I am a woman of very few talents. It’s true, you can ask any of my friends. You might even hear the phrase “one trick pony”. The problem is, no one is quite sure what the trick is! I make a mean pot of rice, I nurse my babies, I know when you’re thinking of me and I usually know when to call. There may be a few others, but none can be legally traded on the open market. So when my dear friend asked me to be a guest blogger, I said “me?! I don’t have anything to say! And even if I did, who on earth would be interested?!” I’m much better at talking with people than to them. I can come up with a witty turn of phrase, but all on my own? … I had to say yes. Firstly because she is a good friend and how could I say no? Secondly, because she thought I had something interesting to say and I always trust Miss Laurie’s judgment. Thirdly, because I didn’t think I could, and am a bit afraid to try - and being a coward is not something I want on my short list!
So here I am, did I mention that I’m not very good at beginnings, and I’m terrible at endings (I can’t even end a phone call without worrying that I’ve hurt someone’s feelings). I do however thrive in the middle so here is a small view into the inane and often insane workings of my mind and the three ring circus that is my life.
There are five of us, Big Daddy, Lola, Trixie, P, and of course, me. We generate A LOT of laundry. Big Daddy is a clothes horse (more on that later), Lola and Trixie (age 7 and 5 and a half) have more costume changes than a Cher concert, and P is a 23 month old boy – need I say more?!
Sunday is laundry day at our house. Luckily, I love doing laundry. I love the smell, the sounds, the memories. As a child my Mom would take all the fresh, clean, warm clothes out of the dryer and toss them on me and pretend that she didn’t know where I was “hiding”. I loved the warmth of all that …. Goodness. I love the satisfaction of a job well done. Taking a dirty, sometimes stinky pile and turning it in a sparkly clean, neat, tidy, physical manifestation of love for my family. I enjoy stain sticking, spot removal , and determining the optimal temperature for each wash cycle. It is the one time each week when I am guaranteed to use my over-priced college education. Protein based stains? Cold water. Grease? Something non-polar, or acidic. Should I try a little rubbing alcohol? Hmmm… it’s white, lemon juice? It’s all chemistry, except it smells much better. I love setting the dryer, cleaning the lint trap, when it’s warm out hanging it all out on a well hidden line (or railing!). I even like ironing, but most of all, I LOVE the folding. Nice, neat, stacks. My weekly battle against The Second Law of Thermodynamics, won.
The Second … what?! I call it the Housewife’s Law. The law of entropy which states that the universe – or any closed system –has a tendency towards disorder and only by putting energy into the system can order be established. For example: you wake in the morning to a perfectly clean, sparkly kitchen, you make breakfast, it’s messy again, you clean up. The kids wander in for snacks, they put things back, but don’t wipe the counters. You get the idea, slowly, by the end of the day, the kitchen is a mess; the only way to restore it to its pristine state? Energy on your part. See the Stay-at-Mommy’s Law and somebody needed a Ph.D in physics to figure that out?!
Here’s a link if you want to know more:
http://www.physlink.com/Education/AskExperts/ae280.cfm?CFID=18110168&CFTOKEN=96340016
See you next week!
