Fact or Myth: Balancing Work, Home, & Self

I am not a Wonder Woman. I have not figured out how to do it all. Some of it is my own short comings. I procrastinate, waste precious time doing silly things and fail to make a schedule let alone follow one.  I have not learned how to achieve that delicate balance between Family, Work, House, Church, and Crafts.  I am not sure it exists.  I do know that my Mother came really close.  I still don't know how my mom did it.

 A good friend once told me that she never recalled my mother sitting down.  The truth was, if there were chores needing done, she didn't sit down.  Even if she had a rough day at work, she made dinner and more often than not did the dishes that I was suppose to do.  I do not posses my mother's dedication or skill in homemaking.  I delegate most of the cooking and housework to my teenage children who do a decent job when they do it.  When I get home from work all I want to do is sit and veg.  I want dinner on the table when I walk in the door.  I want the house clean without cleaning it myself.  I want my evenings free to do what I want to do.  I am very selfish that way.  (another short coming)

 My house is a disaster area.  I need to get it organized. I have piles of papers, laundry, etc.  We are doing better with laundry and just learning to throw things out right away is a biggie.  I was doing really well with the junk mail as long as I brought it in.  I would simply go through the mail while standing at the trash can.  But then there are the boxes and bins full of tools, supplies and resources. We are in too small a space for our family and their interests.  We need to get rid of things and organize what we keep.  We also need more storage.

I have numerous skills that I course use to make my home a comfortable welcoming efficient, and frugal space. That is if I had time, space and the right resources. For example, I could easily make new curtains for the entire house, if I could find the fabric I wanted to use and then had the money to buy it.  And, Of course I would have to clear a space to lay out the fabric on.  I really do want a craft studio.  Of course to accommodate all my crafts I need to convert a barn.  Anyone got an old building they want to give away?  Just Kidding!  How would I move it?

Lately the sum total of my crafting has been working on a prayer shawl.  I don't know who I'll give it to but I am working on it just the same.  I have made quite a bit of progress since last week.  Knitting is something I enjoy doing even if I don't do it well.  The shawl is easy and doesn't require much concentration so I can do it while watching TV.  Something I am doing more of these days. 

My husband comes home, does what he needs to and then sits in front of the TV.  (He gets home about an hour before I get off and then I have an hour commute) When I get home that is where he wants me to be.  Add to that the fact that it has been too hot to do much of anything here in Southern Georgia, so I sit in the air conditioning and watch TV and knit.  It has cooled down a bit thanks to Hurricane Irene. Now I need to be working on other things, (Like the Kitchen)  if I am going to be ready for the up coming holidays. 

Work is starting to heat up.  Peanuts are hard to come by because last year's crop is about gone (bad crop year anyway) and this year's crop is just starting to come in.  The Shelling Manager already told me he will start shelling as soon as he has enough peanuts to run a full day.  This year's crop is looking like it will be as bad as last years.  Not a good thing when your plant only makes peanut products.  This means I will be spending more time working and less time at home.  Working weekends is a very real possibility for me as well.

So the real question is how do we balance it all?  What do we let go of? And are we even willing to let go of anything?  I wonder, as my children grow up and leave, will I be able to resume the responsibilities of the house?  Will I find I have plenty of space?  Will I let go of things or will I fill up the emptiness with more clutter?  Will I ever find that Balance or is it just a Myth?