I’ve dropped the mop!

Ok. I knew this day would come. I’ve dropped the mop! Literally. I have done virtually nothing to clean my house for about 10 days, except I did change the bed and clean my bathroom because company was coming. LOL  Now I have no idea what I’m supposed to be doing and I can hear my cleaning calendar laughing hysterically in the background.  

Eventually, this will happen to you too, if it hasn’t already. Life has swept me into other details that are much more fun than cleaning house, like making jewelry, helping a few friends in need (i.e., cleaning THEIR house), cooking, and entertaining as my super clean house wanes back into unacceptable dirtiness.  I could continue on this vein but just realized today that I’ve lost control of my cleaning schedule. I actually forgot that I even had one! That is pretty cool for me--the disciplined housekeeper. But I will have to get back to it soon. I have childhood friends coming for an as-yet unscheduled dinner and I know my house has to be cleaned, if not for myself then CLEAN FOR COMPANY!  LOL

Here I go again.  My first step is to actually find the schedule (I know it’s printed somewhere) and then bring it up to date. That involves assessing what I've forgotten to do for all this time, integrating current stuff scheduled on the calendar, deleting any duplicate items, and then assigning new dates to get it done within a minor, self-imposed whirlwind. That’s when the panic and regret will set in and I’ll kick myself in the butt for actually FORGETTING about the schedule. On the other hand, I will be CONGRATULATING myself for having a life and enjoying it. That’s a good sign that my retirement has moved me into a playful state that is well deserved. WOOT WOOT, good job!  

So how is your cleaning calendar working out?

• Why do we clean?
• Retirement — What’s the Most Awesome Lifestyle?

“But Nobody Goes In There!” ...with a font that's visible

Is that your teenager or your partner?  To be fair, they are impacted by your need to have a clean house. Before we look for their cooperation, let's ask ourselves: "So why do we clean?" One of the most obvious reasons relates to living in a healthy environment but the onset of guests become a primary motivator for many of us.  I often like to quote Queen Aurora, aka my Mom, who taught me all I know about cleaning, especially the deep cleaning which she detested doing herself. "What will the neighbors think?"  We were trained at a young age. Every Saturday we were on our knees dusting baseboards. Yuck… 

But the rebel in me gave that up as soon as I moved out on my own. Fast forward to adulthood: whenever Nathan and I have entertained in the past 20 years there has been a feverish rush to be sure that no one knows we live like "everyone else" does. That is-- just like most everyone else-- we clean for company. But this is stressful! I am a fanatic about clutter and my husband is the exact opposite.  We've managed to make that work between us over the past twenty years. (That advice comes only one-to-one. Call me.) But, as much as not-cluttered looks clean--it isn't necessarily. There is still