Well I’m sitting here at the Mac feeling very pleased with myself. This morning I have already managed to make the beds, tidy the house – including the girls’ rooms, take the children and their assorted bags, instruments and other paraphernalia to school and iron a not insubstantial mountain of clothes – oh, which I also put away – then I hoovered downstairs, emptied the paper bins and cleaned the kitchen. So that’s me done for the day on the domestic front – well apart from cooking a meal later. The rest of the day is ‘mine all mine’ (feel free to imagine me wringing my hands in glee at this moment).
What has bought about this transformation, after all, it’s not so long ago that I thought housework was the biggest drudge of them all, a constant flow of tediousness that bought no recognition and was never surmountable?
The truth is, that I have come to realise – very late I know – that once I have the house half way acceptably clean, tidy and presentable, I get a warm, calm feeling, from which I find myself better able to launch myself into other work. It’s a bit like the effect you get when you clear your desk before starting a new project and instantly feel more focused – well for me, I’ve learned that being on top of the housework gives me the same serene starting place.
Now I wouldn’t want you to get the wrong impression here. I am no paragon of virtues on the household front. I’m talking pretty much the minimum you can realistically get away with; don’t attempt to run your fingers along the tops of the doors unless you’re prepared for a nasty shock, and definitely avoid looking under the sofa, but you probably can safely sit on the sofa without having to worry about what’s lurking between the cushions.
So what am I going to do with the luscious hours of freedom today? Good question. Probably going to sew some more tapestry (canvas-work really) and listen to the rest of How to Get Rich, then again, I might just come up with something a tad more interesting, but I certainly won’t be doing any more domestic chores. Deep contented sigh.
Mostly Motley 