War and peace

The beginning of this year has taken some remarkable turns, but more on that in another post. This one is about, the way our life often looks. Tackling one thing, often stumbles into a warren of rabbit tunnels.

It started when I wanted to wash the sheer curtain, hanging above our back door. It was about 5mm too long, and it was collecting dust on the bottom hem. So I took it down yesterday, and dutifully washed it.

Tissue grenade

Only to find, when I got it out of the washing machine, a little house elf (aka: Peter) must have placed a tissue in the machine while I wasn't looking. Because the last wash came out, tissue free, and the only thing I put in the machine since, was the curtain. So I had a lovely new mess to clean in the washing basket and table. Not to mention what tissue debris, was collected on the floor

I decided to put a clothes wash in the machine, next, only to discover...

Tissue shrapnel

...more of the former tissue, was to be captured by all the clothes. I expected as such, but it meant another job was created, by now having to rid the clothes of the tissue, once they dried.

I forgot about the curtain as it was drying too, and turned to the rest of the work in the house. There was the regular dishes and kitchen to clean, along with...

Hangover, from the tea party

...negotiating around tea parties, which had been set up by Dad, before he left for work. I didn't want to break anything, left lying on the floor because you know how crazy tea parties can get. Even Dora the Explorer, was laying flat on her back, from all that tea drinking and imaginary cake.

The shoe disaster

Next to the tea party though, I had to negotiate around the river of shoes, which were threatening to break their banks. I believe Peter had decided to try some interior design work, although there's no excuse for this...

The never ending story

We just have way too many shoes. So that was another job I decided to tackle, trying to avoid the mess of the tea party. I simply had to rearrange shoes and ear-mark which ones could go. I cleared a path, one way, but my little house elf, really commits to interior decoration, every chance he can get...

A work in progress

He was trying out some reading books, for floor tiles. I'm partial to the Dr Seuss. He also got some coloured crayon samples out, on his table and under it as well. Being non toxic, he tries to eat them too. Speaking of crayons though...

I can see clearly, NOW

I found some crayons, scribbled on the glass doors when I cleaned them. They were cleverly concealed by the curtain. Remember that curtain? I had to clean the mould which had developed on the glass, before hanging the curtain again anyway. But the crayon took extra elbow grease!

As I was scrubbing away, our eldest asked me to appraise some pictures she had drawn. It helped my back, to stand up straight anyway. She was practising her animation illustration, and has developed really expressive faces. I was sure to praise her skills.

After a few minutes though, it was back to window duty!

Ready for sewing

Later that afternoon, I got my sewing machine set up on the dinning table, to shorten those curtains, another 5mm. Those delightfully simple curtains, I only intended to wash that day.

Finally!

It was too dark inside to take photos, once I actually got those curtains hung again. So I waited until the next day (today) to snap some shots. Nothing like having clean windows, and fresh white curtains, again!

Modifications, approved

Taking the curtains up, really made a difference. They weren't hitting the floor by much, previously, but enough to catch dust anyway Now I don't have to worry about that, when the wind blows the curtain.

I wasn't in a huge rush yesterday, so I dutifully took pictures as I went along. I wanted to document, what is so often the norm for this season in life. It's walking across minefield's of creative mess, and still having to live with some...

Chalk dust hand prints

...because  you cannot possibly, get to ALL of it, in one day. So the mess is probably staring back at you, everyday, along with new messes that arrive. Rather than get upset, my house doesn't look a certain way and STAY that way, I view it as an opportunity to improve what we have. Whether that's viewing the mess differently (the renegade tea party) or finding reasons to get rid of excess stuff - its all about making do, in this season of life.

Maybe it's too serious a thought, after chalk dust hand-prints, but I had an epiphany when I woke up yesterday. "When we seek truth, we're looking for acceptance."

So I accept, chalk dust hand-prints and Dr Seuss floor tiles, even as I get involved, trying to keep our things tidy. Surely, its a gift to have these days anyway. Tissue grenades, in the washing machine, and all!