“The closet can be a dark and lonely place.”
~Toni Armenta Andrukaitis
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Well, my Sharona finally came out of the closet. It’s a dark and lonely place in there, but my floors haven’t been vacuumed in a very long time. My Sharona Shark vacuum cleaner sat in the kitchen for a couple of days before I took her for a spin.
“From time to time, one must release the grime built up inside them to to free their emotions like the ocean.” ― Suzy Kassem
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As soon as I woke up this morning, I called my mother, got dressed, put on my gym shoes, and prepared for my morning walk. But, today was the day I decided I needed to do some housework. I keep putting it off. Before I walked out the door, I took the vacuum out of the closet and set it in the middle of the hall. This way I’d have to bump into it every time I walked into the kitchen or bedroom. Smart…right? I did that one time, and I walked around it an entire week before I shoved it back into the closet, unused. Today would be different.
It was a warm sunny morning, but a few puffy clouds spanned the sky, a slight breeze made the brisk walk tolerable.
After my long steamy walk, I took a few minutes to sit under the ceiling fan, drank some ice water, and stirred up the energy to start cleaning.
My problem is, once I get started cleaning, I get possessed. I guess that’s a good thing. But, ow I’m exhausted. I started out vacuuming all the downstairs carpets and tile floors. Well, I noticed a few drips and spills on the kitchen tiles, so I got an old towel and mopped the floors with my shoes, making it an aerobic adventure at the same time. I can get under the cabinets better that way.
Then I cleaned two bathrooms and scrubbed the toilets, and ran upstairs and cleaned the guest room bath, too. Then I ran down and started cleaning the master bath. Oh my, those baseboards are dusty and dirty. I’ll have to brush them off and wash them. How do they get so dirty?
After the bathrooms were done, I tackled the kitchen, filled the dish washer, and cleaned off the counters.
I was going to go for an evening walk, but I’m just too pooped. I’m going to dinner with my neighbor Kathy, and don’t forget…It’s Black Russian Friday. Time to quit and enjoy the rest of the evening. My work here is done.
Hopefully this cleaning frenzy thing will not come back for a while. I wonder if they have a pill or shot for that?
My only tip for today is simple. If you insist on being neat and tidy, don’t let it rule your life. I like to find a happy medium. When I finally find the time and energy to clean or straighten up a room, (which is quite rare) I take a photo of the room after it is all neat and pristine. Then, I print it out, pin it up, and refer back to it for a couple years, to remind me how it once looked.
Exactness and neatness in moderation is a virtue, but carried to extremes narrows the mind.
François Fénelon ·
My craft room, which is lovingly called my “crap room” by one and all, is always my biggest challenge. I am a self-confessed craft-a-holic, refusing to attend meetings or join a support group. I don’t throw anything out and I collect things that would make the TV show “Hoarders” blush with envy. But, I just spent a couple weeks straightening up afore mentioned craft room and took before and after pictures. Hope this will hold me for a couple more years, because I need to get painting and crafting. Messy-mess, here we come.
Before…
And after… Won’t be seeing it like this for much longer…
“You must carry a chaos inside you to give birth to a dancing star.”
― Nietzsche
I always carry chaos inside! It’s a good thing! Give it a try.
Weekends are suppose to be relaxing, aren’t they? But, what about all those little tasks that must get done, yet go unnoticed. All the laundry must get washed, dried, folded, hung, and put away. Meals are made, dishes are washed, floors are cleaned. Someone has pick up after the kids or the dogs. It’s like a little fairy comes in and takes care of all that housework with a blink and a nod. It all goes unnoticed by everyone, except of course, for that little fairy that does it all, week in and week out, month after month, year after year.
So, after a long week, and an even longer weekend, maybe take a few seconds to thank the little housework fairy at your house that usually goes unappreciated. If YOU are that person, well, pat yourself on the back and give yourself a special treat. You deserve it. After all, “Tomorrow is another day,” and it all starts over again.
Toni Andrukaitis 