Y'know, it's only recently that I've come to think of myself as a full-time homemaker. Up until now, I've considered myself a stay-home-Mom, or a caregiver. Lord knows, my home certainly didn't LOOK like it had a full-time homemaker until recently.

Now, however, I do have the time and energy to devote to my home and I really enjoy it. Last spring I replanted two large flower beds, and I have been improving the looks of the front and back yards bit by bit all summer.

I've redecorated our master bedroom, master bath and hall bath. I've helped my kids paint their bedrooms. Now I'm working on reclaiming the family room (long taken over by DD #3) and working on my spare room (vacated when DD#2 got married). I'm scrapbooking, putting our household records in better order, and planning a major garage cleanup when the weather cools off.

I really love my home. More than ever, I think. Since my mom's death, I really do treasure my family gatherings.

Luckily for me, my husband is totally cool with this. He has always urged me to do what I want, whether it was go back to college, work outside the home, work inside the home, write, or whatever. Also, now that our kids are nearly grown, I have the opportunity to travel with him on his business trips. We both enjoy that.

I feel like I've entered a new time in my life and - except for some concerns I mentioned in the 'reclusiveness'thread, I really like being a full-time homemaker. In fact, I really love it.