"Bad Day"

This morning was so much fun! I do, thoroughly, enjoy youth choir :) I also love making videos with friends where half of us end up looking quite rediculous.... Haha, you know who you are. Afterwards, I ventured over to Stony Point with Kelly; later joined by Elsbeth. It was my first stroll through Anthropologie, but, unfortunately, it was anticlimactic because of my "bad day;" how inconvenient... It got so bad I had to have Kelly and Elsbeth take me back to church so I could go home; epic fail. Once I got home, I got back into the pajamas and took a nice, almost five-hour long nap. It's amazing what a Motrin and sleep can do. I woke up to my mom telling me she brought me home Five Guys. Haha; it's been my dinner for the past two days! Well, I am feeling better now, and I'm watching Mona Lisa Smile; which I have never seen before. It's funny, I think this is the first movie where I have severely disliked Kirsten Dunst's character. Although, I will admit, she plays the "big B" quite nicely.... Sheesh, this movie is crazy. I am so glad women have reached a higher stature in society. I cannot imagine getting an education only to throw it all away to be a mere servant to my husband. This story inspired me to look up "How to be a Good Wife" based on society in 1954 (the year this movie was set in). It goes a little something like this:

Have dinner ready. Plan ahead, even the night before, to have a delicious meal, on time. This is a way of letting him know that you have been thinking about him and are concerned about his needs. Most men are hungry when they come home and the prospect of a good meal are part of the warm welcome needed.

Prepare yourself. Take 15 minutes to rest so that you'll be refreshed when he arrives. Touch up your makeup, put a ribbon in your hair and be fresh-looking. He has just been with a lot of work-weary people. Be a little gay and a little more interesting. His boring day may need a lift.

Clear away the clutter. Make one last trip through the main part of the home just before your husband arrives, gather up schoolbooks, toys, paper, etc. Then run a dust cloth over the tables. Your husband will feel he has reached a haven of rest and order, and it will give you a lift, too.

Prepare the children. Take a few minutes to wash the children's hands and faces (if they are small), comb their hair, and if necessary change their clothes. They are little treasures and he would like to see them playing the part.

Minimize all noise. At the time of his arrival, eliminate all noise of the washer, dryer, dishwasher, or vacuum. Try to encourage the children to be quiet. Be happy to see him. Greet him with a warm smile and be glad he is home.

Some don'ts: Don't greet him with problems or complaints. Don't complain if he is late for dinner. Count this as minor compared with what he might have gone through that day. Make him comfortable. Have him lean back in a comfortable chair or suggest he lie down in the bedroom. Have a cool or warm drink ready for him. Arrange his pillow and offer to take off his shoes. Speak in a low, soft, soothing and pleasant voice. Allow him to relax and unwind.

Listen to him. You may have a dozen things to tell him, but the moment of his arrival is not the time. Let him talk first.

Make the evening his. Never complain if he does not take you out to dinner or to other places of entertainment. Instead, try to understand his world of strain and pressure, his need to be home and relax.

The Goal: Try to make your home a place of peace and order where your husband can renew himself in body and spirit.

Some of this disturbs me..... quite a bit actually. Well, at least we can say that the times have most certainly changed!

Fact: Even though I look back on AP Art History with bitter memories, I love seeing art history references in everyday media. I don't know, something about knowing little tidbits of information like an artist, painting method, or time period just gives me a small sense of satisfaction.

***Eeeep!!!! Searching for a picture for this post just allowed me to stumble upon an incredible blog post by Daniel Ostendorff; a student at Queen's University in Belfast, N. Ireland pursuing a one year MA in Modern History (yearatqueens.blogspot.com). I love stumbling upon things like this :) Check it out:

Life's Interuptions: An Unexpected Day
Wednesday, July 29, 2009

A Jackson Pollock painting.

Today felt like a 'Jackson Pollock' painting. Lines coming from every direction, unexpected, seemingly chaotic, that eventually come together to create a larger picture. C. S. Lewis has said that interruptions don't stop us from living, but rather, the interruptions are our life, given to us from God. That the interruptions ARE life - rather than simply events that interfere with life. The unexpected, rather than the planned, describe the majority of our days on this earth. Thankfully, unlike a Jackson Pollock painting, God promises that the 'chaos' has purpose and meaning (Rom 8:28, Jeremiah 29:11).

Today felt like a Jackson Pollock painting, with 'interruptions' coming at every turn. I had four things planned for my day, and by lunchtime I had to throw the plan out the window.