The Hidden Art of Homemaking - Chapter 11

Creative Recreation

Webster's 1828 Dictionary defines 'recreation' as "(1)Refreshment of the strength and spirits after toil; amusement; diversion.  (2)Relief from toil or pain; amusement in sorrow or distress. (3) A forming anew."

The New Oxford American Dictionary gives the origin of the word:

"late Middle English (also in the sense [mental or spiritual consolation] ): via Old French from Latin recreatio(n-), from recreare ‘create again, renew.’"

I prefer the third definition. And that seems to fit with the spirit of this chapter.

In the 9th grade, I learned the old hymn "Morning Has Broken". To this day I enjoy hearing it and singing it. I can still recall the sweet words and melody. The last line says:

"Praise with elation, praise every morning

God's recreation of the new day."

(lyrics by Eleanor Farjeon, music a traditional Gaelic tune) 

Our choir director had us pronounce the word 'recreation' as 're - creation'. After all, God has already created the very first day. And so each new day is a re-creation. That thought has stuck with me ever since.


I have watched over the years as my young children have spent nearly entire days re-creating, using the imagination, exploring and discovering. It energizes them. And one thing leads to another and they are off in a whole new world.  Is that what God intended recreation to do for us? To energize us? To inspire us to create more?

What is it that refreshes and rejuvenates and renews you?

Tennis, anyone? Boating? Badminton? How about a ballgame? What is your favorite recreational activity? 

Or maybe it's a walk in the park? an afternoon at the museum? an evening out with friends? Time spent at a favorite hobby might do the trick. 

Honestly, though, we live in a culture that seems to thrive on leisure and recreation. It is so easy to put these first, and skimp on the 'work' part of life. Around here we are trying to learn better habits - work first, play after. Work hard and reap the rewards. Hard work makes down-time so much sweeter.

Throughout Edith Schaeffer's book, The Hidden Art of Homemaking, she shares many ideas to inspire creative recreation. I've enjoyed re-reading her book, and am gathering up ideas to implement in the months and years to come. 


You can read my thoughts on previous chapters by clicking here and browsing through earlier posts.

Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed,
Because His compassions fail not.
They are new every morning;
Great is Your faithfulness.

'The Lord is my portion,' says my soul,'Therefore I hope in Him!'

Lamentations 3:22-24

Photo Credit:  Daughter Caitlin snapped this one of Son Luke, after an exhausting photo shoot for his senior pictures.  It was Luke's way of saying, "Sorry, Sis. I'm DONE."

This post was originally part of a group book study on The Hidden Art of Homemaking, but I'm also linking this up with the Wise Woman Link Up.

 

The Hidden Art of Homemaking - Chapter 10

This book study has been in a holding pattern, but I'd like to go ahead and quickly work through the rest of the chapters. If you'd like to read my thoughts on earlier chapters, click here.

Drama

From the title of this chapter, you would think we'd be discussing phrases like 'try-outs' 'memorize your lines' and 'lights, camera, action!'. But, no. The phrase discussed is 'read, read, read'. Read, you ask? YES! Nothing brings to imagination to life better than reading out loud together quality literature. Stories that inspire, spur you on to great things, overcome all odds, climb the highest mountains, cross the deepest seas, go where no child has gone before . . . (cough, ahem, cough). . . Ok, so I'm being a little dramatic (pun intended!). You get the point.

We have always read to our children. The fact that I can recite One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish in my sleep to this day is proof of that. But investing a bit of yourself into the reading out loud adds so much more to the experience. When baby #4 came along, I found a book by the title "I'll Love You Forever" --  a wonderful book that takes you through all the stages of growing up and how Mother loves you through them all. The mother character sings a special lullaby each night, all through the years, and so as the words to the song are repeated throughout the story, I created my own little tune (inspired by a friend), making the story "come alive". Now my own daughter reads/sings it to her little ones.

When we began 'officially' schooling our children, I started the tradition of reading out loud at lunchtime. A tradition we have kept up, off and on, for 21 years now. I choose chapter books, children's literature, books that are fun and/or informative. Books that spark the imagination or challenge us to better character. As the children sit and enjoy their lunch, I read out loud. It is far more interesting for them when I consciously vary the tone and pitch and meter of my voice. Am I coming upon a tense and suspenseful section? I try to lower my voice and slow down the rhythm for full impact. Are we jumping into something exciting and unexpected? I will speed up my words and raise my voice, and then pause for them to take it all.
I have a couple of friends who are very good at accents. I have some work to do before I can master the British accent, or the Brooklyn accent. I can add a touch of flair with a crisp, Northern US accent or a bit of Southern Drawl. My rendition of a Swede brings giggles from around the table, but that's ok. I don't take it personal. 

We have had seasons of read-aloud time in the evenings with Dad.  Our evening devotions as a family are centered around taking turns reading out loud from our Bibles. The spoken word brings people together. Storytelling has long been a way of one generation passing down history and character and life lessons to the next. 

Some of our favorites through the years (there are so many!) have been:

Mr Popper's Penguins

Winnie-the-Pooh

Little House Series
The Narnia Series

Understood Betsy

Treasure Island

Swiss Family Robinson

Hans Brinker and the Silver Skates

Henry Reed

The Moffats

Ben Hur

Pilgrim's Progress

Ten P's in a Pod

The habit of reading aloud together opens up whole new worlds, and naturally pulls our children, even ourselves, into the wonderful world of make believe, without movie cameras and pre-printed scripts. It's amazing this tool God equipped us with - the brain.

You just might meet up with a young miss who's donned a pretty bonnet as she is crossing the prairie in a conestoga wagon:

 

Or a brave young cowboy roaming the range, keeping law and order in a rough and tumble town.

So, rather than flipping on the television, or getting lost in a video game, consider snuggling up on the couch or gather around the dinner table and enjoy a good book together. You never know where it may take you!

The Hidden Art of Homemaking - Chapter 9

Writing -- Prose and Poetry

In our chapter this week, I once again saw a recurring theme. Communication. 

"Writing is certainly a medium for communication, as all art forms are. It gives the opportunity for direct communication, for verbalizing thoughts and attitudes, for speaking truth and putting content into expression." page 138

 That really is what it's all about, isn't it? Communication? And 'Hidden Art'. Looking beneath the surface and seeing the beautiful.

In earlier chapters we looked at God the Creator. He is God the Communicator. He communicated His love for us, how we can know Him, how He wants us, how we can be with Him. All of this we can know through His Words. We are made in His Image. He gives us words, thoughts, images to share. Communication.

Scripture is full of accounts of romance, history, adventure, poetry, travel, sacrifice. Such variety God shared with us! Sharing our thoughts, our words, our images with others is one thing. Putting them down in writing is another. That makes us vulnerable.

 Here is a little secret for you. I've always wanted to be a writer. I write, in my mind. I have stories floating around in my head. I hear words and pictures spring up in my mind. But very little of it flows from my hand through my pen onto paper. Or from my fingertips through the keyboard onto the screen. Those ideas, those words, those bits of inspiration are very personal. Someone reading may not like them, They may disagree or criticize or step on my heart, so I keep them close and am reluctant to share.

I began this little 'cyber-journal' so I could share everyday happenings with my far-away children. I'm finding it is becoming more. It is providing a place to stretch and grow a bit. I have tucked away in my 'memory box' a little essay I wrote in my Freshman Composition class. It was the first time I remember being told, that, yes, my thoughts and ideas are most definitely worth putting down on paper. Maybe I'll publish it here for you one day.

Our book study is about "Hidden Art", but maybe a subtitle could be "Lost Art", as in The Lost Art of Handwritten Notes. In this age of e-mail and digital cameras and photoshop and social media and spell-check and, well, you get the picture, have we lost the ability to touch someone in that most personal way? The other day I received a little thank you card in the mail. A special handwritten thank you, from a special friend, for a tiny little gesture on my part. She wanted me to know it made HER feel special. That made ME feel special. A full circle.

It is easy to make time for the big and obvious. Thank you notes for wedding gifts received? Check. Get well card for  Grandparent suffering with pneumonia? Check. A little note of thanks to the daughter who cleaned up the kitchen without being told? Ummm, didn't think of that. This type of communication is NOT my strength. This is a challenge to myself - take time to share with others, in writing, how they have touched my life in a positive way.

Have you ever heard of a 'Round-Robin Letter'? One that passes from family member to family member? You write down the news of the day, send it to Grandma or Auntie or Little Sis, they read your news, add their own news, sending it on to the next. They then read your news along with those who've added after and on it goes, til it comes back to you, giving you a chance to catch up on all the news.

A good friend of mine has a whole novel in her head, many notes at-the-ready, just waiting. The daughter of a close friend writes beautiful poetry. My own daughter has written a short novel and working on the publishing aspect right now. Many are publishing their own e-books - what a wonderful and easy way to share your words, ideas, thoughts. I had the pleasure of proof reading a novella last year, written by my late-uncle's wife. It will be exciting to hold an actual published copy in my own hands one day. How have others' written words touched your life? How can you touch the lives of others with your own written words?

This book study on The Hidden Art of Homemaking by Edith Schaeffer is being hosted by Tonya at My Home Haven. I hope you can visit her, and the others who have joined in the study. For my thoughts on previous chapters, you can click here.