Rule 32

When the Hubs and I moved back to Indiana we wanted very much to have one of us home full time and do home school instead of sending them to public school. We have worked hard and sacrificed to make that happen, even going so far as to flip roles and last year the Hubs was a stay at home Dad and I worked 4 days out of the house and 3 days here in my grooming salon. We have flipped it back now, and I am here everyday with our girls. I have my salon open 6 days, although I strictly limit the number of dogs I take in a day, and do direct sales jewelry shows. I have also decided to become active on Keen again, although I only have an hour or two in the evening for this and it has been a slow start. It sounds more hectic than it is, but not by much. 

One of the things that makes things hard for me, personally, is my kitchen. It's microscopic, seriously.I had a studio apartment in my early 20's with about the same size kitchen, and this is a 3 bedroom house. There is limited cabinet space, so way too much stuff is crammed on the tiny counters and on the too-big kitchen table. (We gave up the dining room when we made it the grooming salon, and although we traded tables with my oldest sister to downsize it's still too big) What does this all mean? It means that if more than 4 dishes are dirty it looks like I haven't cleaned in a week. In addition, being home all the time, and relatively poor since we are a 1 1/2 income household means I cook or prepare maybe 80%-90% of what we eat and that makes dishes for 3 meals a day plus snacks and drinks. This leaves me 2 choices, deal with it because I know I just cleaned the kitchen and it's clean under those dishes or do dishes a minimum of 3 times a day. This is on top of the fact the heating element for my dryer is STILL on backorder after 9 weeks and I have laundry hanging everywhere, but that's another story.

The sink is ancient stainless steel, scarred by limescale and hard water deposits that a jackhammer wouldn't break off. Above it is an ugly metal window that looks out onto our carport and our neighbors boat parked between the houses. I would hate to calculate how many hours a week I am standing in this spot. So I have tried to make this little corner as nice as possible for myself.

I have a spider plant instead of curtains to let in light. (it looks sad in the pic, but I just swapped it out for one that was too full and was poking me in the eye when I did dishes) I have a wind chime there because that window is usually open, even if it's raining, because it's covered by the carport and I like the sound. I have a few utensils hanging on the sides of the cabinets as both decor and a storage option. On the right you can see my little Raggedy Anne boxes, my kitchen is decorated with all my Raggedy Anne stuff from my college sorority days. (Go Alpha Sigma Alpha!) The main thing I want to show you is the left hand corner of the sink.

This is my little Rule 32 corner of the house. If you've seen Zombieland, you know what I mean. If not, rule 32 is 'Enjoy the little things'. I have to stand there and do like a million little loads of dishes everyday, do I have made myself a pretty little view. I have a stained glass angel that was my Mother in Laws, a plant I am saving from death in an earthenware pitcher that has been hanging around the house since I was a kid, the Hubs and my engagement picture in a little plastic frame, and a little poodle figurine my Mom got me the year I was a grooming apprentice.

Today, before 1pm I was washing the 3rd sink full of dishes, and I noticed the little jar left from the strawberries I used last week for strawberry-banana bread on the windowsill. I went outside and clipped some flowers for it and set them on the breadbox/charging station next to my little doggie. Did it make me hate doing dishes any less? No, not really, because I really, really, REALLY hate dishes, but it made me smile, and I know it will make me smile tonight when I do yet another sink of dishes after supper. I am enjoying that little thing, and a hundred other little things in my life. I may have to look hard from them, but that's ok too, because it doesn't leave me much time for bitching and feeling sorry for myself. Don't get me wrong, a little wine and whine is good for the soul, but for the moment I would rather do dishes and look at my strawberry jar full of flowers.

H.W.