Season's Cleaning

     Since the holiday season is upon us, I should probably do some cleaning.  I really don't know why, it's after the season that the house really needs cleaned, but there is a treasure trove of dead fly carcasses laying around, so I guess I will clean.

     I've started in the kitchen....twice and have yet to make it all the way around the room.  I had the grand idea to wipe off the cabinets. Once I started that, there was no stopping.  I have discovered I should really remember that I'm not 5' 7", with long legs. No, when God was handing out legs I thought he said "eggs" and told him no thanks, I'd just get my own.  

     Being short means that I don't see surfaces above my eye level. Surfaces like the top of the frig, the open shelves that house my colorful dishes or the top of the range hood.  Being short also means keeping frequently used items within arms reach.  Starting with the cabinets meant dragging out the step stool.  Dragging out the step stool meant getting above my eye level.  Getting above my eye level meant I had obviously not been off the floor for some time.

     Then, round two of kitchen cleaning.  I decided to clean a small bookcase that sits close to my husbands chair.  He always accused me of trying to get rid of him because I would re-arrange the furniture so often he didn't dare try to walk through a room in the dark.  I have pretty much quit moving the furniture around and this bookcase has been sitting in the same spot for a long time.  

     This particular bookcase houses magazines that never get thrown away.  There are car magazines that belong to him and woodworking and craft magazines that are mine.  We don't throw them away because we may someday need inspiration for a new project.  As I began to pull the magazines out, I realized neither of us had been whacked with the inspiration wand for many moons.  

     The cobwebs had been in the back of the bookcase long enough to have their own postal service.  There was also another treasure trove of dead fly carcasses in there too.  I had never given much thought to what spiders eat.  Of course, they eat bugs, but I now know they only eat the insides, not the hard crunchy shell.  

     As I pulled things off of each shelf, I started to make three piles.  His keepers, my keepers and a 'why on earth did I keep that' pile.  I found numerous recipe cards of savory delights that I have never fixed so I decided to keep them for above mentioned inspirational moments.  

     I finally got to the bottom shelf.  The very last item at the very bottom of the bookcase was a 2007 Cabela's catalog.  I had no idea why I had a Cabela's catalog in the first place, but since I obviously hadn't cleaned (or moved) the bookcase for six years, I figured it was OK to forget why or where it came from.

     The pile of throw aways is still in the middle of the kitchen floor.  I got sidetracked with something I thought would be more fun, something like running the sweeper, but that didn't happen either because, really, running the sweeper is not my idea of fun.  My husband was pilfering through the pile this morning.  He was trying to act nonchalant about it but I know he was double checking to make sure there were no beloved car magazines in there.

     Now time for round three.  I must at least get the pile in a bag and out to the trash before I think there might be something in there worth keeping, something like the 1999 plat book that keeps waving at me every time I walk by.  Then I will try and get around the rest of the room.

    Then again, the handy weather app on my phone tells me the high for today will be 49 degrees and sunny.  The thermometer, which is located on the north side of the house, is already showing 51 degrees.  Now that's my idea of fun.