Housework

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Well, well, well, look who’s in the living room… upstairs! And relaxing at that. Our sweet cat had taken so many great strides forward before taking a few steps back when we had company in the house. I’m so pleased to see she’s venturing out again, reclaiming her ground and even expanding her territory to include the upstairs living and dining rooms. I still haven’t seen her walk into the kitchen, that will have to be a spring milestone. I’m guessing the upstairs bedrooms are still months away, but progress, even when it’s slow, is still progress.

She spent most of the day hiding in her old basement spot while I cleaned… and cleaned… and cleaned. Ugh! Tim had to work, so I set about my own workday right here at home. I dusted, vacuumed, and started tackling mountains of clothing, both dirty and clean, methodically working room by room. I never really made it upstairs, aside from putting clean sheets on our bed, but the rest of the house is looking much better and smelling clean and fresh.

When Tim arrived home, I took a break, still not dressed, feeling worn and ragged from the full day of cleaning. He started to ask what was for dinner, but perhaps trying to avoid being kicked in the shin, he simply mentioned that he’d need to eat something if we were staying in. I suggested he heat up my leftovers from the night before, since the portion had been enough for three people.

After enjoying the rest of my delicious meal, into the sink went his plate and silverware… oh, Tim! So here’s my public service announcement for the day: if someone has spent the entire day cleaning and the sink is sparkling, without a dish in sight, do not put a dirty dish in it. It may not be a rational reaction, but that alone can send a person into an immediate fit of frustration. Not that I went completely crazy on him, but I did suggest he open the dishwasher and put them in before I lost my mind.

He, of course, always looking for a way out, claimed he was only putting them there for a minute because he might use them again. Sorry, but I didn’t buy that for a second! I’ve yet to see him reach into the sink to retrieve a dirty dish to use again… but hey, maybe he’ll surprise me one of these days.

Seems like the cat isn’t the only one taking two steps forward and one step back. Still, between small victories upstairs and a (mostly) clean house, I’ll take the progress where I can get it. Watching her relax more and more each day has been such a treat for Tim and me, and as for the dishes, well… apparently I can relax a little there too. Now to enjoy a moment of the beautiful weekend! 

“Housework can’t kill you, but why take a chance?” ~ Phyllis Diller