So, as we all know by now, I’m not just a Pumpkin Pam, I’m a fervent one. This is my favorite season. And one thing I love about fall, is well, Charlie Brown. Specifically, the Charlie Brown Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas specials. Truly, they help make the season. Along with the return of football, the cooler crisp nights when it’s fun to have an outdoor fire, the home canning, and the general celebration of the fall season, the Charlie Brown specials are incredibly nostalgic to me and I’m a big fan.
Now, that alone is not enough to make a post. Neither is the fact that I bought a 1000-piece Charlie Brown fall puzzle yesterday at the hobby store. But the meaning behind both of them? Well, therein lies a post.
First, you should know that I’m a 500-piece puzzle girl. Yep, I like a good 500-piecer. Anything bigger and it just takes too long; smaller and it’s not worth doing. This particular puzzle is 1000 and I hesitated. But then I reminded myself: I’m a homemaker now and I’ll have time. That’s when it all slotted together.
I haven’t waited a lifetime to get here, buts it’s been a hot minute. And I loved being a professional mostly for as long as I was. But there are so many parts of me that got shoved aside, ignored and just generally suppressed that I felt somewhat robotic. Bringing back those parts of me? Incredibly fulfilling.
That’s where the combination of a Charlie Brown special and a 1000-piece puzzle come together. As I complete the transition to being a stay-at-home kitty mom, there is a lot to do. I want to super clean all of the rooms of my house and I’m only a little over halfway done. I also want to help my niece as she launches her career and family at the same time. I have kitties who need outdoor time every day, meals to plan, prep and make. That’s a huge lawn out there to mow and trim (and avoid the ground bees). There’s special projects, too, like sealing the new Adirondack chairs again before winter and helping my husband with firewood.
But deeper inside? I know I’ll have time again. In a way, it’s like returning to high school but I’ve got no summer job this time. Time is no longer an enemy. I can do that bigger puzzle and I can secretly binge watch the specials when I want to. I can do those long morning walks when its finally cooler outside. I have time for coffee or lunch with a friend or a special project with my sister.
I’m not going to lie: it’s going to take me some time to get over the guilt of checking out early when I could have worked longer. I’m also not going to rule out going back to work in a year or so when I’ve gotten rid of the exhaustion and I’m ready for a challenge again. But for now?
I am truly focused on home and family. I get a deep sense of fulfillment when I finish a project, clean the house (I know, right?!) or even finish mowing. Mostly, I deeply crave the quiet calm of our home these days. It soothes a part of me that for so long was painfully ignored.
The Yuppie Homesteader 