I finally have engaged someone to help me with the heavy housework once a month. After all these years of doing it myself, alone (men talk a good line, but performance not so much), I decided that I needed help with the more strenuous tasks, New England self-sufficiency be damned.

A couple of years ago I engaged a gardening service to mow the lawn weeds in the front and back, since I could no longer manhandle the mower myself. I'm just not robust enough for that kind of physical labor any longer.

I have mixed feeling about this, since I'm feeling guilty about hiring someone to do something I should do myself--isn't that what women are for? Cooking, cleaning, raising cain children? And am I exploiting someone or am I providing the people employment that they need and want?

Tending to overthink it, as usual.