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This Michigan Life

House-Keeping

Posted on September 21, 2007February 24, 2017

Another week of living has gone by and left my house is a state of disarray. Friday is here, and with it cleaning day. This is a day that I look forward to. Now, I do not like the mundane tasks of cleaning any more than the next person. What I relish is the sense of accomplishment and refreshment that comes from restoring order to my home. When all is in its place, I am free to play and rest for the weekend. So let the chores begin!

First I survey the current state of my house. My toddler has left his mark, literally, on every room in the house, a spot of this on the wall, a stain of that on the rug. Toys are everywhere, under furniture, in the air ducts, on top of the television. The dogs have left their paw prints on the kitchen floor, the cats have left their fur on the love-seat. My husband’s books litter the surfaces in the living room. Even I have contributed to this untidiness, leaving sewing supplies lying about.

Carpets are swept, bathrooms scrubbed, floors mopped, furniture dusted, and belongings returned to their storage places. A week’s worth of dirt and clutter is banished. Afterwards my home looks tidy and serene. In the stillness as my son naps and my husband is not yet home from work, I bask in the calm of a well-kept home.

Friday night the orderly lines the vacuum left earlier that day on the freshly swept carpet are already a fleeting memory. Saturday my house looks lived-in again, but neat. Sunday the toys have begun their weekly migration down the hall from my son’s room toward the living room. Monday the kitchen floor shows signs of sand tracked in by dogs’ paws.  Tuesday drops of water and soap mare the shine on the bathroom sink. Wednesday dust forms its thin veil on the television screen.

By Thursday the house is again out of sorts completely. Any trace of my efforts a week ago have all but disappeared. There are chocolate pudding hand-prints on the refrigerator, a pair of my husband’s socks have found their way under the easy chair, the dogs and cats have shed on everything, and I again have carelessly left a craft project on the dining table. In-spite of the work I have ahead of me tomorrow morning, this mess brings a smile to my face for I know in the afternoon I will once again, for but a few brief moments, bask in warmth of newly cleaned home.

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3 thoughts on “House-Keeping”

  1. Mindy says:
    September 21, 2007 at 7:35 pm

    I am TOTALLY the same way. I love a clean house. There is no better feeling in the world, none! 🙂 Kevin thinks I’m nuts, but I just love to sit and survey the house after I have cleaned. It’s the best! I understand completely!
    Mindy

    Reply
  2. acupofjoy says:
    September 21, 2007 at 9:12 pm

    I really enjoyed reading about the Sunday migration of toys! I can just picture it now.

    Do you have a table or counter that becomes a “catch all”? Right now my kitchen table is our “catch all”. It’s really pathetic. We are eating off trays at the sofa watching dvds, instead of sitting and eating together at the table.

    What am I waiting for? It would only take a few minutes to clear all that clutter. And, a dinner at the kitchen table could be kind of romantic after all the meals with trays on the couch. Hmmm….inspiring!

    Reply
  3. Brooke says:
    January 11, 2009 at 10:17 pm

    I wish I liked to clean! Your post has given me some inspiration to rethink my thinking regarding what seems like a very mundane, and some times pointless, weekly chore.

    And to “acupofjoy”, I have a catch all table and counter! I clear them off for every meal and within minutes after the meal, the clutter gravitates back. There just seems no end!

    Reply

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