If, despite all your career training in earlier years, you’ve decided that the most responsible way to heal the planet, nurture and challenge your creative spirit, care for your family and friends, restore balance to the economy, drain the life-blood from irresponsible corporations and ensure liberty and justice for all is to become a homemaker, welcome. I hope you’ll stay here awhile and come back often.
Here, homemaking is no longer the lonely depressing realm of the subjugated or bored woman. It is a vocation pursued by men and women alike, as a way to change the world. Feel free to peruse some of the dialogues that our members have been having, to join in the conversation, ask for help, look through the book store, check out the recommended reads and resources, read through the articles, pick up a copy of the book that inspired all that chatter – Radical Homemakers: Reclaiming Domesticity from a Consumer Culture (as the author and web host, I reserve the right to engage in occasional hyperbole and shameless self-promotion), or better still, to sign in as a community member and post your personal story so that others may learn from your experiences.
I hope that, over time, users will help to shape this site in the way that best serves them. I see Radical Homemakers everywhere I go, and I know that we can be a powerful force for national and global transformation. I want this site to support that effort. I understand that many different ideological, religious and cultural views are represented on this life path. Respectful expressions of that diversity are welcome, and I look forward to our dialogues.
I am looking forward to reading your book, Shannon. Four years ago I decided to stay at home with my daughter (and now son) and have never wished to change that. We live in a suburban town west of Boston, MA – and know no other “radical homemakers.” I hope more people start to post on your site – I’m looking forward to reading about other families who choose to live a simple, purposeful life.
Welcome to the site, Brenda. Thanks for your good wishes! sh
You don’t have to stay home to be an RH: I’ve worked full time for 20 years while raising two kids and starting a small poultry farm. Not simple, but purpose-full to say the least!
Shannon: Looking forward to getting a copy of you book (the library where I work is ordering a copy) as our observations of our customer base (we sell raised-on-pasture eggs, chickens, ducks, and turkeys at Farmers Markets in Eastern PA) are right in line with yours: We have a few quite well to do loyal customers, but most are lower-middle-class and fall into just about every demographic group you can think of.
Howdy from the Pacific Northwest. Just found your site and am excited about connecting up with other refugees from the MSC (main stream consumerism). Lenna
MSC – I like it!
I am looking forward to reading it too! What a blessing it is to see an interest in the strenghtening of family and community in our country!! Family and the persuit of a healthly lifestyle have been my life long goal. I, as you can see by my site name, am the wife of an organic dairy farmer. I put the generals of my background on my profile so you can read it there if you are interested. I am 47, have not worked a job that required a w-2 form since I was 20 an am proud of it (of course….with out having to say here, it is understood that this statement does in no way create synonymity with me not working!!) I can remember a time when I was in my twenties that I would hate to be asked the question, “So what do you do?” I knew that if I told them without “altering” the verbage a little, I would once again have to endure “the look” and the sudden disinterest in my life. If you are reading this, you are blessed because the thought of directing your life in this way has crossed your mind. Carry on!!
Your post made me smile. Perhaps you might enjoy this essay I posted on grassfedcooking.com 2 summers ago, written in a flurry of agrarian domestic exhaustion! http://www.grassfedcooking.com/articles/agrarian_domesticity.html
Wonderful! I loved it!!
I feel that I have a dual prospective of sorts. Grown up in the 9-5, 5 day work week. There was my adopted sister, my father the penny loafer and tie pastor, and my mother who as a valadictorian registered nurse with a spotless hospital clean home and myself, little Polly Flinders. As I grew my early visions of grandure on green acres and my calulated marital persuits brought me to an abrupt no frills, introduction to the 5-9, 7 day work week. This was accentuated by the fact that we lived 350 miles from the closest friend or relative, my first two children were farm boys (and I never even had a brother!). Alas, though I don’t look quite as good in the Polly Flinders dresses anymore, I have come to realize that my early visions really were grandure on green acres!!
Will be at NOFA Conf.on Sat & Sun maybe meet you then?
I’ll be there! I think I speak at 11am on Saturday. sh
I recently received your book Radical Homemakers and I must say, I’ve only just started to dig in and I’m VERY impressed! I can’t tell you how many times I’ve called someone to read them a quote from the book. Shannon, this is truly inspired and brilliant. I can’t thank you enough for writing this book and truly helping me settle things in my mind. Thank you!