About Me

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Ten years into widowhood, after one year of incredible happiness and nearly 14 years of single blessedness. Retired, and mostly enjoying it. Still knitting. [Zen]tangling.again after a brief hiatus.

Sunday, January 26, 2014

When is housework a sacred experience?

No, that's not a trick question. You know that this is something I struggle with. Two steps forward and one step back. Sometimes the other way around. I am mostly done with purging the hall closet. There are still a few items in the hall that I've pulled out, which must be dealt with. When I complete a part of this process and return the previously reorganized areas to their newfound order and let it stay that way before tackling another area, it is calming and deeply satisfying.

My living room throughout the holidays was a happy and peaceful place. It looked on-purpose. It's getting there again. The bag for Half Price Books is filling up. I just wedged more "keepers" into the bookcase. There's a book of cartoons from Scotland that I want to read, which will probably go to one of the boys when I'm done. I have finally cleared off the top of an occasional table which has been piled high with assorted books. It is sorely in need of dusting, but that can wait for another day.

I think I am ready to tackle the contents of the last storage bin from the hall closet. It has a comforter in one of those vacuum sealed bags, and more stuff under that. The bin itself is that 1980's blue and must go. I want the run of the hall again.

Yesterday I helped to clean our chapel. I will willingly do for the Lord what I only grudgingly do for myself. He knows it's hard for me to be on my feet long enough to do my share. I cleaned the library, dusted the choir loft and most of the baseboards and all of the pews in the chapel proper, and counted wastebaskets and the hanger clips on the chalkboards in the classrooms. I probably walked more than a mile before I was finished. And then I came home and *died*.

Naps are a wonderful thing. When I awoke, I ran errands. Picked up goodies to try from Trader Joe's. And supplies to make valentines. Five dozen of them. It's still my favorite non-religious holiday. I have stage 1 done and am waiting for inspiration on how to finish them.

This morning I need to bake brownies for tonight's fireside. And I'm hoping for a nap before church. I have kinda-sorta  eaten breakfast and am still vaguely hungry. And I am seriously grubby from yesterday's labors.

But happy. That's the important part.

2 comments:

Jenni said...

Good for you. I've been working on some purging, cleaning and returning to previously established order around here as well. I don't like to do it, but I like the end result.

Tola said...

oh i hope i get a Valentine!