What Puts a Spring in My Step?

What Puts a Spring in My Step?                

 

Yellow Daffodils.  Purple Hyacinths.  White crocus.  Pink Tulips.  Blue Iris’s.  Green Grass.  Leaves swaying in the wind.  The Sun shining on my face.  No winter coat.  No boots.  In fact, no shoes.  Just sandals or going barefoot.  

 

The smell of Coppertone suntan lotion.   Freshly mowed grass.  A little breeze that smells like Downey Fabric Softener.

 

Palm trees.  White sandy beaches.  Calypso music being played on steel drums.  A comfy lounge chair.  A good book.  Oh - and, a cold Margarita on the rocks.  Ah – what a life.  

 

But, as much as I would like it to be true, I cannot spend every single day of my life on the beach – or on a cruise ship – or at an all-inclusive resort.  The real world is always just around the corner.  Such as our first home in St. Paul.

 

I really loved our first home:  Big enclosed front porch, 3 bedrooms, an attic, a basement and two floors of living space.  Fenced-in back yard and a small deck off the back bedroom.  

 

Since way back in 1960’s and ‘70’s, State employees were given Columbus Day off from work, we used October 12^th as the start of our Fall Cleaning.  That was the day we removed the screens on the porch and replaced them with storm windows.  It took all day, but we enjoyed the day.  Fallen leaves could be burned in those days.  Ah…. The smell of the burning leaves and the fresh cool breeze!  Looks like the start of the Fall season also puts the spring back in my steps!  

 

After Norm went back to work the next day, Fall cleaning for me would start in earnest.  I dedicated one day to deep clean each room.  I was lucky in that little Michael and little David were good sleepers.  They took three-hour naps in the afternoon.  I liked cleaning and purging and moving the furniture around.  I especially liked decorating our house for Fall with pumpkins, apples, colored leaves and good smelling candles. 

 

When we moved to our second house in Spring Lake Park, my Fall and Spring cleaning days stopped for several years.  Going back to school, working full time, raising four kids, and going to basketball, baseball, football, wrestling, and tennis practices and games took all of our time.  Oh, I cleaned the house on a weekly basis but the real deep cleaning that I used to do twice a year fell to the wayside.

 

Until now.  March 2017.  You see…. our laundry room is located on the second floor next to our bedrooms.  Now, I’m not going to name names; but, let’s just say that of the two people living in our home, the one who is much older than I and has a lot more grey hair is not allowed to do our laundry anymore.  Somehow, a little sock fell in the sink next to the washing machine – plugging the sink and causing an overflow of water that caused a lot of damage to the floors and ceilings on two floors.  I’m stepping a little bit more quickly now because I get to pick out new paint and new carpeting.  The 30-year old mauve carpeting is now getting replaced!  This means, of course, new bedding.  New accent pieces.  New ceiling light fixtures.  

 

However - in order to get the new carpet installed, I have to clean out the drawers and purge our closets.  This may not sound exciting to you; but, this gives me a chance to continue my Spring Cleaning of 1974.  I envision that when I’m done, I’ll have several drawers that are empty and many shelves with no books.  I am on fire! Clean! Purge! Dust! Vacuum!  Wash all the crystal and china!  Give away the exercise equipment and other stuff I don’t use!  Step up, Mary!  Step up to the challenge!  Go, girl!  Continue to put a SPRING into your steps!