The Cleaning Pause That Lasted Years!

There I stood amongst the debris of my life, wondering how things could have gotten so out of control. Of course, not having cleaned the house in forever didn't help- when was it anyway? Last week? Last year? A decade? From the coating of dust, it could be the latter- unless my cats decided to shed all at once and are running around naked.

I like clean and neatness, I just don't do clean and neatness. It's not my gift. It's not even in my vocabulary. At least until we decided to buy our very first house.

Moving does something to people. At least to us people here in Clutterville. We dream of a better, neater life where no clutter or junk drawer exists, and every bad habit we have will be eradicated the second we step into the new digs. But then I look at all the things surrounding me and wonder, "Who buys all this stuff anyway?" and I have no one else to blame but myself- and my husband. It's his fault for letting me have a bank card.

I know I cleaned this place before, I just don't remember when. There was a vague wisp of a memory about two years back, and something about cleaning maintenance, but that wisp escaped me when I saw I had email. Two-hundred and fifty thousand dollars of life insurance for only a dollar a week was worth looking into, after all! If I died, my family would have the funds to pay someone else to go through all this stuff!

But nooooo, I didn't get the insurance, and I didn't die. I have to put on my Big Girl pants- if I can find them- and get to work.

I started picking up the mess, dust motes flying about me like clouds of angry gnats, making me sneeze as I breathed them in. The cats (who weren't naked, after all) shot me looks of resentment as I removed things that made great kitty hiding places, as well as kitty obstacle courses. I'll miss their little antics, like falling off a pile of books when they misjudged a leap, or the surprised swipe of a paw from a concealed overturned box as his fuzzy brother walked by. Fun time was over, and it was time to get to work. The Cleaning Pause That Lasted Many Years was now over.  

I just hope I can get rid of most of this stuff before the move!