housekeeping

It might appear by the looks of some people’s desks or cabinets (or garages) that they are disorganized or messy… and yet, sometimes these are the most productive, organized people around. They seem to be able to set their hands on any needed item at a moment’s notice. They, even though it might appear otherwise, know right where everything is.

Orderliness. I have attempted this my whole life. I am not orderly… not really. It may seem so, but, as a general rule, I’m just too abstract random. I hate this flaw… no, wait, who has a flaw they like? Anyway… every autumn I attempt to set our house in order—order for this house anyway. You know… the sort of order that might not look picture perfect – but everything has a place and that, in turn, prompts me/us to put things away after we use them. Now… one thing I have to guard against is comparativitis. If I let myself, even for a moment, compare my order to another’s order, well… the battle is lost. I have friends whose homes are so orderly, yesterday’s paper is already in the recycling bin. Last season’s clothing is already folded and stored away. There is only one bottle of shampoo and one bottle of conditioner in the shower and they have laundry sorted into a divided hamper. This week’s dinner plans are set, the food is purchased and the vegetables are chopped. The garden tools are sharpened and oiled. Comparativitis could just destroy me… but I have decided to just rejoice for them, learn from them and, well… just work at getting each day’s needs taken care of… and, as always, wipe the table before the farina dries and get the milk jug back into the fridge before it gets warm.

So back to ordering. Setting things in order also gives me an opportunity to assess or take a sort of inventory and to assess things to see what needs replacing or repairing or whatever. Especially since we homeschool and have a business that tends to be seasonal. I’m learning through the years that I can help myself and my husband a whole lot more if I’m conscientious about purchases and possessions and then, concerning children: much more is caught than verbally taught. So… regardless of my personal “bent,” I need to live in a manner that I would want to be emulated by them. They’ll naturally gravitate toward their particular ‘bent’ but I can sure influence the direction of the bent. I really need to keep this in mind more and more.

There is a curve though. Today I discovered a problem with ordering things in a new way/location. Things get lost! I lost my cell phone. I couldn’t find it yesterday and needed to get going and so I just quit looking for it. When Timothy called — a number of times — he wondered why I wasn’t answering or returning calls. Then I thought of my oft used solution and wondered how people manage with only one phone (line). What do they use to locate their phone? Do they go to a neighbor and ask for a call and then run back home to listen for the ringing? Well, After searching for one (of three) the cordless phones, I called my phone… as I heard it ringing, I confidently clicked off the phone in my hand thinking I would instantly set my hands on the cell phone. I still couldn’t locate it. I redialed. Still not seeing the ringing phone. One more time. Voilá… I found the phone. In the back of the freshly cleaned cabinet… just where I… how’d that get there in the plastic container under the clips, barrettes and covered rubberbands? I was cleaning! Ah… I remember now. Amelia was my helper.

So today, in addition to making some peach jam and pear butter, I’ll be attempting to clean another couple of cupboards… and tomorrow I’ll do the same and so on… throughout the next few weeks. I’m told we’re in for a nice “Indian summer” here in the Pacific Northwest… something about the abundance of spiders (and there is!!). Well, whatever the case, warm weather by any name would be delightful. Soon enough though, history reminds me, the daylight will be shortened considerably… sunny days are numbered and the brightness will have to come from indoors. I’m sincerely attempting to delight in this this year.