Gardening and Washing up and why you should do more of both

Reflecting on my little cleaning frenzy on saturday, I was reminded of something Alain de Botton said in his lecture at the opera house last year on the pleasures and sorrows of work.

He said that a good manager will give his employees work that in some way resembles gardening or washing up. He said, as humans, we find great satisfaction in making order out of chaos.

At the time it certainly resonated, and still now I think he's right- detangling is the key to job satisfaction.

But the thing is, de botton couldn't tell me why. I wasn't too worried though, because it was a familiar idea- a thoroughly biblical one.

Just think- god is a total bandit for order. Just read genesis 1. His world is so unbelievably ordered.

Then, he creates humanity in his image- and gives it the task of nothing less than gardening- making order out of chaos.

The christian worldview says work is good and it is part of our humanity and ordering things is deeply satisfying, because we are made in the creator's likeness.

For evidence of de botton's claim, one need look no further than the stationery shop kikki-k. I am yet to meet a woman who does not love the place - a shop full of tools for ordering your life !

Or, just think of the writer, whose satisfaction comes from making sounds into words, a tangle of words into sentences and sentences into symphonies.

More mundanely, think of the satisfaction of finishing the dishes, mowing the lawn, cleaning the bedroom.

What de botton also missed however is that we're no longer in Eden. The satisfaction of work is diminishes by our stunted view of everything, particularly our purpose on earth. Amazingly, the purpose of work is not to make money and wallow in selfishness- that's when washing up becomes a chore, because everything in this world is measured in terms of how it seves me, not how I serve the earth and others.

I wish I was this convicted by this more often when I stand by the sink. Maybe tomorrow...

most unromantic movie suggestions

image: emilygrace

Each year, a few of my friends go out on Valentine's Day to see the most unromantic movie possible. It may well qualify as a statement or a boycott of sorts, but let's be frank - really we're just having a laugh. One of us is married with a kid now too. So it's not even a 'yeah single woman power' thing.

Two years ago, we went to see There Will Be Blood. I won't forget that too quickly.

We're hoping to do it again this year, although it's tricky as I'll be asleep most of Valentine's day having worked the night before, and will have church in the evening. Oh the logistics of it all.

Any suggestions for most un-romantic movie to see? We were thinking The Road, originally written by Cormac McCarthy, author of No Country for Old Men.

Weekend therapy

Not shopping, not even coffee... I'm talking about a good old bedroom tidy.

Why is it that lurking on every messy bedroom floor are hundreds of Bobby pins and 10 cent pieces you never knew you had?

I started with the washing pile and my state of mind quickly escalated to expunging every deviant object/speck of dust.

I find it odd I can go for months not seeing the mess, and then in a sudden moment of clarity all I can see is the mess, and it must go...

My conclusion thus far is I need another bookshelf. The floor just isn't cutting it.

Sewing advice

image: clumsy bird

Mum's been re-teaching me to sew over the last year, starting with two stripy bags, then more recently I've made sock monsters and finally, I've hemmed some pants (three in fact!).

The pants were done on my new (old) machine - one Mum found on Ebay. It's so exciting to think of all the things I could make.

Opshopping with friends this week, I found some great navy and white spotty material for less than $2, and I instantly thought of making a skirt. I just need a very basic pattern.

Do you guys know any good sewing sites? The only ones I know of are BurdaStyle and maybe PurlBee. I'd like a modern, but simple A-line pattern to start with.

Any ideas?

a few lovely things peppering my days

washing up to andrew bird
a late brunch with family
finishing a book and starting a new one
seeing God's faithfulness in the book of Jeremiah
watching a 15-day old baby taking in the world
knitting at the height of summer; anticipating winter
going for late evening walks and peering into people's houses (people leave their doors open and lights on and I can't help but see inside)
feeling the wind swim past me while hanging out washing
mangoes

image via fffound