Clear Sailing

The house was a literal wreck, this time last week. I was tempted to hire someone just to clean it, but I knew I'd have to move everything off the horizontal surfaces first, in order to reach the dust and grime. Plus, there were boxes and those big totes everywhere, full of Christmas ghosts past and present. So why not just get to it? It wasn't even Thanksgiving yet, but I was under the gun to get it all finished before we carved up that turkey. 2020 has made us all a trifle crazy, and we need a little Christmas, right this very minute. My husband promised to help, but his idea of help is to go out in the garage and change the oil. He has always had the strangest priorities when it comes to company coming over. One time, with the house stacked to the gills with clutter, he took it upon himself to touch up the walls all over the house. It wound up looking insane, because he didn't notice that the old paint cans had rust on the rims and all the colors were just a bit off. We had strange-colored spots all over the house and I ended up having to paint pretty much everything within the next few months, to cover up all the off-color patches. But we made a memory!

This time, however, he was my champion. He stated, very early in the day, that he was going to help me but that I was not to give him any instructions. I smiled and took what I could get. He started in one room, organizing and straightening...and then closing each door when a room was finished. While I did alchemy in the kitchen (first time, ever in 38 years, I made pecan pies and did the dressing. My dearly-departed mother-in-law would have been proud, as I used her recipes), Ken waved his magic wand. By mid-afternoon, the house was neat, dusted and decorated. It was definitely a Christmas miracle. 

The kids and grands and Grandma Judy all came in, festive and happy. We ate, told stories, laughed and then laughed some more. Our son Jesse came up with a game that had me crying and holding my tummy with hilarity. Newlyweds Marcus and Liz hang around a little longer (no baby yet, there's that coming), and we mused with that muzzy, comfy, full feeling that you get after big holidays with people you love and actually like. Ken and I snuggled into bed like two kittens in a cocoon and enjoyed the warmth of food, cozy blankets and love. You don't get days like that all the time. We've learned to really treasure them.

The next day, without even killing each other, we cleaned out our workshop...something we've put off for many months. We hauled truckloads of junk to the curb and folks picked it up, keeping it out of the landfill for another day. The rest went to the trailer to be carted off, and the truck was filled with goodies for our kids. You can now walk in the building without risking death. That only took four hours. What were we thinking?! So many things in life are not done because we simply dread facing them. With a little focus and spit, we hunkered down and got it done. The cobwebs in my mind are beginning to clear. Maybe I'll start with the pantry next...