Babies, Sharpies and White Chairs

"Did I tell you about the white chair?" This is Catherine speaking to me on the telephone.
No. She had not but just the question brought an explosion of images in my mind. Last
month the bathroom caught on fire, the month before that White paint was spilled all over the floor by unattended babies who have learned to climb. So I have learned to use my imagination creatively when Catherine suggests a possible chaos. "I'll have to send
you a picture" she says. She did.

I think she should give them two sharpies and let them finish the job they started.

Spring Cleaning

"This mess is a place!" author unknown.

I had help from a hired housekeeper before the babies came to visit 4 weeks ago just to make sure the toilet water was safe enough to play in and the floor clean enough to eat on. I went back home with the babies and stayed away for another 2 weeks. I am cleaning the house again, this time with no help. The first thing I noticed is that there is entirely too much stuff involved in cleaning house. Cleaning housewives are totally unequipped to handle all the tools involved in housekeeping. So I am going to
invent a revolutionary new way to clean.

My first invention is going to be a papertowel dispenser that hangs like a necklace around the neck. I can already imagine myself on the QVC.
My second invention will be the Housekeepers Tool Belt. Much like one of those Tool Belts that electricians and plumbers and carpenters wear, this one is will be designed
"girly like" and hold all the important cleaning tools that a girl needs while she is
cleaning the house. Forget the apron with two pockets. This is a "I MEAN TO CLEAN" tool belt. It will come equipped with pouches, holsters loops, clips, and a velcro belt for the ever changing waistline. Here are a few things I plan to put on my belt.
My favorite Mr. Clean Magic Eraser, a small spray bottle of multipurpose cleaner, gloves, toothbrush, room deodorizer, swifter duster, hand lotion (gloves dry my hands out), nail file (cleaning makes my nails brittle), lip gloss and small mirror, water bottle, small bag of M&M's, something salty, small flask of beer or wine with nipple, cell phone to call cleaning lady.

Flower Carts and other Compulsions

Jody Carr does not have one compulsive bone in his body, that is why God gave him me.
After three weeks with children and their babies and moving children and their stuff (these are just excuses for compulsive behavior) I had a moment in a Garden Center in Nashville, TN. I walked into a dark room looking for a spade and walked out the proud owner of a very old flower cart. It will live in the back courtyard under the kitchen window when I can go to pick it up. I don't think it will fit into my car.

This morning like every other morning, Jody finds me drinking coffee staring out the window. "What did you buy in Nashville at a Garden Center, that cost ...?" Remember he
checks the bank accounts each day (thankfully) and he knows everything, even what is in
or not in my accounts (this can sometimes not be good). But on this day, its o.k. because I love this flower cart and I will be a good owner for it and it will not be stuck off in a dark corner ever again (bad reasoning, but it works for me). So I try the Diane Carroll approach and I bat my eyes at him and say "I was going to surprise you, honey." Jody threw his head back and laughed that knowing laugh of his that lets me know he just doesn't know what to do with me - hopefully or without me.

Dreams and Angels

As if I don't have enough excitement in my daytime life, my nights can make my days seem more like rest. I'm talking about dreams. At least once during the night I will dream about places where I have worked, The Catholic Church and Motor Parts Company. It is not enough that I worked there in person, now I have to work there in my sleep. This time the problems are exaggerated to the point of exhaustion when I awake. Bulletins that won't print, chasing animals out of the Church, walking behind
the counter at Motor Parts with no parts to sell, stacks and stacks of statements and invoices that don't match needing to be mailed right now...it just doesn't seem fair to
have to dream this kind of stuff. Where are the beautiful meadows and waterfalls, clouds and singing birds?

Occasionally there are some things I do experience during the night that I can't exactly call dreams because they seem too real. For instance, two nights ago, I awoke to three angels over me. They were transparent but I could see their outlines. I sat up in bed and looked up at them, hovering over me, trying to note all that I could about them. The one in the center carried a shield. Another one had eyes that glowed, the others did not. I will paint them soon. And I will remember forever that they were
there with me, if not always, on that one night.

There again, I could not go back to sleep for hours.

Time in a Bathtub

Jim Croce wrote "Time in a Bottle"
The first verse says:

"If I could save time in a bottle
The first thing that I'd like to do
Is to save every day
Till Eternity passes away
just to spend them with you"

I have been on an adventure.
It started in a bathtub with two grandchildren and
took me through three incredible weeks.
I won't go there - except for the memories that greeted me as
I returned to find the forgotten tub toys all dried out, bright
but a little lonely in the bottom of my bathtub.

Now, the bath... All cleaned out and fresh
water ready to study, alone, without interruption, except
for the faint laughter of babies, bathtoys and tender
memories.