Saturday morning, I finally got to sit down to take a break from an arduous cleaning spree. I decided to memorialize the moment with a shot of a reasonably clean house—and Ree Drummond.
If you follow me on Facebook, you may have read all the times I whined about sore muscles and smelly oils like Scott’s Liquid Gold and WD40. Believe me, what I posted on Facebook doesn’t begin to match all the whining my body was doing.
As I mentioned in my last post about our goings-on, we had already made the decision to stay put when God nullified that decision for us. During the end of 2018, I thought we were going to move, so during that time and a few months in to 2019 I was packing and cleaning at my own pace, taking my time because we still had to build the house on the farm. Then, as everyone probably already knows, we got hit with a series of crises—not to mention the doubling in price of the house we wanted to build–and figured God didn’t want us to move. Come to find out, He did, just not to the farm, and far sooner than we expected.
Here’s the deal: I haven’t regained my strength since the big Crohn’s flare-up in 2011-2012, so my house hasn’t had a good spring-cleaning since at least 2011. What little I did in 2018-2019 didn’t amount to a hill of beans, because after the first crisis hit in March, all cleaning activity stopped. A fact I deeply regret today as I rub Aspercreme on my sore muscles and pop Tylenol for the added boost of pain-relief.
And, here’s my advice: As much as you’d love to skip spring cleaning—especially when you’re sick or busy or just don’t feel like it—don’t. Hire it done if you must, but don’t neglect it. If you get hit with a surprise move or some other event in your life that requires a clean house, you’ll be ahead of the game.
Dust bunnies multiply, yes, but worse: they dig in. They attach themselves until nothing but elbow grease will shoo them away. Grime gets everywhere and makes for tedious work in corners and crevices. And don’t get me started on what you’ll find behind and under furniture. {{{SHUDDER}}}
Don’t wait until spring. Start now. Your muscles will thank you in the long run.
Several years into it, and this blog still refuses to be categorized. It's eclectic and includes everything from writing posts to snippets from my ordinary life. 
Linda W. Yezak 
I’m hearing you. Last year was an arduous one for me. It started with minor surgery in December 2018. Then came the need for a contractor to raise and support a sagging roof that was pushing out my exterior walls. That done, I brought in a different company to replace the piers underneath and re-settle the house. That meant replacing the house’s skirting because it ended up a couple inches higher off the ground. Lots of patching and filling f cracked walls including one across the length of the living room ceiling. Once that was done, I began painting the house’s interior which hadn’t been done in over ten years or more. (I forgot when) I was just finshing that when I hired a contractor to convert a small closet with a different opening which allowed me to create a full closet in the main bedroom. Other than the contracted work, I did myself. Whew! Hoping to take it a bit easier this year.
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Yikes, Gay! Makes me tired just reading that! Praying a good year for you!
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I used to clean peoples homes. 17 years I did that. in 2001 I gave my business away. You could never tell by looking at my house that I was ever a professional cleaner.My house; Picked up? Yes. Clean? Almost never. My knees and back don’t really care if it’s a mess. And so it is. Life is short. There are other things. The saying in our house is this; “If you come to see me, come any time. If you come to see my house, make an appointment.”
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That’s also a great philosophy. And it was my philosophy for many years. But now, I *really* wish I’d given the house an annual scrub-down, even if it was just to make up for not cleaning it regularly to begin with.
You’re right, though. There are definitely more important things.
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I can indeed handle the once a year.
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I hear your pain. At my age, I really have to pace myself, so I have decided to deep clean one room a month. It usually takes less than an hour, and over the course of a few months I have my “spring cleaning” done without a marathon. As my dad told me, “When you get older, you have to find new ways of getting things done because the energy level and ability diminishes.” He is so right. Hope you get done with the marathon in one piece and still be able to move. Bless you!
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I tell you what. I am tired to the bone. It’s getting to where I have to take a break after the simplest of jobs. “New ways of getting things done” sounds like a plan.
We have four showings this afternoon and the photographer tomorrow. I’m sleeping Wednesday until the Realtor calls with another showing announcement–which I hope is next week sometime.
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And hose who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.
Isaiah 40:31
Hope is a powerful thing to get things done. Especially when we put our hope in Jesus. Take a look at the four promises in this verse and get after it.
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Yes. I am running entirely on Supernatural strength right now!
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So you’re saying I can get a month-long work-out by spring cleaning! Taking a deep breath, and….
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Yes! A workout that’s inexpensive and productive in more ways than one!
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Your house is so beautiful! I don’t know that I’ve ever seen it before.
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Just in bits and pieces. What we’re going to miss most are the pond and 11 acres. Hate moving back to town, but we’ll adjust.
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