The Great “Company Is Coming” Deep Clean...
I have to admit, I don't have the cleanest house. Between my
dog, who is a cross between a Jack Russell terrier and something much taller
than the corgi I was told he was, and my two cats, my house tends to have
enough pet hair to produce whole animals by the end of the month. I also happen
to live in a drafty old house, so dust just waits to land as soon as a cloth is
swept over the furniture.
My house usually isn't too cluttered, but I'm usually way
too busy to keep it really clean. Being single has its advantages, like the
only mess being my mess, but my lack of regular cleaning does not bode well
when it comes to visitors coming over. It’s usually a marathon cleaning, right
when I’m worn down from either getting all the big item events done before the
holidays, or, when my dad comes down in June, I’m usually just getting out of
school (thankfully, I’m not at the school where I had to bring everything home
or it would be stolen…out of my locked office…over the summer). Living a
writing life, or even a reading life, does not give much time to think about
dust or hair hanging off the ceiling fan!
This afternoon will not be an exception to this rule for me.
I did start working on the guest room this summer, so it will be the most
organized that it has ever been for The Visit. I’ve actually already washed the
sheets, duvet cover, and curtains. I probably have about an hour or less worth
of work for that room. The rest of the house…ugh. Thankfully, my mom always
comes to the rescue for me on the cleaning. She knows I have higher
expectations for how my house looks for other people than it does for myself.
It’s a pride thing. Without her, my house would be a mess.
So, I have to say, without a doubt, that I am eternally
grateful for my Mama. She cleans a house so that her ex-husband and his wife
have a clean place to stay while they are in town. How selfless is that? I think the lady definitely deserves a day at the spa for her upcoming birthday!