Earth Mother or Intellectual?

One of Nic's friends was visiting while I was doing some baking. She saw my sewing as well and said, "Oh you must be a real Earth Mother." I suppose I look the part - more than plump, rosy cheeked (after baking in summer), fairly eccentric clothes (I didn't bring much with me so what I have doesn't always match. Since I've been here in NZ, I've done a lot of "earth mother" stuff - lots of Christmas baking, making a batch of rusks, cooking for the freezer and sewing - lots of sewing. I made a Christmas runner out of strips of fabric - and it looked beautiful on the table on Christmas Day. I've started making a doll for Ricky - after hours of searching and browsing on google and dreaming about how to do it, I finally bought a pattern and cut it out. I've helped Nic with planning her baby quilt and found patterns for a mobile. I've made "taggy" rattles for some of Nic's friends who are also having babies. And - my crowning glory - I have made a cloth book - "Where is Mo?" After weeks of sewing, hand stitching and embroidery, machine applique, pattern drawing and ironing of pieces, it is finished. I'm so thrilled with it - it has worked out really well and it's so bright and cheerful.

It's been a while since I did so many crafty, home maker things. I have been quite intellectual over the past few years. There's been school stuff and Varsity stuff and stuff for Reading to Learn. I've presented at conferences and had to look up all sorts of things for Schoolnet. I've used a computer more and more, and even made movies. At the moment, I am busy writing lesson plans for Reading to Learn and thinking about doing a Masters degree, using my R2L experiences for my research.

So which do I prefer? Neither and both, I suppose. Having time to do the crafty things but not making them my primary focus is fun and quite freeing. But I need to have a reason to do them - I can't see myself doing patchwork or baking "just sommer" - I need someone to share it with.

I don't see myself joining a quilting circle and baking for the hell of it while I neglect the intellectual stimulus - but I hope I can find more reasons to be "Earth Mother" in the year to come.