I created the little picture years ago during my cross stitch period. Truth be told, probably when I was crafting instead of doing the much dreaded housework. I am fortunate to have married a man who wants to have his “stuff” left alone. He is delighted when I leave all his projects spread across the dining room table or books stacked in multiple places in the living room. Since I also have several “projects in progress” areas, I totally understand the feeling.
My mother was a cleaning fiend–both personally and directing her minions (i.e. children). She not only dusted, vacuumed, mopped and de-cluttered. She washed walls and repainted even with an inexplicable frequency. I did not get any of those genes. My husband is truly thankful for that. So am I because it is easy for me to ignore it all. I have so many other things I’d rather do. Writing. Spinning. Weaving. Building model railroad buildings. Lunching with friends.
I clean the bathrooms and kitchen regularly. After all, we’re not animals. However, the pull-out-all-the-stops cleaning is only done when we are having company. Then, my sweet husband helps with the dreaded chores. I think this behavior is a holdover from before I retired. I barely had time to do the essential cleaning each weekend and have overnight visitors for Alabama football games which forced the deeper cleaning.
This spring when we were having dinner guests and later in the month overnight company, I realized I’d ignored things a little too long. There was such a lot to be done to be ready for visitors. My husband thought I should just point to the little plaque above and let it go. That was a bridge too far even for me—the woman who never met a dust bunny she didn’t like. So we de-cluttered–that always takes the longest–then we dusted, vacuumed, mopped, made beds, fixed meals, and welcomed our guests with everything done in the nick of time.
After our little spate of visitors left, it took almost a day to put our “Projects in Progress” (i.e. clutter) back in its normal places. My husband pronounced we were done “until next year.”
I stitched the little plaque to assuage any guilt feelings on my part about not being my mother’s level of housekeeper, not to disparage any of my sweet friends and relatives who some how manage to keep everything clean all the time. I can truthfully say, no one has ever accused me of being dull–at least not based on my house being immaculate! Hope you have the time to keep house the way you want it and live with those whose standards match your own. Enjoy!
