I had the best day.
I know I am about to paint myself as a veritable lunatic, but my happy day was all about cleaning. Cleaning, cleaning, and more cleaning. My fridge is suddenly empty after ridding it of all its spoils. I surprised my muscles by lugging and pushing beds over carpet to vacuum up long-lost popcorn seeds, cat hair, and foil wrappers from tiny Easter eggs. I did endless loads of laundry, washing all of our winter coats and mittens to pack up nicely for next winter. Speaking of winter, our cold weather wardrobes were finally purged, and tossed unceremoniously into plastic storage bins. I soon realized I have a pretty empty closet that requires a bit of shopping to add spring colour.
As I rotated load after freshly laundered load on my clothes line, I felt my mind actually clear of the kind of stress one can control. Because it's not just about having a clean house or "getting things done". It's about controlling the things we can in this crazy world. We can't control what's going on outside our own insular worlds, but we can take care of our families, ourselves, and create a home that makes us feel safe, warm and calm when we are tucked within. And that is where my satisfaction came from today. I cleared the cobwebs as I cleaned, both in my home and in my mind. Worries were pushed aside as I scrubbed, heaved furniture, and hung out clothes. My mind worked through what problems it could as I laboured, and the physical work quieted the rest.
As I rotated load after freshly laundered load on my clothes line, I felt my mind actually clear of the kind of stress one can control. Because it's not just about having a clean house or "getting things done". It's about controlling the things we can in this crazy world. We can't control what's going on outside our own insular worlds, but we can take care of our families, ourselves, and create a home that makes us feel safe, warm and calm when we are tucked within. And that is where my satisfaction came from today. I cleared the cobwebs as I cleaned, both in my home and in my mind. Worries were pushed aside as I scrubbed, heaved furniture, and hung out clothes. My mind worked through what problems it could as I laboured, and the physical work quieted the rest.
And then I hung out with my family.
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photo credits:
top photo: Katrin Cargill.com
second and third photo: Toast.uk
If you are at all familiar with my blog, you know I am a big fan of camping. Each summer, I fuss over my little tent trailer/pop-up like it was a real vacation home. I have recovered the cushions, picked up fun accessories, doctored what I could and daydream about what else I can do to make it prettier. While the Airstream remains the coup of all campers, a close second would have to be the lovable, vintage Boler. As any Boler fan would tell you, owning a Boler puts one into a very select group. Pride of ownership shows for most every Boler that has been rescued and renovated, and seeing them bob happily down the highway brings a smile to any camping lover far and wide.
Boler photos above: source, 
Orange Boler photos, source: 
As I sit beside a hot fire, actually getting too hot, I am warm for the first time today. Spring has been a big dud so far, and the temperatures have sorely disappointed with the sun copping out and doing a miserable job at warming things up. So, to lift my spirits, I am going to indulge in some serious summertime daydreaming for a moment.
Although we finished most of out outdoor projects last year, given that our lot is quite small by most standards, I do still toy with the idea of adding an outdoor shower to our pool deck. Although my childrens' daily chlorine baths seems to substitute for proper dips in the tub during the summer, if I had an outdoor shower at the ready, I really wouldn't have to nag and quiz them on their state of summer cleanliness. I mean, come on...wouldn't one of these look so pretty in my pool area?
