supergirly

It occurs to me that perhaps I'm not as girly as I should be.

My favourite pants right now? Dickies Work pants. Comfy, fit well, can't kill them. Favourite shoes? Steel toed size 4 hikers. Didn't know they made them - they're fabulous! Favourite tool? My new chainsaw. That is a lovely thing, that. Talk about independence! I can cut wood for my fire pit! I can break trail through the railroad right of way to go hiking on.

Housework? Meh. Yeah, it needs done. I'll get it done too, but I had to go for a nice long walk this evening with my kids to push bush. I need to organize the monumental stash of fabric "and stuff" that I have just acquired. But I suspect that will actually happen when I have a permanent place to put it.

Vacuuming? I'd rather mow the lawn, thanks.

Yes, I like to sew. I enjoy knitting. Both very feminine pursuits. I love to garden, which can also be considered girly. However, on the scale I'm doing it, I find it is a physically demanding job and I'm pretty sure that perspiration is still not girly, even in 2008.

I enjoy the freedom of crop scouting (and the solitude - no tv, no kids, only the cell phone to bug me). That is a gender neutral activity, but when you add the motorcycle or the ATV to it, it skews to the masculine.

Camping, fishing, hiking, kayaking - all the ways I would love to spend my spare time. Again, a little bit butch? I like to fix things. That is truly satisfying. Which would be the reason behind the pink tools. Yet somehow, not quite a traditional female job.

It doesn't matter, I suppose. I have nice enough feet that I can wear peep toed shoes, I just have to scrub the dirty skin off. Jewellery is wasted on me - I wear my hoops, my wedding band and my watch. I can't explain my affinity for dresses, other than their comfort factor. If it were socially acceptable, I'd work in them. People do look at you funny when you're riding the lawn mower in a wrap dress, however.

My farmer tan is mostly undeveloped this year, but I expect it will come along nicely if it ever warms up.

Oh well, I'm pretty self sufficient, which is a good thing. Both daughters are very girly, but they tag along when mom is doing her hobbies. And they do benefit - they have wiener roasts whenever it is fit to do so, they have a hiking trail, they get fabric scraps to make their own Barbie clothes and they enjoy their self-feed garden all summer long.

So, I might not be supergirly, but I enjoy what I do. I guess that is what really matters.