A Curious Woman

I recently purchased this book from Tasha Tudor. I am mainly interested in her art. She has the ability to capture the frolicking nature of children and simplicity of the past. I personally would love to be an artist and illustrate children's books. Her work is among my favorites. I think she would have been an interesting person to know. She retired to an early victorian lifestyle in her country cottage assuming all the early settlement tasks of baking, farming, milking, gardening and going so far as to always wear a dress of the period. She once said of women, "Why do women want to dress like men when they're fortunate enough to be women? Why lose our femininity, which is one of our greatest charms? We get much more accomplished by being charming than we would by flaunting around in pants and smoking. I am very fond of men. I think they're wonderful creatures. I love them dearly. But I don't want to look like one. When women gave up their long skirts, they made a grave error. Things half seen are so much more mysterious and delightful. Remember the term "a neatly turned ankle"? Think of the trill that gentlemen used to get if they caught even a glimpse of one. Now women go around in their union suits. And what a multitude of sins you could cover up with a long skirt if you had piano legs." She prefered life simple and lived it to it's fullest adapting Henry David Thoreau's credo for her own, "If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours."
<
While I enjoy all the modern convieniences, I can't help but think we loose something when we don't get back to the simplicity of life and things. For fun her family invented a religion called stillwater inspired by the Shakers. They had a big celebration on Midsummer's Eve. The entire point is to live without stress so in their devotionals and worship They would sit on the front porch in a rocker and listen to the liquid song of the hermit thrush that they might enjoy life more. She thought people were so jeezled up that they needed to take the time to just mediate and be still. There is so much wisdom in this. Hasn't our dear prophet asked us to simplify and set priorities. Life doesn't have to be about chauffering kids and the more we are home the more I feel peace and actually have the time to accomplish the things I need to.