Cleaning Is a BIG Part of Christmas

Is it not?

I mean... who wants to decorate on top of dirty?

or...

when we entertain - we have to pick up the clutter

and clean...

and when family comes in..

those clean sheets..

getting the bedrooms ready..

and the bathrooms.

I LOVE CLEAN!

Don't always have it - 'cause I don't always clean.

Today I'm cleaning.

Sarah's coming home tonight.

Mary Ann is coming tomorrow.

Kate came when John and Ada came, and, yes, I cleaned for my grandchildren.

Here's what Ada now says when she comes into my house for the first time after a long time away...

"It's so CWEAN!"

I get it ready for the big mess up that she and John and Ellie and Luke and Andrew will create.

Their creation of playing and imagining and exploring and eating and digging into my home.

So - today as I clean - I have thoughts.  Do you do that?

I've already vacuumed the kitchen and mopped it - before Kate waked up -

She'll be cooking some for Ann who will have Steve's parents for Christmas.

I wanted to get the floor clean for the new layer of drops and spills and tracks.

So - my thoughts -

Know what I ALWAYS think of when I mop?
This:
Once upon a time, while mopping, the phone rang.

It was Mary Bratton - this was a long time ago - and of course she asked, "What are you doing?"

But we continued to talk and I learned how cool it is to have a long phone conversation while mopping.

That's the best my floor was EVER mopped.  Because the conversation lasted longer than the mopping.

So I mopped and mopped and then did a very thorough rinse mop.  

and then did my foot dry.

(I'll explain below)

I have absolutely no idea what we talked about.  But it was probably about our children and some common thing that was going on in our active lives produced by having 2 and 4 children at home.

The Foot Dry.  

I get a towel or two hand towels or 2 large dry wash cloths.

I put my feet on these and slide all over the floor.

It not only dries the floor but picks up some remaining soil.

It gives one a good idea of just how stained the floor can get 

and how good, or not so good, it's been mopped.

Christmas gets us cleaning.

It's a steady task and it makes my thoughts go to other times 

when I made these same beds and dusted these same spots and handled these same possessions.

I remember people and days and events.

I consider the changes in our lives

and how we've evolved.

And before I know it,

I've gotten it done,

and I get to enjoy the completed task.

Sarah will be home around 9:00 p.m.