Cleaning the nest continues before winter sets in

Practicing what I preach

What started out as a quest to live better and healthier, has to include living more efficiently. 

Efficiency has to include cleaning out, no longer needed or wanted items. Some of the "stuff" around here was still usable, so it was recyclable. Our annual garage sale/family reunion, mentioned in a previous post, took care of some of it. 

Yet other items were just too old and worn and need to be tossed.

Coincidentally, we received notice that just days after our garage sale, on regular trash pickup day, our refuse company would take large items. They only do this twice per year, so it is actually something we look forward to. 

The days of wildly pitching everything into the trash, from furniture to white goods like washing machines, to hazardous waste, are gone. And that is as it should be. 

We live on a finite planet, so we all need to be more vigilant about what we use and throw away.

For some time I've been considering getting rid of our well-worn, no longer comfortable couch and love seat. The truth is, I kept them as long as humanly possible. These couldn't even cut it as garage sale items; they were too far gone. It was time to pitch them. It isn't like we buy new things and discard the old ones on a regular basis. We had the pieces for at least 15 years. We certainly got our money's worth out of them. 

Taking out trash

Still, it was a little sad to see these pieces go. There were memories attached. 

We snuggled with cats and dogs that are no longer living. We sat with our kids watching TV or having conversations with them and our friends. We even had an overnight guest or two sleep on those couches. Furniture is like an old friend, and it is always hard to say goodbye. 

The two of us carried them out to John's truck so he could drive them up the hill to the road. 

Afterward, even the dog, sat on the front porch looking longingly at the roadside, wondering why the furniture was up there. 

With two big pieces of furniture gone, our house seemed to grow in size. It was rather nice. We had a chance to clean, shampoo the carpet, and rearrange furniture. I had a rocking chair; John had a recliner. That was really all we needed. We brought a wicker rocker from the front porch to where the love seat used to be. It worked out just fine. 

That wooden rocker, one my parents had given us 35 years ago, had gotten harder over the years. I still love it, so I would never part with it. It is where I nursed my babies. But, I'm not so sure I want it to be the only place to sit in the living room. It wasn't like sinking into a cushy couch. 

So we went shopping Friday, just to look at what was available. The first place we went surprised us. Everything was way out of our price range. Then we went to as store nearby that set us up with a love seat and recliner for the price of what one would have cost us elsewhere. They even offered to deliver it that afternoon. We couldn't be happier.

Springtime and maintaining the nest

One of the aspects of springtime is evidenced by the "nesting" instinct. Not only do the birds do it, but we humans do it too. 

There is just something that comes over me when the sky is blue and a breeze blows into a houseful of open windows. Perhaps it is the fresh air or realization about being cooped up all winter, despite the wonderful season we had this year. At any rate, my nesting instinct got the better of me. I rarely question this kind of behavior, since humans have largely lost the ability to behave instinctively; we have ignored our instincts for so long.

Yesterday was a rather lazy day, as many of them are now that my husband John and I are retired. We have largely settled into a routine of not having a routine. He had just finished his afternoon nap and I had just finished putsing around on the computer. It was about 4:00 in the afternoon when I decided it was time to do a little spring cleaning in the living room. This was not something that was planned or even verbalized; it just happens. I know it would have made more sense to begin chores in the morning, but that wasn't when the mood struck.

John didn't grumble; pitch a fit about having better things to do. He just jumped in and helped out without my even having to ask. I guess after 35 years of being together we are just attuned to these kinds of things. Spring cleaning isn't unlike finishing each others' sentences or thinking and saying the same thing at the same time.

We began by washing windows. I took care of the inside of our huge picture window with two smaller ones on either side while John washed them from the outside.

With all this looking out the windows of late, checking out all the blooming plants and growing oak leaves readily visible just beyond the front porch, it was really nice to have a clear view again, unencumbered by cat paw and dog nose prints inside, and tiny tufts of feathers outside where a stray chickadee made a wrong turn into the window.

Once that task was completed, I decided it was time to move the furniture. For some reason, men just hate moving furniture. Women love doing it, especially when they help. Furniture really does get pretty heavy at my age. Anyway, it is always easier for two people rather than just one.

I had a method to my madness; it wasn't just all about cleaning. Not only did I want to vacuum under and around the furniture, but for some time I was thinking I wanted to position the couch in front of the windows in order to take advantage of the light during the day for quilting purposes.

John has a recliner, so admittedly, I am the couch potato in the family. Moving it also causes me to sit on the other side--which aids in equal wear on both sides.

Since we had gone this far, we might as well continue the usual cleaning surfaces, dusting stuff, throwing away old magazines and catalogues that had been lying around.

Once it was all done and I stood back to look at what we'd accomplished. It looked like our living room was much larger. The problem is, our cats are totally confused; the dog doesn't know where to go. In fact, I'm not as comfortable on the 'wrong' side of the couch either. I'm sure it we will all be used to it in no time. 

With the spring coming early this year, we might just get the whole house done. By the time summer comes, we will think we are living in a totally new house.