The daughter of a good friend of ours, Emily is arriving from California on Saturday. The funny thing is I think we've met almost everybody in her family except Emily.
So we're busy. I cleaned the bathrooms and dusted the furniture.
I made up the guest bed and set out appropriate toiletries. We bought this King sized comforter set a couple of months ago and can finally use it on our Queen bed. I find that the mattresses are so thick these days that it takes a King size comforter to cover it properly.
And here's Art cleaning the windows and screens.
Finally, Art even installed the vertical blinds draw cords that were just a tangled mess.
Actually I did my, "Could you get me your drill? I need to do something." ploy.
These blinds came with an attachment that you had to drill into the wall to prevent children from choking on them. It was such a bother to put up that we left it hanging, but it was irritating because the cords would tangle.
Me holding a drill fills Art with dread so he did his careful measuring and got the cords installed properly himself.
So now you know! It takes guests for us to give the house a good cleaning.
The whole world now knows we don't clean our house everyday. I take that back. Mom does clean her part of the house everyday. It's part of her zen upbringing.
We are not quite so fastidious. It takes guests for Art and me to get moving.
That's why we need to have guests visit us every so often.
I made up the guest bed and set out appropriate toiletries. We bought this King sized comforter set a couple of months ago and can finally use it on our Queen bed. I find that the mattresses are so thick these days that it takes a King size comforter to cover it properly.
And here's Art cleaning the windows and screens.
Finally, Art even installed the vertical blinds draw cords that were just a tangled mess.
Actually I did my, "Could you get me your drill? I need to do something." ploy.
These blinds came with an attachment that you had to drill into the wall to prevent children from choking on them. It was such a bother to put up that we left it hanging, but it was irritating because the cords would tangle.
Me holding a drill fills Art with dread so he did his careful measuring and got the cords installed properly himself.
So now you know! It takes guests for us to give the house a good cleaning.
The whole world now knows we don't clean our house everyday. I take that back. Mom does clean her part of the house everyday. It's part of her zen upbringing.
We are not quite so fastidious. It takes guests for Art and me to get moving.
That's why we need to have guests visit us every so often.
If I ever come visit you, I won't tell you until half a day before; I would feel bad, your going to all this trouble for me.
ReplyDeleteIt takes guests for us to get moving, too! Emily will love sleeping in that cozy bedroom, for sure.
ReplyDeleteHaha. Me and my husband are the same way!
ReplyDeleteShaka Sherry
thats a lovely comforter Kay, so pretty, we are the same way, my home is never so clean as when company is coming,
ReplyDeleteYou have such a lovely home, and I think the ploy to get Art to fix things is perfectly sensible! :-)
ReplyDeleteHave a great time with your guest! I love the new comforter-very pretty!
ReplyDeleteEven after I knock myself out cleaning for company, I still see a million things I should have done to make it nicer. An old friend used to tell me, "If they don't like what they see, give them a broom and tell them to go for it."
ReplyDeleteLove your "ploy" by the way. Have used it often myself. My spouse knows I will not hesitate to get the drill and he hops to.
David hates to have out of town guests staying with us, because he values his privacy. In 1998, two of my friends from Canada stayed with us for 4 nights, and he was utterly miserable. So since then, no guests! Anyway, when we travel, he himself prefers to stay in a hotel than in someone's home.
ReplyDeletedoesn't everyone clean up just for guests? lol...we all have ploys-the drill sounds like a good one-will have to try that one. Mine is can you help me, then he does it all properly!
ReplyDeleteI understand completely. We had to deep clean for the dog sitters to stay overnight . . .
ReplyDeleteEnjoy your guest, the room looks beautiful!
ReplyDeleteI've always used the "where's the drill" ploy. No matter how often I clean, there's a new cat hair bunny under a chair. So, I say "I just vacuumed." There's an art to it.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy your guest1
I just yell my husband's name...no tact no ploy lol. I'm pretty awful with social skills. That's why I get in trouble. And every once in a while, husband reminds me that I do that. Hmmm...maybe I should use the drill ploy too one day. In all the years I've helped my husband with his job, I have yet to pick up a drill. I do everything else tho lol
ReplyDeleteWow...no wonder you have so many friends. You do go out of your way.
L. from W.
Oh dear, that reminds me I have company coming August 10. You are right, if it weren't for company I don't know if I'd ever clean house.
ReplyDeleteU have a beautiful house Kay and have a nice time with ur guest..
ReplyDeleteThat is such a pretty room, Emily is going to love staying with you. I know what you mean about when guests arrive, it sometimes motivates us like nothing else does. We are going to be having house guests in September, two friends from England. I have been trying to get things ready for them as I have also bought new bed linens, new pillows and a pretty quilt comforter, but would dearly love to get the room painted before they arrive.
ReplyDeleteGeez hate to see responsible people like Art cleaning windows. That's one of my assigned duties around here. Let's see. . . I last cleaned the windows . . .
ReplyDeleteThe kids used to do that with washing the dishes. I won't specify what "that" refers to. They'd mess it up with taking too long, water-flicking fights and soapsuds over everything. Eventually, they had wormed their way out of the assignment with their antics. HENRY HANK CHAPIN
ReplyDeleteLucky Emily is in for a nice stay! THIS is Aloha-
ReplyDeleteAloha from Waikiki-side
Comfort Spiral
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Love your sneaky way to get Art to do the job. You are so clever.
ReplyDeleteIsn't it odd. We are quite content with our homes cleanliness till the threat of visitors. Then we think only max effort is good enough.
We've just done the same thing, cleaning for overnight guests. Corey's mom and step dad will be with us tonight and tomorrow night. We await their arrival momentarily. We'll all watch the Olympic Opening Ceremonies together on our new TV.
ReplyDeleteThank goodness for guests. We're the same, why bother cleaning if there's no-one to see it. Anyway, I like to see the difference I make when I've gone to all that effort.
ReplyDeletethat safety thingie for the cords takes up the slack or sumpthing. I know how it is, after you get through installing the blinds, it's an extra step.
ReplyDeleteHmmmm... sounds like you've installed these things before, hunh?
Deletelol, yea, installed it before, but had no idea what the 'extra' part was for, until I read the instruction sheet which was in the trash.
DeleteYou're certainly not the only one. It takes the threat (I guess I should say "promise") of guests to make us pull up (or pick up) our socks and get the place into some semblance of order.
ReplyDeleteWhat I often wonder is, if I can do it with guests on the horizon, why can't I do it every day, as your mother does?
The answer, I've finally decided, is adrenalin, and the lack of it. "Guests are coming!" produces a jolt of adrenalin that lets us scurry around like mad things. Without that impetus, it's back to the "tomorrow is another day" attitude. LOL
As Dick is not at all handy around the house, I don't have a good ploy (or threat) to get him moving. I owned an electric drill for 30 years before he did, and now he only has one because I bought it for him.
I'm sure you'll have a good visit, and Emily will be very comfortable in your guest room. It looks lovely.
K