I am not the kind of person that enjoys keeping a clean house, a clean desk, or anything that requires being neat and tidy--far from it. But there are times...This photo is the result of the latest-dual-effort-clean-out-the-pantry project. My husband John and I tackled the job together, which actually made it go much more quicker. We even got to laugh about some of the things we found, like canned goods with an expiration date of 2001. That means some of them were old when we lived in our old house, but we moved them here only to get even older.
I got to clean the bottom shelves; John got to clean the top. That works out just fine for us since he's tall. I'm not. Without even discussing it, he handled taking out the trash while I organized the products onto the shelves. I guess that is the beauty of being married a long time--we have our own duties based on what each of us is good at. We don't even have to think about it.
Truth is, I'm very picky about where I want things. All the tomato products go together, labels forward, neatly stacked. This discipline probably originated one of my first jobs at a grocery store. That was back when I was a teenager. Some things stick with you. Besides, I have a natural penchant for order, when I feel like it.
I also like connections. So, from the tomato products, like canned tomatoes, tomato paste, sun-dried tomatoes, the natural progression to toward tomato soup, pork and beans, then to dried beans. Another great connection are the noodles--spaghetti, lasagna, egg noodles, and other kinds of pasta. They are never far from rice products, which includes basmatti, long grain, white rice and couscous.
I've always been funny about what I call my "order thing." By all appearances, people who don't really know me would never guess that I have such a condition. I've never been a slave to my house or office. If there is something I want to do, say work on a quilt, write in a blog, or watch a movie, there can be chaos all around me. I don't fret over it, or even pay attention to it, until I feel like it. I certainly never let myself feel guilty over it, for I know it will be waiting for me when I'm darned good and ready to tackle it. And I always do eventually.
When I finally getting around to something like this, I always feel a sense of satisfaction. Cleaning out may be essential for health, but organization is good for the soul.
