Looking at my blog page this evening, I don’t really have much to share with you, but figured I would at least make an effort to impart something, be it wisdom, humor, or just random babbling.

While trolling through my brain, looking for a gem or two, it occurred to me that I’d completed a few of the tasks on my list today, despite the fact that I don’t feel like I’ve really done that much.  (11:11 on my computer clock!)

I seem to be taking a lot for granted these days, as I’ve established my routine of getting up by about 8, taking care of a few things, feeding the cats and doing chores without thinking about them.

Unlike most people, I really didn’t have a daily regimen for those chores…until now.  The bed, which used to stay rumpled for days is made up every morning, often while the kitties are eating so I don’t have to fight with them to straighten the pillows.  Their sandboxes are scooped regularly now (thank goodness!!!), and the kitchen is picked up before I go to bed, with cat dishes washed and waiting in the dish drainer.  Laundry is done every week without fail (instead of waiting until I’m at underwear critical) and this week, I even took the shower curtain down and washed it!  Even more bizarre is that the house gets vacuumed once a week!  No more cat sized dust bunnies lurking in the corners!

These may seem like small things, even normal, everyday things to the average person.  But I’m just not much of a housekeeper, so these are the things which will fall by the wayside while I read a book, or write, or play a game, or just about anything to get out of cleaning!  I am the rebellious product of my uber neat, OCD mother.  I am everything she was not, including the slovenly habits I developed over the years.

But being home most days has had an interesting effect on me.  Sure, I’m still not scrubbing my floors on hands and knees every week, in fact, there are times when my kitchen floor just gets a “lick and a promise”, but I don’t allow clutter to accumulate any more, and I look at the fur on my sofa and think “I need to get the vacuum out and clean that off!”.  The blankets I keep on the couch are almost always folded neatly on the back of the sofa and love seat.  The dining room table is usually clear.  Dirty dishes are rarely found lurking in the living room or my office any more.  I actually get annoyed with myself if I’ve left my detritus behind.

Oy vey!  Am I becoming my mother???  Next thing you know, I’ll be washing the walls!  (and, between you and me, they really need it!)  But no, my house has a long way to go before it reaches the level of neatness my mother expected, and I’m ok with that.  But it no longer takes a week’s worth of cleaning to make the place presentable!  I guess I’ve found my own happy medium where dust may still accumulate for awhile, but eventually gets cleared, even though I know it will just accumulate again.

Something I’ve learned about keeping things cleared off is that my house actually stays neater with less effort. Why?  Because there is less stuff laying around for the cats to knock down and carry off t parts unknown!  I spend less time searching for missing objects, because, more often than not, they are where they belong!  What a concept!  It only took me mfmmph years to figure it out!

So here I sit, in my organized office with the only slightly messy desk, with plenty of room for the cats to sprawl while I work.  I think everyone is happy with the new arrangement, even if it means short periods of disturbance, like bed making and vacuuming.

Who says you can’t teach an old dog new tricks?

My gratitudes tonight are:
1. I am grateful for my girlfriends.
2. I am grateful for my furry kids who keep me company, give me comfort and make me feel needed.
3. I am grateful for the progress I’m  making on the rewrite of my book.
4. I am grateful for good times to come with friends I’m slowly growing closer to, and new ones yet to be made.
5. I am grateful for abundance in health, prosperity, love and friendship.

Love and light.