So along with musing about living in a smaller house, I think off all the things my grandma did that I don’t.

grandma.jpg

She kept a clean house. (A little fanatically, yes, but my memories of it are okay now. Twitch. Twitch.)

She kept to a schedule. (Which had a lot to do with my Grandpa being diabetic and needing that schedule.)

She cooked meals. (See above. But we also had hamburgers at least 3 times a week. Grandpa was a little short on teeth that met top and bottom.)

She walked for exercise. (She had polio on her 9th birthday and one foot smaller than the other and one leg that was weaker than the other. She never wanted to gain weight, it would have been difficult for her body to cope with.)

She kept to a diet. (This one isn’t so much complimentary, actually. She really had an eating disorder and starved herself most of the time. She was far too rigid about it. Even in the last two years she was alive, dementia eating her brain to mush – she wouldn’t drink the Ensure because it had too much fat in it. Yeah. I’m good with the quarter tray of brownies and synthetic cream laden coffee I’m having for breakfast.)

She kept a garden. (More and more, I’m thinking this is a skill that I need to have. We tried one year and everything died.)

She canned and preserved what was in her garden and kept it in the deep freeze all winter for food. (Only cans in my house are tomato sauce.)

She sewed. (Now, to be fair, I *could* sew if pressed, but I’m wondering if it’s not time for me to improve that.)

She crocheted. (But I knit, so we’re really pretty even on that. However, I do wonder if I should start focusing on practical stuff for the fam. We’ll see.)

She went to church. She raised her kids in the church. (I’m thinkin’ maybe it wouldn’t be a bad idea to take Alex more than once a year.)

She was active in groups, she got out and did stuff in her tiny community. (I’m on my couch at 1029am. In my robe. Alex is in his jammies. From yesterday. Yesterday night. We really should get out more. But today the weather sucks ass so I’m gonna take a pass on that.)

She worked through the day and did her leisure at night after dinner was cleaned up and the dishwasher started. (I’m already spent too much time on Facebook.)

Now. I’m not putting pressure on myself to be someone I’m not. I’m just starting to ponder that I need to ponder being more self reliant. Cultivate some skills to be more personally responsible for my care and my fam’s care.

I can only really take care of me and mine. So shouldn’t I work on doing that better than I am? If I see something I can improve – shouldn’t I do that?