SUNDAY'S REVIEW

Friend, Barbara, gave me this book during our vacation this summer. She is one of the best hostesses that I have ever known. A gifted cook and totally unselfish friend, she should have written the book.

The author is a stay at home Mother who opens her home to countless friends, family, and even strangers. She explains what care giving is and that care giving is a calling. I was somewhat relieved when she finally had a chapter about recognizing your limits and your need for rest. This family bought an old church and converted it into their home. It ends up being very similar to a B&B with all of the comings and goings. Andi's husband is a musician and they incorporated his business and studio into their home grounds. Without a doubt Andi feels called and does a wonderful job of ministering to those that she rains her care giving upon.

Toward the end of the book, the author states:

"I took care of all of the maintenance of our home, yard, and cars. Through the bulk of our child-rearing years, home maintenance included a thorough weekly cleaning, fixing what was broken or scheduling repairs, decorating, painting walls, and making necessary purchases for the household. Keeping order in the yard meant landscaping, and creating gardens, mowing, trimming shrubs, and weeding."

The next paragraph covers her menu planning, shopping, cooking, laundry details, transportation requirements, hostessing countless parties, paying bills, banking, running errands and total child care responsibilities as well as hostessing friends-all the while having a business at home and volunteering for schools and church. WHEWWWWW!!!!

Until I got to this part of the book, I was on board-BUT from this point on, I found myself put off by the author and more than a little defensive. While tooting her own horn and coming across as Superwoman-did I sense a little anger?

The final chapters of the book are about making choices and how we don't have to work all of the time. That care giving is God's plan for us and those that feel the need to work just have not explored their options. I DO NOT AGREE with Andi on this and resent the fact that she has so little sympathy and no support for those that are not stay at home Moms. While it may work for a few to stay at home and balance careers while doing that-THAT IS THE EXCEPTION! I think it is wonderful when a woman or man chooses to stay at home and be with their children, but it is not the end of the world if they are not able to do that. I come from a generation that most Mother's stayed at home when I was a child. By the time that my children came along, most of my friends worked. I am not sure I see a difference in those that had stay at home Moms and those that had Mothers that worked outside of the home. I DIGRESS-back to the book!

I enjoyed the book as a total and was only put off by the author's authoritarian viewpoint. It is always interesting to see the view point of others and my challenge is to take away the good and discard the other.

You can find this book at:
http://www.amazon.com/Real-Love-Life-Work-Caring/dp/0877880484/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1218807114&sr=1-3

If you would like to borrow mine and read it, let me know.