"You have to eat a peck of dirt before you die."

I think it was my granny who used to say this ... "You have to eat a peck of dirt before you die."  I always thought it was metaphorical, but maybe it has a literal application as well.  However, it is a bit hard to swallow in today's hyper-clean, germ phobic, civilized world. But what if our phobias about dirt and germs have robbed our children of developing a basic love for the stuff of this planet of ours?

Simple Mom posted a blog today about letting our kids get dirty!  Jump on over and check it out, and enjoy a playful, dirty-filled day!

And just in case you were wondering ... just how much is a peck anyway?  It is the dry measure of 2 gallons.  That's a lot of dirt!

Crafting

Anyone who knows anything about me knows that I like to craft things. I'm not an artist but a crafter. Nothing I do takes a serious level of skill or sight, but I'm good with my hands, and like to create things. What types of things? ANYTHING. It can be made of wood, wire, paper, beading, beeswax, leather, yarn, fabric ... doesn't matter to me as long as there is a little variety and it can't be undone after it is done. That's key ... that it stays done. So little in the process of caring for family and household stays done.

I have a friend who holds to this same point of view. We believe that every woman (and I believe it stands for men as well) needs a hobby that is completely her own. In my family, I share almost everything. My time, energy, resources, interest ... everything is available for my family at any time they are in need or want. The exception is crafting. I love to show them what I make (the kudos are nice), but they don't usually have any hand in the process. This is somewhat a reflection of the fact that I'm the only girl in the house ... our dog excepted ... but also shows that I have taken ownership of one thing. It is all mine. In this shared life, I need something that is all mine. I believe this to be true for everyone.

So, if you are one of the people who receives the hand-made items that make their way into your hands for Christmases and birthdays, you can know that the making of it was special to me.

Play

As I delve into "Life Is Not A Stress Rehearsal" once again, I'm confronted with the concept of play. The old addage "All work and no play makes Paula a very dull girl" rings loud and clear. I have become that "all work" person ... and I sure do wish I remembered how to play.

I used to laugh a lot. I used not to have these "frown lines" between my eyebrows. I used to have a sense of humor about myself. I used to be a lot less uptight about how I respond to things ... letting myself go with my gut response instead of weighing EVERYTHING before I speak or act. Self-control is important, but I seem to try to take it to an impossible level. Disaster.

My husband married someone who knew how to have fun, and now I feel like he is stuck with a way-too-serious me. I remember a time about 15 years ago, when the teenagers were toddlers, that I forgot how to have fun. It lasted for a few years while the weight of motherhood and the new reality of single-mothering set in. But after a while, I learned how to laugh and play again. I wonder if it is just this period in my life (toddlerhood/preschool years all over again) that makes me more serious. It is such an awesome responsibility to raise a child, and the young ones are so dependent. In truth, however, no matter how serious I take parenting, I need to remember how to play and laugh.

There used to be times at least once or twice a week when I would laugh so hard that tears would stream down my face. I cry when I truly laugh. It makes the funny even more ridiculous. Right now, I can't remember the last time I relaxed enough to cry while I laughed. What a sad confession!

So ... I'll be mulling over what things I like to play. I can't remember. Each day, I'm going to try to play, if only for a few minutes, until it becomes natural again. It will take some reminding for me to break this habit of seriousness, and possibly some times of unnatural laughter to remember how to laugh spontaneously, but I'm determined to stop taking myself so seriously!