zen and cooking

i posted before about my meal plans. and they've been working out really well. we've been eating excellent food, our food bills are lower than they would be otherwise, and i've discovered something.

domesticity can be rewarding.

it had never occurred to me that cooking and cleaning could be anything but chores. sure, the meals are nice and things smell good and everyone is happy, but all the time spent getting to that point could be better spent playing sims or something. in my mind the ends didn't generally justify the means.

i've been trying to practice mindfulness lately. and i've been cooking & cleaning more than i ever have before. it turns out that combining the two results in something really enjoyable. tonight i was chopping tomatoes for the falafels and it was just so much fun. the smell of the tomatoes, the squish as i chopped the slightly overripe fruit with a slightly dull knife, the anticipation of tomato-ey goodness... i really deeply enjoyed making dinner.

and having a cleaner house makes it easier for me to think and be positive. clutter really is distracting. who knew? just because i've read it and been told it over and over... i'm not so good at believing the things i'm told, it seems.

overall, i feel like my spirit is being fed by domesticity. i'm still not interested in being a full-time housewife, but i see how so many people can find satisfaction doing this stuff.