Comments on A Revision: Otter Woman Speaks...

Thank you for understanding so well.

2005-04-20T12:04:00.000-06:00

Thank you for understanding so well.

Margo LaneI am a bit surprised about the comments ...

2005-04-20T10:32:00.000-06:00

Margo Lane
I am a bit surprised about the comments concerning this entry. I think they kinda missed the point. For some women, housecleaning is more than scrubbing the dirt off the floor or vacuuming the dustbunnies from behind the sofa. The house is seen as an extension of the woman. It is part of her identity. The obsessive cleaning is almost like some kind of costume a woman wears to "fool" others into thinking she is, in fact, beautiful and "clean". This entry about your mom is a poignant account concerning a woman who did not want to be seen for who she thought she was;in this case, a bigoted white person`s version of a native.

Sounds all too familiar.

2005-04-19T22:58:00.000-06:00

Sounds all too familiar.

Hi Moira,It is good to hear from you. I wondered i...

2005-04-19T22:19:00.000-06:00

Hi Moira,
It is good to hear from you. I wondered if the term "Indian" would cause confusion. I am half Native Indian. My Mother was half Cree and half Saulteaux.
I know I made it sound like I am a slob but that is only the side of the pendulum I originated from. I also know the other side too that wants to overdo everything including the cleaning. So basically, I am trying to get to the balance from both ends without overswinging the mark.

When you say Indian, do you mean 'from India' or '...

2005-04-19T22:02:00.000-06:00

When you say Indian, do you mean 'from India' or 'native?' Of what nationality/tribe are you?

How refreshing, to find another person who doesn't place ultimate priority on a perfectly sparkling home. I am learning to be better, but will never clean compulsively.

I have to smile. Thinking about constantly encroaching dirt reminds me of a book I ran across a couple of years ago: The Woman in the Dunes by Kobo Abe.

Balance is usually the answer to everything. I am ...

2005-04-19T18:01:00.000-06:00

Balance is usually the answer to everything.
I am glad to have you visit,Zhoen.

Maybe the best course is to sometimes clean and so...

2005-04-19T17:10:00.000-06:00

Maybe the best course is to sometimes clean and sometimes not. Was that Martha or Mary? It's less a matter of which, as when. If you can clean enough to make guests comfortable, and stop cleaning to enjoy their company, then it doesn't matter which end of the continuum you are on. If you cannot clean enough for guest to feel comfortable, or you cannot stop cleaning at someone else's house long enough to enjoy them, then you are out of balance. Both damage relationships. Both are bad for the soul.

I thought is was going to be about cleaning!

2005-04-19T11:10:00.000-06:00

I thought is was going to be about cleaning!

Carol, there's a good idea for you from Leonore in...

2005-04-19T10:45:00.000-06:00

Carol, there's a good idea for you from Leonore in my guestbook. :)

A fellow housework hater here too!!! I don't know ...

2005-04-19T09:04:00.000-06:00

A fellow housework hater here too!!! I don't know when the last time was that I scrubbed a tub!

Hee, I am unfamiliar with doing housework, too. Al...

2005-04-18T21:33:00.000-06:00

Hee, I am unfamiliar with doing housework, too. Always my mom...:P