I don't know what's different about Sundays, but they are different. Is it because I'm more relaxed after Saturday? Or is it that I know that the errands are done and I have all morning ahead of me? I don't know, for sure, but they are and they are wonderful.
My favorite part is getting up around six-thirty or seven o'clock and going downstairs. Hubby and MIL are still asleep, Sam is still bedded down. It feels as if I have the entire house to myself. The only sounds are the quiet ones of the refrigerator humming and the little noises I make as I go about setting up the coffee and getting MIL's pills done for the week.
If I choose, I can turn on KDFC and play it quietly in the background. They have two wonderful programs on Sunday mornings. The first is baroque and romantic period church music that runs from seven o'clock to nine. It's a mix of hymns and lyric pieces that set the mood for a Sunday morning. The second, starting at nine o'clock is Baroque By The Bay - two hours of baroque period music (15th to late 18th century music). Turn it low and have it strictly in the background. Or not.
This morning I listened to the quiet symphony of the house, and it was almost perfect. I had the whole day ahead of me, a few tasks to complete, which were done by eight-thirty, and then... nothing I didn't want to do.
Until hubby came upstairs and said, 'we need to get the sap off the deck.'
Rats.
We had the cypress trees taken out. The backyard looks wide open and bare now, actually better than before, but the trees left behind a lot of sap. Guess it's what they do when they get sick because there are blotches and splotches all over the deck. Not my idea of fun, but it had to happen because otherwise we couldn't walk across the deck without getting sticky stuff all over the bottom of our shoes.
Two hours and it's pretty well done. Not perfect because the day began to warm and the sap began to melt, but pretty good. Good enough to leave.
Next week, hubby will power wash the deck to get the mold and algae that grew in the shade of the trees, then we'll start looking at removing whatever else is left. It shouldn't be much.
What's more exciting is that he seems to have gotten kick-started into Getting Things Done.
Preparatory to the tree guys coming we cleared the backyard of everything - and it looks sooo much better than before! Almost as if the Beverly Hillbillies have left.
I still have my re-purposed deck swing. The one from which we cut away the rotted seat, leaving a sturdy frame which we then strung with clothesline. It's my solar powered clothes dryer during the warm days - and it's packed full as I write this. Everything else, though, is still stacked on the side deck and hubby is still talking about getting a bin.
Next weekend he's promised to start going through the house so we can clear stuff out - which will be wonderful! It'll still look like a hellacious dump because of stains on the carpet and desperate need of paint, but it will be better than it is.
I suspect most of it will end up in a debris bin, but a lot of it will be given away. No matter. The house will feel lighter, less cluttered and heavy around my shoulders when I walk through it. Maybe I'll even feel like giving it a good cleaning since I won't have to move and replace half the contents just to dust it.
Even if we only get rid of half the stuff, I'll be thrilled. Then I'll start holding my breath for the next stage - new paint, new window coverings (no more God Damned Plantation Blinds! - GOD I hate those things for being a pain in the ass to clean properly), and new carpet.
What do I want instead of blinds? How about either vinyl shutters that I can take down, take outside, spray with Windex or an ammonia solution and hose off, leaving them to dry, or drapes and sheers that I can take down and throw in the washer. Either one and I'll be happy. I just do not like having dust-catching blinds at my windows that require a lot of muscle to clean - one louver at a time across a three or four-foot width and four foot height. Sixteen square feet of blinds is sixteen square feet too many, as I'm sure you'd agree if you have ever cleaned one of those bloody things, yourself.
So, that's in the future, and will be an matter of "discussion" no doubt. Since hubby has never cleaned a louvered blind in his life, he has no idea what a pain it is, so I'm sure he'll want to replace like with like - which I will not have unless I get a document, signed in blood, that either he will do it or he will willingly pay a service to do it.
Can you tell I have strong feelings on the subject?
But that's a battle for another day. Right now, I'm just thrilled to have gotten the chores done and am able to take time for this.
Now - I'm going to put my feet up and I may even take a nap.
I hope your Sunday is lovely, too!
Best~
Philippa
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