Thoughts on Housewifery Skills and the Art of Homemaking

"It is the province of the Housewife to be of chaste thoughts, stout courage, patient, untyred, watchful, diligent, witty, pleasant, constant in friendship, full of good Neighborhood, wise in discourse but not frequent therein, sharp and quick of speech but not bitter or talkative, secret in her affairs, comfortable in her counsels, and generally skillful in the worthy knowledges which belong to her vocation."
--Advice to the Housewife, 1787 The Complete American Housewife

I love this quote! It both makes me chuckle and it causes me to try harder at my job of homemaker. Whoever first said this really had a handle on the interdisciplinary nature of our role as homemakers. So, chin up, everyone, and let us put our shoulders to the wheel as we soldier on with our important work of keeping our households running.