Day 28

It’s Saturday morning and my kitchen is a mess.  You know those people who usher you into their homes (or their classrooms for that matter), saying, “Oh, sorry, it’s such a mess”?  And you look around and wonder what they are talking about.  Like maybe there’s a cup on the counter or one stray paper on their desk.  Maybe. Sometimes I don’t really like those people, because now when I say my house is a mess, people think I exaggerate.  I don’t.  I won’t show pictures or give elaborate descriptions because I’m concerned some well-intentioned citizen might call Health and Human Services.  Just take my word for it.

At any rate, I woke this morning, picturing my kitchen as it was last night before I went to sleep.   I was pretty sure that the Dish Fairy hadn’t made an unexpected overnight appearance.  (Around here that Dish Fairy is as rare as the Laundry Fairy!)  You might think I’m about to complain (and you have reason, based on a few whiny slices), but I promise, I’m not. 

I lay in my bed for a few minutes, enjoying the leisurely start to the day, idly petting my cat, thinking about my kitchen and planning my attack. I  briefly thought about googling what product I could buy to remove the baked-on crud from the top of my stove.  (The fact that I don’t know should lend credence to the honesty of my initial statement.)  I imagined myself stacking dishes, shifting mail, wiping down (scraping, chiseling?) surfaces, plunging my hands into Dawn-scented soapy water. Somewhat to my surprise, I realized that I was beginning to look forward to it.  

There’s something concrete and therapeutic about cleaning the kitchen, creating clean shiny surfaces from disorder and debris. (And, yes, use of that word debris, with its overtones of rubble and dirt,  is both deliberate and accurate.  Now do you believe me?) After a week of mounting work and stress at school, I was anticipating digging into a task I could actually complete and seeing visible results. I couldn’t wait to get started!

So, have a great morning.  I know I will.  I’m breaking out the Dawn and I’m off to the dishes!