Friday Funny

Today my husband and I went out for brunch. It was a multi-purpose date, with a car repair and a chiropractor visit thrown in. We had good food but I was alternately distracted and amused by a Woman in Yellow at the next table. I would have thought a yellow baseball cap would be enough sunnyness in one's attire, but she was also wearing a yellow hoodie and a yellow shirt. Not soft pastel yellow, but the extreme color one associates with a large feathered friend on children's televsion. I kept expecting Ernie to pop in to invite her to play Hide 'n Seek with him. On a chair near her was a yellow purse that at first seemed fun and funky, covered with silver studs....until the light shifted a little and I saw that the silver studs were actually rhinestones. This whimsical ensemble was completed by bright pink lipstick.

Professional Help

Today Cathy brought professional help -- a lady who cleans houses for a living! I learned several things from her:
How do I clean the top of my stove? Oven Cleaner! (Duh! but I had no idea. Spray it on, wait 20 minutes, wipe it off)
How do I clean the spots on the shower door? Lime Away!
And the stains in the kitchen sink? Gone, thanks to Soft Scrub.

The kids had fun because the housekeeper lady brought her little boy with her. He speaks only Spanish, so the kids could practice all those words they learn on Dora the Explorer.

Learning about Laundry

Cathy came back today. We tackled the upstairs. Lots of loads of laundry. And lots of decluttering in the bedroom (why do I neglect that room?).

I learned some things about drying clothes. When Cathy puts things in the dryer, she shakes them out so that sleeves dry throroughly and socks don't hide inside them. She said it helps them dry more quickly than throwing them all in together in one big heap. She also cleans the lint screen after every single load.

And then.....when the clothes are dry, she folds them as she puts them in the laundry basket! I can see that this works better than my method. I toss everything in the basket and dump it on the bed. Of course I get interrupted and then when I'm ready for bed I remember the laundry and transfer it back to the basket....where I may remember it's clean or I may not.

I am absolutely exhausted. Because Cathy has been here, I've missed my afternoon nap two days in a row.

Cathy's Vacuum

Cathy has this vacuum and she's been using it all over my house. She said she bought it 4 years ago and it's still working well. Considering that the price at Walmart.com is under 50 bucks, and we've gone through 4 cheap vacuums in the last 2 years, I'm impressed.

But I notice 2 things when Cathy vacuums. She empties the bin (it's bagless) after vacuuming half a room. She also removes the filter often, shaking out, and sometimes rinsing it. After rinsing it, she wraps it in a towel to squeeze the water out, getting it ready for immediate use again.

I can see that I have not done the necessary routine maintenance on my vacuums.

Meanwhile, we've ordered an air filter from Oreck that comes with a free vacuum.

Help

Cathy was here for five hours today. She vacuumed the downstairs soooo throroughly; I always vacuum by pushing the vacuum over every portion of the floor at least once. I think she covered every inch of the floor at least 5 times. She moved the furniture and vacuumed under it (I never do that!). She took the hose off the vacuum and did all the corners (something else I never do). I cleared off the kitchen counters and put dining room clutter in boxes around the edges of the room.

Cathy also did several loads of laundry. I am overwhelmed with thankfulness.

My back is sore tonight. I'm relaxing with more Adrian Plass...

Hope!

My husband had the day off. Early this morning the phone rang and it was Cathy from church -- one of the friends I had e-mailed, asking for prayer. She wants to help! She is coming tomorrow with her vacuum cleaner! This is especially fabulous because my cold has returned and I feel so foggy and brainless!

My husband did a lot today, putting away the Christmas tree and sorting out his clothes and just being helpful and sweet. I went shopping for a organizational supplies.

I Have a Plan Now

I made a long list of my burdens and gave them to the Lord (again) this morning. While I was praying, a plan came to mind: we will take a week off school and just clean house, one room at a time this week. I have a long history of planning big cleaning projects one day and waking up sick the next day, so I e-mailed several friends and asked them to pray. I only e-mailed a few friends who are far away and a few nearby friends who are too busy to respond as if this is a plea for help --- it isn't. It's just a plea for prayer.

Here is one paragraph from the e-mail:

I need your prayers. Housekeeping fills me with guilt for my failure,
sending me into discouragement that sends me to an extra nap which keeps me from
housekeeping. It's a vicious cycle. Pray that I am sensible, not doing more in a
day than is physically sensible for me and my weak back. Pray that I will be
gentle with The Princess Who Doesn't Want to Do Anything and The
Princess In a Daydream Who Doesn't Hear Mama, and The LittlestPrincess Who Says "I Help" but isn't Tall Enough to Do Much.