Last
spring found me in the middle of all the joys that moving brings,
interviewing for a new job, and quickly going crazy at what was then
my current job. Aside from a bit of help with the really heavy
things, I managed that move on my own, just as I had managed the one
before it. The job got done, but some balls were dropped. Immediately
after moving all my stuff into the little red house and unpacking the
most important boxes, I accepted a new job for the state on shift
work, and since I’m no housewife anyway, my house to this day lacks
the homey touches of basic things like curtains and rugs and a
coherent laundry organization system. Due to the move of house and
job, I managed to skip or absorb the spring crazy that hits me,
predictably, this time every year. I must
move stuff around. After six months or more of having furniture and
books and what all in the same places, it
must be moved. Everything. Somewhere else. It can’t look like this
anymore.
This
year is the first time I’ve had my own place, a steady job, and a
predictable schedule. I’m still dirt poor, and even more so with a
car on death row and a trip to Ashland in April, but I still have a
page long list of things I want to do for the house. I want to try my
hand at making curtains, since I can get nice, new fabric and thread
dirt cheap from work. I want to reorganize my kitchen and take stock
of what I actually have in there and streamline it so I will actually
cook more. I want to neaten the basement beyond the level of “shove
stuff down there” (and
thank all the gods for basements anyway).
I want to turn my dining nook-which we’ve never once eaten in-into
a pirate’s nest/fort/cozy book reading area. I want to reorganize
the bookshelves I have and find a more toddler friendly bookshelf,
because Kade’s version of reading is to pull out every book on a
shelf, dump them in a heap, and then pull a few out to have me read
or to read to me at top volume.
My
main goal this weekend, aside from the always present basic cleaning,
is gathering everything to build two or three raised beds myself,
wood, nails, drill and compost and all. Since I have an active kid, a
bunch of dogs in and out who can’t be trusted in the backyard
alone, and a garden to plant, I want to find cheap chairs and a
sturdy enough table to just kind of move into the backyard for
evenings and weekends during the summer, because there won’t be a
sunny, warm, dry day that goes by this summer I won’t give reverent
thanks for. I may even attempt to build a small, rock lined fire
ring. Can you imagine Kade’s joy to make s’mores in our own
backyard with a real fire? (It’s
okay, I happen to live with a fully trained, if still very short,
fireman/Spiderman/superhero.)
Besides
the ohthankallthegods
it’s finally warm and sunny and I can go outside in less than four
layers of clothing!!!!!! spring
joy, there are two other driving forces behind my need to bring my
house to a more homey level than it is right now. Part one is the
fact that, barring when I was so sick I just spent two full days
drooling and whimpering on the couch, my house is the messiest it’s
been, really ever. There are still random bits of ceiling in the
living room I haven’t swept up yet (though I picked up the biggest
pieces so the dog wouldn’t think she’d found an awesome new chew
toy), the laundry is overflowing onto my (unmade) bed, the only
dishes I’ve done all week is the coffee pot, and the dog’s and
kid’s toys haven’t been put away or even neatened all week.
I’ve
been helping my parents out most nights, and while their house is
shaping up to be amazingly beautiful, I’d cheerfully kill someone
with a smile like Dexter’s if it
would just be done, now, thanks so much.
The other part is that Kaeden’s other grandparents will be here in
a month for a short visit, and it’ll be the first time they’ve
seen my house and seen Kade since we separated. I want to leave them
with more of the impression that I have some basic household skills
and Kade is growing healthy and strong (but not only due to the dirt
brought into my house by kid and dogs).
Although I'm going to miss this dog.
