My house...is a very very very clean house...

It's one of my favorite dreams...especially when it's reality.

Most of you have only seen my house clean. But it had been a LONG 10 days since returning from Kenya, and, honestly, I don't think the house had ever been in such disorder and chaos. I'd worked seven days straight and gone out nearly every night last week...and my house paid dearly for it. I couldn't even see the kitchen table--it was a mountain of shopping bags, newspapers and days worth of mail, gifts needing to go out, and--nearly everything I had worn over the last week--three suit coats, a sweater and a jean jacket and both my Dodgers jerseys. Seriously ridiculous.

Add to it the fact that Allison had moved much of her belongings into my home to be stored while she is in Kenya and much of it was still in my living room. It was not a problem--except for the fact that I had just ADDED more crap to it rather than going through it, organizing it and putting it in a proper place for the duration of her trip. My stuff was PILED on her stuff and I was feeling totally out of control. Disorder literally makes me angry, agitated and anxious.
So yesterday, I worked a short shift in the morning, and, after Andre Ethier's walk-off home run, decided it was time to regain control of my life and order in my home...
While the washer, dryer and dishwasher ran loads for me, I spent the next SIX straight hours cleaning floors and windows, organizing closets and cabinets, scrubbing toilets and bathtubs, and washing sinks and counter tops. I deep-vacuumed all 1450 square feet (which, by the way, includes 42 stairs!) Every single thing was put in its proper place. I moved outside for a bit and watered and trimmed all my plants out on the balcony, (tossed a few dead ones) and swept up all the leaves. I even cleaned up my Yahoo inbox! It felt sooo good!

I threw out THREE bags of trash and ended up with a LARGE bag of items to be taken to Goodwill today. I bagged up and wrapped up and lined up all the gifts and packages that need to go with me to various locations this week. And, just around 10pm, I emptied the dishwasher, folded the LAST load from the dryer--and put it away.
As I sat on the couch talking to a friend...I admired my SPARKLING home. The only thing on the kitchen table--a little vase of pretty white roses clipped from my front yard.
It was a PLEASURE to go to bed (in clean sheets no less!) knowing that the entire house was back in order. I admit that I cannot have order in my head unless there is order in my house, my spirit is so much calmer when clean overcomes chaos.
I have just a few things to mend and iron this morning and will be meeting a friend for lunch and another for dinner. And I am going to enjoy the day so much more knowing that my home will be a joy to come back to.
I swear, the whole experience is almost like therapy for me. Yet so much cheaper and with results I can see and appreciate!
I encourage you to clean something today...I promise, it feels soooo good!