Spring cleaning time
Being born on the first day of Spring, I have found the "spring cleaning bug" lives inside me year-round. Any time the sun peaks out after a few days of cold and gloom, I feel the urge to make my house sparkle. Unfortunately, I do not seem to be as efficient as Snow White. I usually find myself in the situation of Cinderella (pic 2) with more to do the longer I am at it. My grandfather used to call me Cinderella so I feel like I was destined to be like her.
When I first got my own apartment, everything had a place it belonged and I made sure it was where it should be every day. I cleaned floors on my hands and knees, dusted and wiped down everything except windows...I still can't clean them. Dishes were washed, wiped, and put away as soon as a meal was finished. My daughter was raised in this environment, and when she started to rebel by not taking care of toys, I bagged them up and threatened to give them away.
Somehow, life took over, and dishes drained overnight while I enjoyed family time. Then came moves to different states which resulted in boxes of items with no place to fit. As I waited to find their perfect location, another move took place and the pile of unemptied boxes multiplied. Becoming an over-the-road truck driver just amplified the storage issues. My daughter's passing added more boxes of treasures to deal with.
But, for the last year and a half, I have been stuck at home and no longer had the legitimate excuse of no time. So, I decided to start unpacking. I finished emptying one room and everything in it had a home...Unfortunately, another death resulted in more "boxes of treasures" that needed to be emptied, and the one room was now refilled with them.
Another day the sun came out and I began again. This time my completion was delayed by the decision to remodel two rooms. Everything got piled wherever it fit so the work could be done. Slowly I got order back to those two rooms and the one I had originally emptied. New china cabinets for Christmas gave my knickknacks a home and replacement shelves organized the rest.
The next room on the list got started...but...(I am sure you know there is a reason I could not finish) I found my bookcases had collapsed and I would need new shelves to put everything on. And what will I do with the stuff I don't want anymore but is still in good condition? It has to go someplace.
So, now I have the shelves
...just waiting on the liners and I can get started again. Will I ever finish? Unless all the woodland animals come to help me, I doubt it. To be honest, when you have too much time on your hands, it is hard to accomplish anything.
How do you all fare with the spring cleaning bug? Do you finish?
Written by Cindy J. Smith
