It's been awhile...

So many things have changed since last I wrote. I am now a full-time homemaker by virtue of a serious case of depression and anxiety that caused me to quit my job. It's precarious because we really can't afford for me to be home, but there's no way I am getting back into the workforce in this condition. So here we are, making the best of things. I have done my best to make use of my time at home. My house is cleaner than it's ever been, that's for sure. I am certainly more organized. I've had the time to add little touches of comfort and beauty that have added to the homeliness of our little motorhome. And our meals are healthier and better thanks to more cooking-from-scratch practice. I have more energy for exercise, too (though I'm laid up with a strained calf after a vigorous hike).

I had been apprehensive of what my husband thinks of my new status, but yesterday he came home and hugged me, saying, "I love having a stay-at-home-wife!" Despite our financial peril, he sees the inherent value in my homemaking. I do believe that God will provide, either by my husband finding a better job or my healing sufficiently to return to work. Either way, I finally have peace about this situation, after several weeks of anxiety and tension.

Something I've really delved into during my almost-month at home thus far is the benefits and uses of essential oils. I have a few- lavender, jasmine, tea tree, eucalyptus, clove, peppermint and cedarwood. I just ran out of the rose, which is a shame since it's one of the more expensive to replace. The oils have lifted my spirits through their scents, helped clean my home (eucalyptus), started healing of my acne-prone skin (lavender and tea tree), and ameliorated a toothache (clove) and stomachache (peppermint). I want to purchase a few more: bergamot, chamomile, juniper, and another rose. They aren't cheap, however, and my budget has just been cut in half. I will just have to buy one at a time.

Juniper is for sore muscles. Chamomile is for headaches, anxiety and insomnia. Bergamot is for digestion, skin, and emotional wellness (and turns plain black tea into Earl Grey). Rose is for skin, hormone imbalance and the immune system (plus it's my favorite scent). God gave us these healing plants and we should do well to take advantage of them in place of harmful synthetic medicines. By the way, the sense of smell is the most powerful and the only sense connected directly to our memories. Essential oils can change our atmosphere into one of healing, remembrance, positivity and wholeness like nothing else can. I love walking into a eucalyptus-scented bathroom because I know for sure that it's clean and fresh. I use the oil on wet rags to freshen and clean my sink, toilet and shower. I also have jasmine in a reed diffuser by the sink, just for the beauty of the fragrance. I love to wear lavender and rose oils; they keep me grounded and evoke pleasant memories of elegant tea rooms and gardens of my past.

Lavender and tea tree, besides healing blemishes (and just smelling darn good) also function as insect repellant. No need for stinky, toxic bug repellents. I even read that tea tree kills bedbugs, though thankfully we've never had those. Another way to use essential oils for fragrance is to add them to unscented candles. I let my tealights burn enough to get a good puddle of melted wax, blow them out, add a few drops of essential oil, and relight them. Beautiful and fragrant, totally customizable. It's fun to experiment with different scent combinations. Eucalyptus, clove and lavender was an especially energizing blend.

I'm also having a good time with the herbs that grow on the property where we live. Thyme, mint, rosemary, and lavender. Good for tea, for face and hair, for potatoes and soups, and just lovely to have bunched in a jar on the table. Tied a pretty gift ribbon on the jar and prettified the area at no cost. Tea is another inexpensive luxury. I have one in the morning, one in the afternoon, and one at night. Loose leaf is cheaper, healthier and can be used more than once. Plus you can make your own tea blends and have fun experimenting. A friend bought me a beautiful butterfly teapot, and she also had bought me a butterfly mug two years before (I don't think she even thought of them matching), and the result is a cheerful, healthy daily ritual.

These are the little things that have made my days at home more beautiful than they already are. There's nothing like being able to move about at your own pace and have the time to literally stop and smell the roses. Or the lavender.