Leisure and windows

It's a beautiful day in my neighborhood. And today, that just put me in the mood for window cleaning!

Now, lest you think that I'm some sort of super-homemaker, I will explain.

Actually, those of you who've been to my house don't need an explanation; you already know that I'm one of the worst housekeepers around. Some of you haven't actually said so. To me. Yet. Thank you for that.

I suppose I am June-Cleaver-esque in that I DO own an apron, thanks to my friend Beck, who gave it to me as a "thanks for letting me borrow your lingerie for that photo shoot" gift. Now there's a story for another day. But suffice it to say that I just don't really notice the squalor around me very often unless it's injuring me, like stepping on small, prickly magnetic letters can do in the middle of the night.

Sometimes I do have Proverbs 31 aspirations. Well, except for the getting up early in the morning part. I mean, I do go to market. I do dress at least some of my family in purple (Miles would wear pink and purple all the day long if I let him, but thank God for the Cha family hand-me-downs in nice earthy colors). But then sometimes I figure that I'm more of a lily of the field. I certainly don't spin, and the whole "toiling" thing mostly feels pretty foreign, too.

There are, however, three housekeeping tasks which provide me true satisfaction: cleaning out the refrigerator, cleaning and organizing closets, and cleaning windows. And today was about 75, breezy, and clear - the perfect opportunity!

Window cleaning is soothing. I am a HUGE fan of double-hung windows. Tilt-wash, you make my day! The whole getting up on ladders outside thing isn't a part of my window-washing world.

If the Windex people are listening (what are my chances?), I would like to know what kind of idiot came up with ammonia-free glass cleaner? Yeah...the label explicitly says, "Greenlist ingredients...Same Great Product!" Exclamation point and all. Well, I beg to differ. It smells nice, sure, and perhaps has reduced my Shaquille O'Neal sized carbon footprint a bit (though the roll and a half of paper towels I used just now probably countered that nicely). But why bother using glass cleaner if you're just going to get streaks? I could have used bath soap, or laundry detergent, or furniture polish, or even some of my gallons of almost free Wesson oil if I didn't want to SEE out of the windows when I was done!

/end rant

I was also noticing, as I squeaked and scrubbed my way around the house, how often soothing activities can become...well...boring. For instance, staying home snuggled on the sofa reading a great book: totally soothing. But staying home with a book because you have no friends and no social life and no one invited you anywhere for the thirtieth night this month: boring. Or drinking a cup of tea: soothing. But drinking tea purely because it has no calories and you're desperate: boring. Same with window washing. I did the first floor, and found it relaxing. Soothing. And then I came to the end of my paper towel roll and noticed that I didn't want to go get another one. I guess that task is done for another year.