Farm house work

Keeping an old farm-house clean is like walking backwards up an escalator and expecting to get somewhere.  The windows are done outside with a garden hose.  This removes the latest spider webs and waters the window boxes at the same time.  The windows on the inside are done with the vacuum cleaner hose, again to get the spider webs and any flies that came in to take a break from annoying our horses.

Growing up, my mother ruled our roost as something akin to an organized drill Sargent.  I have to admit to instituting some of her tactics for this summer.  The teens are organized into age-old categories – boys and girls, with dishes assigned to every other night.  I’d have to say it is working pretty well, every body is happy with the arrangement, well at least every other night.

I sweep and sweep and sweep and dust with anything in my hand that is on its way to the laundry room and I do a lot of laundry.  I don’t mind laundry, I just do it my way.  If it is in the laundry room, I’ll wash it, but I will not go ‘find’ it.  If it is inside out, I just wash it and fold it this way.  I do not check pockets, so I do wash a lot of stray items and occasionally receive a ‘tip’ for my efforts.  White boy-men socks all go into a basket to be retrieved by the owners.  Almost everyone is smart enough to not complain about the laundry service around here, as they know they’re old enough to do it themselves.

The best mess is of the teens enjoying childhood once more, this I handle well and smile.  There are currently 3 Lego building sites and a 4 foot K’nex roller coaster in the living room.  Kites played with, badminton out, croquet out and if we can figure out how to keep the damn cat away from it we’ve plans to put a jigsaw puzzle out.  Summer is good, messy, but good.