elephant Man--I haven't seen it
o Saving Private Ryan
o City of Angels
o My Dog Skip--I haven't seen it
o My Girl
o The Notebook--I haven't seen it
o Return to Me
o Pay it Forward--I haven't seen it
o Castaway
o A Walk to Remember--I haven't seen it
o Ice Castles
o The Other Side of the Mountain--I haven't seen it
o Love Story
o Angels in the Outfield--I haven't seen it
o Where the Red Fern Grows--I haven't seen it
o Incredible Journey
o Hope Floats
o The Miracle of Cards
o Shadowlands--I haven't seen it


THE MEN SUGGESTED:



o The Passion of the Christ
o Brian’s Song
o The Green Mile
o Radio--I haven't seen it
o The Rookie
o Armageddon--I haven't seen it
o Simon Birch--I haven't seen it
o Color Purple--I haven't seen it
o My Life--I haven't seen it
o Schindlers List
o E.T. the Extra Terrestrial--I haven't seen it
o Ann of the Green Gables series
o The Parent Trap
o Jack Frost--I haven't seen it
o Field of Dreams
o John Q--I haven't seen it

Feel free to put your own suggestions in my comment section!