What do you do?/My In-Box used to be empty

I was making a series of telephone calls today when confronted with a question - "Mrs. M, what do you do?" My immediate, flippant, answer is "I'm retired." BUT, when I take a few moments to examine the question, I begin to ask myself, "What DO I do?".

Backing up a few years. I used to "work." I was a "working mother" for about five years. I thought that I worked hard - and I did - but I was able to empty my in-box at work. I received performance appraisals and raises. There was a sense of having completed a job.

NOW...the small results of my work are seen on a daily basis, but the most important work that I am doing won't be seen for a few years. How will these kids turn out??

The poor man tried to rephrase the question - "Do you work outside of the home?" Yes, I work outside of the home (hanging out laundry, feeding the sheep, collecting eggs, weeding the garden - well, looking at the weeds, mowing the lawn, grocery shopping, fixing fence, painting buildings). I also work inside of the home (laundry, cooking, laundry, cleaning, laundry, paying the bills, laundry, refereeing, homeschooling). He then tried to find out who I worked for - I told him "my children." The gentleman gave up - I think he put down something like "domestic goddess" or something equally applicable.

Next time I'm going to say I'm a teacher/cook/accountant/housekeeper/chauffer/rancher/gardener (that's stretching it)/is the blank filled yet?