In Which We Prepare for a House Viewing and Rest Thereafter

Raisin curls in a chair after her "tea"
Maisie sprawled on the windowsill

Charlie has crashed on the hearth rug

Mrs. Beasley stares groggily from the blanket chest

lt. to rt: Jemima; Teasel; Eggnog; Chester

No, you don't see photos of the exhausted home owners! It is not that we conduct our daily lives in a pig sty. Beds are neatly made, bathrooms are clean, laundry done and stowed away. But we are, hmmm--untidy.

I hoed out my lair--the sewing/book/computer space last evening and was quite pleased with myself. Daughter, who considers housekeeping a kind of recreation [she ran a house cleaning business for several years] came down and artfully arranged things on kitchen counters, tweeked the furniture arrangments after the manner of HGTV house-hunter shows. I upearthed the contents of my bedroom closet, chucked out things, washed the bedroom curtains which had acquired a distinctive edging of cat hair.

I can't say that we leapt from bed this morning, but rather grimly arose a bit after six and guzzled our coffee, fed the cats. J. tackled the confusion of the garage and I decided to wash all the windows inside and out. All of these things, mind you, have "wanted done"--the phrase that Wyoming natives use to describe a task which looms.

The cats were most put out by all this activity with mops and brooms and bottles of cleaner. Teasel sat on the kitchen counter while I perched on a step stool outside swiping at the window. Her mouth opened and shut with distressed meows--unheard through the glass. Eggnog dived under the bedcovers, a stolid lump. Charlie watched as his favorite hiding place, a cardboard box, was relegated to the garage. Daughter appeared to see if we had made a proper job of it, moved my waste basket to where she thought it looked good--a spot inaccessable from either desk. J. wiped down appliances while I had a hasty shower and put out the best towels. We looked around and decided that the place looked pretty sharp!

"See, now, how nice this looks--why can't you just keep it up?" [This from daughter in her best talking-to-not-quite-bright-children voice.]

We waited to vacate until the realtor and her client arrived. [It doesn't do to leave too soon and risk Raisin hawking a hairball on the dining room floor!]

Daughter reported that the "viewing" took about 15 minutes. I am not anxious to move yet again--this is our 4th new house in 10 years and the novelty is a bit worn off.

J. loaded up daughter and grandson, went to the dump and on to Riverton so see if the faulty A/C has been sorted on one of his motor homes. I went to work at the quilt shop.

It was lovely to come home to the nearly spotless house. The cats emerged and demanded their "tea" then told me they were quite worn out with house cleaning and viewings! My feet hurt!

With the grumbles re camping and cleaning uproar here-by expressed and more or less out of my system, we will resume next posting with more "literary" efforts!