Wednesday, January 16, 2013

BOOK THREE (5) basement cleaning, dance wax, Nellie McClung


In your cleanup of the basement's storage space let there be a 'can do' attitude; a balanced consideration of how much lego to donate, an honesty about how many pretty paper shopping bags truly need saving, and a willingness to let go of some of your hoardings.


like this? (neat but useless)



or these? (the little ones, especially, can't stay watered.)



or these bad boys?  (Too hilarious not to buy, too problematic to use.)


In your (pre-cleaning) breakfast peptalk (in which you attempt to recruit helpers) don't candycoat the work involved, or use the word "detox".

In fact, don't talk too much at all or you'll disclose your secret plans to later build a garden shed. (with their help.)

The goddess within you should preside over a woman who is clean but not a neat freak; a seeker of beauty, a stickler for fairness;  *like one who is ready to put on ballerina flats for a girl's night out after ridding her basement of extra rubber boots. A person of tangible awesomeness doesn't need the Home Depot sales clerk to approve the hooks she bought to hang bikes from.

Therein lies the secret of optimism;  of not wholly depending on anyone for help tackling the basement, nor needing anyone to acknowledge that some of the cookie tins you saved (and recently found down there) will come in handy on Teacher Appreciation Day.

*When you're already on your toes, you need no propping up.