Housewife, 54

This is crazy, but I am actually looking forward to Mondays... and it is HOUSE CLEANING DAY!  Am I going nuts? I think it is because I don't usually have anything booked on Mondays, at least not until mid-afternoon, so I know that I have the time free and don't have to "make time".  I have now officially booked my calendar for Monday mornings to get my Weekly Home Blessing done.... Flylady speak for the basic weekly clean of the main areas of your house. Generally they are talking about a quick pick-up, dust and mop/vacuum of your main living areas of the house, but I am getting into a groove of starting upstairs in the bedrooms and bathrooms and giving those a quick cleaning before I even get dressed.  I will also strip and change one bed, and that load of laundry gets my PJ's that I have been cleaning in... easier than washing a whole outfit! It is taking me about 1 hour to clean 2 full bathrooms (scrub toilets, bathtubs, clean mirrors, wipe sinks and floors...

Oh... my.... GOODness!  Have I fallen off the wagon when it comes to keeping a tidy house!  Mind you, I was "taught right"!  My mom was an immaculate housekeeper, and while our homes were never magazine-worthy as far as decorating goes, it was always neat and welcoming and you would be hard pressed to find any dirt or dust!  We cleaned EVERY week, and once a month we did extra things like washing throw rugs, cleaning light fixtures, and vacuuming the furniture.  Then there was "spring" or "fall" cleaning, where the carpets were cleaned, curtains taken down, washed, dried, ironed.. windows washed and kitchen cabinets cleaned inside and out!  I HATED it!  Oh, don't get me wrong, I loved having a clean and shining home, and I didn't mind the actual work.... too much... but what drove me UP THE WALL was the way my Mom managed it.  You see, I want a visible check-of list so I can pace myself, check off accomplished tasks, and see the light at the end o...

In techie short cuts, DGS= Dear Grand Son.... How I wish we did not live so far apart!  We get to see our little fella only a couple of times a year, and that usually means a LONG car ride for him!  DH (Dear Husband) and I decided to make time this fall and go out to visit them, since we did not have a major trip planned this fall, so off we went! I have never made this trip in much less than 9 hours.... Unless I fly, which DS (Dear Son) had me do last Feb. when I went out to babysit.  It is a TEDIOUS trip, but at least this time we shared the driving.  We left about 9:30am and arrived about 8pm.  BLAH! But the next day was really fun!  DH and I took DGS to the local zoo. At Africa seeing Giraffes and zebras How ya doin' Gramps? Cutie With Grandma Running with Grandma Playing with Grandpa in the kitchen area. Our requisite funny family story came at supper that night: What happens when a bag of peas gets into the i...

I don't usually post about my dog show hobby, because frankly, it stresses me out and when I am through with a show, I want to just leave it behind.  However, I have recently attended a very special show that I am pleased to report about. I have occasionally attended an Afghan Hound Club of America National Specialty show.... maybe about once every 10 years or so... The location varies.. East Coast, West Coast, Midwest, and is rarely close enough for me to manage.  This year it was in the St Louis area, so a reasonable distance and I could afford it. This show is the Ultimate for Afghan Hound fanciers, and the show here in the USA attracts people from all over the world who love to see the beautiful hounds. Most people are interested in what we call "the Breed Ring", which is where the dogs are groomed to perfection and evaluated on their appearance. I have never exhibited in this aspect, but prefer the "performance" events. In the past I have had my dogs ...