originally posted 9/2012  

                           

Is every woman in Americacleaning house this week? It seems that every friend I called this weekend had her head stuck in a cabinet or drawer. Closets were being emptied into large shopping bags that quickly filled with unworn shoes and flip flops, too tight jeans and too large slacks and dresses. There were items with price tags still attached and items that had hung in the closet for at least eight years, and items they had no idea where they had come from.

Today when I called my daughter we were both cleaning out make-up, hair products and cosmetics that had built up in our bathroom drawers over the past year. I swear that I just did this last spring, but somehow more had arrived. We compared – lipsticks, lip glosses, hair spray, perfume samples, moisturizers that didn’t work, self-tanning products that turned our skin orange…. Our trash cans runneth over.

A friend called while I was rummaging, folding and removing towels and sheets in the guest-bath linen closet. We both laughed. She had just done the same.

My sister has been cleaning kitchen cupboards, drawers, and her side-board while I just completed my china hutch. My garage now houses three boxes of dishes; the set of china is headed to my daughter’s. The hutch is nearly empty. There are white linen tablecloths and napkins… who uses linen these days? You have to iron them or send them to the dry cleaners every time you use them and a red cloth and napkins we always used for Christmas. Now we’re lucky if we haul out the place mats. I try to buy something festive at least. And paper napkins seem to work just fine.

I love watching the tops of shelves re-appear from under piles. Wiping them clean is so cathartic. My sister swears she will not go to another estate sale or antique store this year. I just shake my head…. sure, sis.  My daughter says she’s going to get rid of everything and sell the house. I shake my head again. My good friend who actually is selling her home says she’s just going to set fire to the darned thing. Now that I agree with!

Anyway, it must be fall, even though today’s temp in Phoenixwill be over 100 degrees by kick-off for the Cardinals game at one o’clock. It seems that whether you’re in Oklahoma at 85 degrees, Phoenix at 100, or Oregon at 70, our internal clock says it is fall and it is time to clean house!

And yes, I got rid of my too large clothes so the diet comes next….