I have been a bit of a slack poster lately and I have no excuses - still on holidays so should be able to manage a bit more. I think I'm just in that cotton wool state where everything seems soft and fuzzy and and a little bit uninspiring-.the Summer Heat Blues. But with less than two weeks left I am determined to put in a big effort on everything. So here is the list - finish BOA books (get more paper, cut out prints, stitch etc), prepare texts for school (Wilfred Owen poetry, the Old Man and the Sea, Holes - a novel for year 8, and a unit on Celebrities), clean the house.
Surely that will do! Notice I listed quite specifically - what I need to do for school and for BOA but cleaning house is a vague, generalized 'clean house'. Probably because if you saw my house you would understand why I don't want to go into specifics. I like to blame B and the two YAMs (young adult males) who reside with me but in all honesty that is not very fair. I just hate housework!!! (and I don't use the 'hate' word loosely).
I know I am not alone but there is this huge inconsitency between, one, my absolute hatred of all things housework and two, my desire to have a tidy house. It would be ok if I was one of those wonderfully liberated people who can invite people into their chaos with cool, confidence but I'm not even close.
Instead I feel I have spent my life since having children (22 years) trying to reconcile these two irreconcilable positions.
So things are going to change. I have decided to get a cleaner.
What was that?
I have decided to get a cleaner.
Yes I am actually confessing publically to the petite bourgeoise practice of inviting a complete stranger into your house and inflicting on them the disposal and organisation of your decadent, capitalist lifestyle. (Notice I am using the pronoun 'your' here). I haven't actually done it yet but I am very close. I actually said to B last night (and I quote) "We need to get the house in order this weekend so I can ring a cleaner on Monday" and he agreed. I don't know what was more disturbing that we have already started cleaning for the cleaner and we haven't even got one!! or that we have actually succumbed to needing a cleaner at all.
I know I said earlier that it is unfair of me to blame the YAMS for the state of the house but this is different. I am definitely blaming them for the moral degradation of me and their father. A cleaner!!-yikes?? such a long way from my commie, Marx studying days of Uni, and my Dr Spock mentality of child rearing. A cleaner!!
There is still hope- I haven't actually done it yet but I am very,very close!!!
I too have a cleaner! Actually not at the moment because we're squatting in the studio, but I have had one before and I'm unashamed to say that I will have one again. n fact, I've been a cleaner myself and I don't think it's demeaning... Amanda, our cleaner, is almost part of the family and is coming over for daughter's birthday party tomorrow. Frankly she makes more money than I do and I have had fantasies of resurrecting my previous career to fund the art. So anyway, don't feel guilty, just find someone you're comfortable with. Sara x
ReplyDeleteThanx Sara. I hope my post doesn't sound like think being a cleaner is demeaning. I too have been a cleaner. What I have a problem with is creating so much chaos and waste that I actually need a cleaner.I have always found the idea of it over indulgent. But I am getting used to it.
ReplyDeleteI'm tempted to go 'snap' again ida.... but that would be lazy - I'm still trying to get myself properly into the studio... to work on the BOA project (I WILL get there sometime soon...I hope ) and have faniciful dreams of having someone (anyone) come to clear a pathway into my grotsville residence (just dreams I'm afraid)
ReplyDeletehey dear - with the hols fast disappearing - we should make time for a catch up of sorts... gate is (usually) always open - love to see you (if you can cope with piles of threatening junk)
thanks Ronnie, will try to make it up your way in the next week. likewise if you head to tathra please drop in.
ReplyDeleteOh, get the cleaner, Ida, and don't feel guilty. I'd love to do the same except that I still have the floor covered with unpacked boxes and now children's toys and I can't bear the effort entailed in cleaning up for the cleaner. The only real reason I clean (read vacuum) is to remove the millions of dead ants and to try to give the funnelwebs a feeling that they are unwanted. Not that they take much notice - there's obviously no funnelweb grapevine out there so still they come...
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