 This morning is brisk - a good, strong easterly coming into our little bay, kicking up the blue-green waves with vigour.
It's the kind of morning where you feel inclined towards housework: get out the vacuum, the mop and the broom, wash a bunch of clothes and hang them out on the line so they flap and kick in a frantic chorus line, then maybe collect some of the dead wood lying about in the bush for winter kindling ... that kind of thing. Plus we have an extra hour in which to do stuff today as New Zealand has come off of Daylight Saving time. When I asked Miss Betsy if she would relinquish her place on my lap so I could do chores, she nestled her head more firmly into the crook of my elbow, ignoring the harsh reality of housework and the noise and commotion it often entails. She's never been big on cleaning up and has no intention of changing in her advanced years. I put off housework. Many of us do. It's not that thrilling nor is it attractive however one is often pleased with the outcome of one's efforts, especially when it comes to clean underpants and sheets, sparkling taps, freshly fluffed up carpet underfoot. Today I seem to be spending more time on it, taking more care, getting into all the crannies around the house, dusting and sweeping, tidying and wiping and I know this is a response to all that is going on. It is a distraction (remember the importance of 'structure and distraction'?) and when one is busy 'doing something', the mind is on a practical track and spends less time straying into the territory of Pondering and Worrying. So while I'm not advocating we all do this meticulous housecleaning thing, I do know that scrubbing and wiping and mopping and sweeping and vacuuming (and all of those other words we use to describe such domestic labours) can be very satisfying. The results are pleasant to behold and being able to clean your home is something you have control over in a time when some of that 'being in charge of my life' has been taken away, albeit temporarily (we hope). In our daily walks I see people perfecting their gardens, hanging out duvets and blankets to air, polishing cars, painting walls, repairing roofs, taking care of things they may have been putting off. By the time this is over, we'll all have 'house and garden' quality, real shiny cars and loads of clean underpants.
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