I have done a month's worth of chores in two days to atone for giving John my cold. He seems grateful, but mostly I did it because when I'm sick I want to feel surrounded by healthful cleanliness. I want the bathroom to sparkle, the kitchen countertops to shine, the surfaces of all tables to be clear. When I'm healthy I'm able to ignore the gathering dust bunnies or overlook a tableful of newspapers. Unfortunately, John's even better than I am at ignoring chores, so when I'm sick the house looks like a refuse heap.
I think it's fair to say I do more of the cleaning chores than John does, but you know what? I'm the one who insists on a tidy, sparkly house so I do those jobs that bring the house up to my standards. John has a much higher tolerance for clutter and dust than I do. Left to his own devices, the place degenerates into an obstacle course of precariously piled videotapes, magazines, mail, and ephemera interspersed with huge mounds of worn socks. I can't live like that, so early in our relationship we came to terms. We have worked out an equitable distribution of the chores which have to be done on a regular basis, and the rest is up to me. He does his assigned chores faithfully and without complaining or shirking, and that matters a lot to me. Every once in a while he gets out the vaccuum cleaner or the mop all on his own which is always an unexpected pleasure.
Taking a break from all that cleaning I went shopping with Denise yesterday during a rare respite from the vigorous Pacific storm currently inundating the Bay Area. We hit Beverly's Fabrics in Daly City and went ape crazy over the bolts of beautiful Hawaiian old style prints. I bought fabric to make new curtains for my bathroom as the ones I have up are too dark for such a small space. I've made all the curtains for my homes for the last 12 years. We have tropical fish curtains, elephant curtains, iris curtains, cabbage rose curtains, and orange sherbet/pale peach double hung curtains from previous households. The iris curtains have done heroic duty for a year now, but it's time to break out the sewing machine again. I though this material was ideal for my pale blue and white bathroom. It would make a really nice Hawaiian shirt, too.
I love fabric stores. They get my creative juices flowing. I started sewing lessons when I was 13. I took tailoring in high school and made a really fancy jacket and lined wool pants that were the last word in 1974 stylishness. I made all my own formal gowns during college, back in the days when every woman needed a fancy long dress at least twice a year. I made clothes for friends as presents when I was too broke to buy a birthday or Christmas present. Fabric is pretty cheap at $4-$10 a yard; you don't ever need more than three yards of material for a pretty sundress or a pair of pants. So going into a fabric store gets me thinking about making something other than curtains, especially when I see all the beautiful retro designs and Japanese motifs. But who am I kidding? I haven't bought a pattern in years.
Sometimes I'm surprised at how many accomplishments and skills I've let lapse over the years. I used to sing, to speak French, to sew, to draw, to ski. I did all of those things really well at one time. Now, I can barely claim to do them at all. It's a little embarrassing. So it feels good to do something creative, even if it's also utilitarian, like whipping up a set of curtains. And, of course, it makes my house look infinitely tidier which satisfies my inner hausfrau.
The Index
Next Incarnation