Housework

Contrary to popular belief I do not enjoy cleaning my house. I'm not talking about waving a swiffer around and pushing a vacuum cleaner through traffic areas as I handle the chore in the summer. Too many other things to do. Now as I have spent a day alone in my house do I see the signs of neglect.

Sure the toilet bowls have had adequate attention, they do not allow themselves to be overlooked or not in any home I would care to go into. Then, this was the summer of the bed bug epidemic so changing the sheets weekly was not an option. How I hate this chore, extra laundry and the task just bores me.

It is time to pull out the heavy artillery, my Rainbow (just an Oreck in the summer), furniture polish and Comet Cleanser. Cobwebs need to be brought down, fixtures, baseboards need dusting, hardwood and tile floors need more than a vacuum or broom. Light fixtures, decor, plants, window casings, not to mention the glass in them are begging for some special attention. Plus, the mattresses need to be vacuumed, the protectors and those of the pillows must be washed. This is all consuming but it will be done.

Here are few tips to make your deep cleaning a little easier:

1. My late Mother-In-Law referred to her cleaning as a "Lick and a Promise" which describes my summer cleaning. If you don't do this your job will be monumental.

2. Having to try to find the spots to clean because there are mounds of mail, newspapers and magazines covering them makes the job so much harder. Get rid of all these daily. If you don't the task becomes more daunting.

3. Remember that your fridge and washer/dryer are your best friends, they cost a lot of money and they need to be cleaned too. This does not mean throwing out expired food and folding the laundry which I hope you do almost daily. This means cleaning the parts and dusting underneath.

4. You can avoid a totally gross bathtub, shower or toilet bowl by giving them a little attention each day. Squeegee and dry the shower after each use, give the tub a spray of your favorite cleaner after a bath and spritz the toilet bowl with a little Windex each day. It all takes five minutes tops and lets you hold out a bit longer before big cleaning day.

5. Remember that these days most every product you buy has an expiration date on it. More than likely if they don't or have a price tag on them from Zayres, Phar Mor, Kroger or Heckingers....it is a safe bet that you need to throw them out.

Cleaning sucks but it will take about twenty minutes a day to abide by these little hints and life will be so much easier.

Turning 25 and Birthdays

My first born child just turned 25. I can honestly say that my beliefs and outlook on life have changed very little since then. Life only gets better each day.

My 25 year old son is happily married to a woman we adore. When I turned 25 I was happily married to a man my parents adored. My 25 year old and his wife have great careers, have settled into suburbia and their lives together are just starting. When I was 25, we lived in an apartment, had great vision and took baby steps to achieve our goals. As I look at my Son's 25th....."Looks Like We Made It".

I am the biggest birthday person on earth. I have never understood why anyone would want to pass on celebrating their special day or be depressed about their age. I had so many dear friends who did not make it to middle age and, I'm sure, would gladly trade places with those of you who think a birthday signals doom.

I am the one who once carefully purchased a card for your special day and made sure it was in your hands precisely then. I then went on to design a card for your special day. I guess everyone appreciates them, but I have a group of "like family" friends who get these cards and I have never gotten one from them. Sure, they showed up when there was a party involved and their overlooking my day continues to piss me off. But, what can you do about family? Fortunately, my blood relatives...born to or married to always view a birthday as a special event.

Of course, these negligent friends will continue to get their cards as that is just what I do. As I have just completed my first Face book year my friends from every part of my life will get a birthday wish posted on their wall. That's just what I do.

African Violets

When I was kid and would go and visit my Grandmother I would have to follow her around and admire her African Violets. I loved my Nana so I was polite about it and pretended to be interested. My thoughts were "BORING" and "Get a Life".

Nana has been gone for fifteen years and probably had not grown a violet for ten years prior to her passing. As an adult I began to develop the passion she had for gardening and houseplants but I never attempted to grow an African Violet as through all the books I read on the subject deemed them too difficult to nurture.

My own Mother loved them but never had the urge to grow them. My Mother-In-Law, rest her soul, tried and until the day she died; she kept them alive but had never gotten one to bloom. Ironically, I inherited one from her that my Mother had given her as a gift. The leaves were green and hearty but it had never bloomed. I brought it home re-potted it and gave it special attention. Within weeks of her death two years ago it started blooming and hasn't stopped since.

With a new found confidence I purchased another one. It was tiny and cost $2. It has since grown out of two pots and blooms constantly. I then bought some dying ones at Lowes on their clearance rack for 25 cents each, potted them, and again, they are thriving.

I know that Nana and my Mother-In-Law are looking down and saying "You go girl"! When I have grandchildren I plan to make them follow me around and look at my "African Violets".

NC Fall Dreamin'

To the tune of "California Dreamin"

all my grass is brown
and my flowers parched
it has been 90 degrees
for close to seventy days.

it hasn't rained
in over fourteen days
NC Fall dreamin' on such a summer's day.

stopped into a church and began to pray
Lord, don't let us go from flip flops
to snow boots in a single day.

NC Fall dreamin' on such a summer's day.

Fine Dining

Recently went to Ruth's Chris Steak House tonight to celebrate my Son and Brother's 25th and 50th birthdays. It was my Mom's treat and the second time I had eaten there in my life. The first time was for our wedding anniversary only because someone had given us a $75 gift card. We ended up spending up an additional $75 that night and we didn't even have a drink. The food and service were outstanding, but it bothered me that I could feed the two of us for a week with this money.

Guess this statement will deem me as not so sophisticated as so many consider food, the presentation of it and an exquisite taste a must have. But, I do not get why some foods are worth so much more than others. Sure I can taste the difference but not that much, yes, it is nice to never wonder if your glass will be refilled and have your table devoid of any unnecessary crumb or plate. I guess I'm just not a food connoisseur.

Heck yeah, I love to eat but a $10 "Pizza Hut" pizza, Longhorn and Red Lobster are some of my favorite eat out meals. Not to mention a Mexican Restaurant, your pick, or on really special occasions a Japanese restaurant where you can go and spend a most reasonable price and leave full. I know that these lesser establishments will possibly leave you FAT with all the hidden calories in their dishes but, hopefully you will know when to stop even if it means paying for something you cannot eat.

Not so true at the fine dining restaurant. When you pay $35 plus for a piece of meat without a salad or vegetable included in the price you are more than likely going to eat everything put in front of you. Of course, every extra crumb will be placed in a "Doggie Bag", because you paid big bucks for them. Again, the service is phonemial. Your server at a fine dining establishment is always in control and will never have to tell you that they are short staffed or that the Chef came to work drunk, which I have heard in my "Lesser Places".

I have been fortunate enough to dine in some of the finest restaurants in my city and across the country. I even worked in some. Can remember the places and know that the food was good. So why do I remember the taste of an Arby's Super with some Chick Fil A cole slaw? You must be a Redneck if......

Tuesdays

Tuesdays more than not suck. In the work week, you are over the get up and go of Monday and know that there are so many days left until the weekend. In any industry or other profession, things that may have gone wrong in the past week will wait and surface on Tuesday.

Is it because the Greeks deemed Tuesday unlucky as on that day was the "Fall of Constantinople"? In the Spanish speaking world an old proverb translates to "On Tuesday never get married or begin a journey". In both cultures if the 13th of the month falls on Tuesday, it is extremely unlucky. However, in Judaism Tuesday is considered a lucky day as the first chapter of Genesis proclaims that the day as good twice.

Black Tuesday was 10/29/29 thus beginning "The Great Depression". Tuesday is the day for elections in the US. It has been so for Presidential elections since 1845, 1875 for the House of Representatives and 1914 for the Senate. "Super Tuesday" is the day for Presidential primaries.

September 11, 2001 was on a Tuesday.

To help us get through Tuesday in the US and Canada videos and audios are released. However, I can't recall a single favorite TV show that was on Tuesday night. Plus, it is the slowest night of the week for restaurants not to mention other forms of entertainment.

One of the greatest events of my life happened on Tuesday. My Son was born. I suppose that should cancel out my disdain for this day. My most current Tuesday as I look back may have been mild but it was the "T Day". As I turned on the hose to water my flowers, a leak that wasn't there on Monday came to life and completely soaked me. In a collage of pictures hanging on my wall, one falls taking the rest with it. A squirrel decided it was a good day to try to ruin my potted plants.

For me, Tuesday is not the best day of the week.

Plastic Cards

These days your wallet is filled with plastic cards. First, there is the one that keeps you from writing or buying checks. The debt card is the greatest invention of all time. You no longer have to wait in line while the person in front of you writes a check and records that purchase in a register. Unless, of course, that person is over 80. All you have to do is swipe, enter a pin number, keep the receipt and do your on-line banking. So many time wasting steps eliminated by this one card.

Then there are the ones that I first remember as metal plates. You know these, the ones that allow you to purchase anything you want as long as you don't exceed your credit limit. You can have hundreds of these which allow you to shop as if money were not an object. You can take great vacations, remodel your home, borrow cash, wear great clothes and jewelry by using one of these plastic cards. All wonderful things if you can pay the bills in full when they come. If not you are screwed, in just a matter of months you can get into some really big trouble. We all know about this peril now and hopefully before it wasn't too late.

The plastic cards that annoy me most are the smaller ones issued to me by every store I shop in. They are called MVP, VIP, Rewards or whatever catchy name the company comes up with. They give me the opportunity for great savings which I appreciate but how many of these can I carry? I was blessed one day at Bed Bath and Beyond at the check out to purchase a tiny, faux, snakeskin wallet to house these that is attached to my key chain. It now has twenty-five of these cards and unable to hold one more. If you are a man or don't have one of these little gems, what do you do? You fill out the paper work and the cashier puts in your phone number and you get the discounts. In this day and time a discount is welcomed.

9/11/01 - The Day the Earth Stood Still

There are not very many good things I remember about the year 2001. In March of that year I lost my Dad suddenly, he was just 67. In that Spring five of my friends lost their Dad's as well. It was a Spring of funerals and by Summer we were still stunned and recovering from these losses.

As the Summer ended, the weather was beautiful. My Mom didn't cry everyday and we looked forward to the wedding or our best friend's daughter on 9/22. She was the first child born to any of our close friends so life was coming full circle.

On September 11, 2001, I had a great job as a rep with a cosmetics company and on that day I had an appointment forty five miles away from home. Left early, the sky was a brilliant blue and I was listening to my favorite radio morning show when I heard that a plane had crashed into the World Trade Center. I called my husband to tell him what I heard and we deduced that it was some sick joke. Just minutes later and hearing the timbre of the DJ's voice, I knew that this had happened. Horribly, it happened again and again while I was still on the road. I finally stopped at a Wal-Mart and rushed to the TV section to see what was going on. I ended up sitting on the floor there for an hour surrounded by so many doing the same. When I could finally get up I went home, to hell with work! Upon knowing that my loved ones were safe, I knew I was blessed that I did not personally know anyone who perished senselessly that day, but it felt like I did.

As I arrived home, my answering machine held a call from someone telling me how the Seniors should be showcased in an upcoming issue of a HS newsletter which I edited. I was appaulded that this call came at about noon. I never called this lady back. I turned on the TV and proceeded to find anything red, white and blue to decorate my front lawn. In my then 46 years, I had never felt so patriotic and violated. The days that followed were consumed by the images of these violent attacks, the tears of loss, heroics and how this could happen to our great country.

Alas, all of our lives changed forever on September 11, 2001. My great job that took me to some of the most exotic places in the US was soured for me when within days I was sent flags and other props to promote a cologne that happened to have the word "American" in its title and was packaged in red, white and blue. I found this totally tasteless. Ironically, because of these attacks this wonderful position only lasted a few more years. The even better one I got after that had seen its heyday before 9/11. Everything changed.

As a result we can no longer walk our loved ones to an airline boarding gate. We now have to watch our belongings and let our bodies be tampered with before we can go to that gate. We once only feared a plane crash as a result of a mechanical failure, we now know that this is the least of our worries. We lost our innocence, such as it was and began to question everything.

Sure there was the Pearl Harbor attack on what was then a territory of the US. On 9/11 thousands lost their lives in the greatest city on earth by simply getting up on that Tuesday morning and going to work. We will never forget.

Labor Day

I've kind of always known it, but I am now putting Labor Day in my top five list of favorite holidays. I don't think there has ever been a Labor Day weekend that I have been somewhere exotic. However, I can remember so many of them and the good times that came with them.

Labor Day weekend gives so many a day off from work as it was intended. You are not obligated to decorate the house, buy a present or even send a card. This weekend is not even a family event. It is totally all about what you want to do.

You can hang on to summer with the beach, pools, water and amusement parks. You can move into fall, dust off your pom poms and become immersed in football. Just a good all around day with just one problem.......will you wear white pants and shoes tomorrow?

I Love This Time of the Year!

Pollyanna that I am, I can give you so many reasons to love Winter, Spring and Summer. Excellent seasons full of things to give you so much joy. But they do have some faults.

In the Winter you are more than likely to be cold. Sure there are lots of places where you won't feel a chill, but let's just look at the continental US here. A great deal of this area will be plagued with unbelievably frigid temperatures, blinding snowstorms and astronomical heating costs. If you don't have a garage you have to get up a half hour earlier just to put on all the clothing needed to go out and start your car so you can sit in it before you go to work. However, if you love it there is sledding, snowboarding and skiing. You can enjoy some great hot foods and what better TV is there than the Oscars, People's Choice, Grammys, et al? Then there is the Superbowl. Winter has some big ups and some big downs.

In the Spring who doesn't feel good? It's getting warmer and new life is busting out all around you. If you live in place where Spring actually lasts the full three months you are blessed. In NC a typical Spring lasts from about April 15th to May 15th. This gives you about a month to deal with the clothing transition. Believe me more times than not I've worn a coat on April 14th and shorts and a tank top on May 16th. There are those of us who live for the day they can go to the garden center and come home to start digging and there are those who dread the day when it's time to break out the lawnmower. Plus, this is the season that all of your allergies surface. You are starting to recover from heating bills and leftovers from Christmas. Then you start to receive invitations to graduations and weddings and the gifts to buy. In the Spring, weather is volatile. You can get hit by a tornado or driving rains. TV is great. You find out who will win "American Idol" and "Dancing With The Stars". In addition, your favorite shows will deliver some great endings. You are all about NCAA basketball.

I suppose if I conducted a Poll, seventy five percent would pick Summer as their favorite season. Why not? It is vacation time, pool time and flip flop time. It amazes me that so many people, my children included, will pull out the shorts and flip flops long before it is warm enough to actually wear them. People will start to cultivate their tans, through tanning beds, sprays and lotions. No one wants to be lily white in the summer. There is a mass exodus to the ocean, lake or whatever body of water is close by. It is the time to be outdoors with family and friends, the grill is always hot, there is always a baseball game to go to and who doesn't love the fireworks on the 4th of July? However, Summer is unmercifully HOT. I can remember when there was no air conditioning in houses or cars. In the house, you raised the windows and found a tree to sit under outside. Your only relief in the car was to roll down the windows. You always carried a paper fan.....Flash forward fifty years and we can not even imagine a life without AC. The Summer also brings deadly thunder storms and the beginning of hurricane season. It used to be that there was nothing on TV but reruns in the Summer, now, with our nine million channels it is not a concern.

Now to my favorite season. No one loves flowers more than me, but the colors of the trees in fall is breathtaking. The sky becomes a shade of blue that cannot be recreated. The temperatures become crisp and cooler. Extreme weather is almost non-existent. It is back to school time which delights me as I love the smell of a new notebook, sharp pencils, markers, shiny backpacks, bed risers and extra long twin sheets. Plus, with back to school comes football season, from pee-wee to professional, there is nothing like attending a game on a glorious Fall day. The new TV season starts and you start to plan for Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas. Sure there are leaves to rake, but how could you not love this season? I love it so much that when my Son got married it was to a woman named Autumn.

Spray Paint

I can't imagine a life without spray paint. I don't think that it was until I was an adult that I knew of it. Since then I'm pretty sure I am one of the ones who kept the manufacturers in business. I have never sprayed graffiti on something I shouldn't have but I have sprayed most everything else.

*You can buy switch plates for less than a dollar and spray them with a textured paint to make them look like something that costs five dollars or more.

*You can revitalize your kitchen by spending over a hundred dollars to replace all the knobs or you can spray them all and they will be different from anyone else's for the cost of a can of paint.

*You can reinvent outdoor furniture each year and make it look like new and something different with a can of spray paint.

*If you are not into sanding, stripping and staining a piece of furniture you can give it a new look with a can of spray paint.

*Need new planters or flower pots? Take what you have and add a couple of coats of spray paint.

*Want to change picture frames or your home's accessories? Make them any color you want with a can of spray paint.

I can go on and on about the virtue's of spray paint. The results don't last forever but it can give your possessions a complete new look for a year or more.