On Tuesdays, when I actually remember it is Tuesday I follow Annie @Tuesday 4. This weeks questions are all about home. Come on and play along.
1.What makes a house a home?
Mainly the people in it, though I will have to admit familiar things make my house my home. Sneaky Jorge (the chimpanzee butler) at my front door says home to me along with a few other treasured items. (My piano, my pillows, my favorite knife. . .things that are not easily replaced.)
2. How to you keep your house neat , tidy and clean? My house has not been neat and tidy in over a year. I am still overwhelmed by things from the lake and also excess from Mom's house. We close on her house Friday and after that I am starting in earnest on mine, including giving away at least 100 things from the house this month.
Do you find it difficult?
I don't find it hard, but I detest housework. There are just so many other things I had rather be doing.
3.Are plants important in your home.. or collections.. or wall art? I am a serial plant killer without meaning to be. I can keep outdoor plants alive all year, but give me an indoor plant and I am guilty of involuntary herbicide.
I am very picky about what I hang in my house. I love faces and music related art and have it throughout the house. I do have an unintentional monkey collection that I am slowly and surely paring down.
Is there a theme you like to create?
It is not so much of a theme as it is just things that make me happy and smile.
4.What is a typical day/evening like in your home?
I am not sure I have a typical day. The past three or four years have been driven by seeing about Mom or taking care of her house. Ask me the week after the house sale closes, then I will have a better idea of what my new normal is.
Our Covid inspired evenings are pretty much the same. We watch either an episode from a series or we watch a movie. Then we read.
I have found a new guilty pleasure. I have been watching old YouTube videos of What's My Line and I've Got A Secret. I have no idea why or how I stumbled onto them but it is like wandering through a television museum.
Are you closing on your mom's house with the family you were hoping to? I really hope so as then you know mom's house will be loved and cherished!
ReplyDeleteYes, the family we originally picked it the one who wound up with it. I am beyond thrilled!
DeleteSO nice to be closing, that is one big thing off your plate my friend. Also I did not realize your plastic flowers died. I can grow anything outside but inside is another story. i am getting better.
ReplyDeleteInside plants are so damn demanding! The ones outside are happy with rain and an occasional hand watering.
DeleteI'm like you, I don't find housework to be difficult, but I can always think of at least 100 other things I'd rather be doing!
ReplyDeleteI'm not a fan of plants, either. Needy things.
ReplyDeleteIt's been a while, but ya. I still enjoy watching those old TV shows. Arlene Francis and Dorothy Kilgallen always looked so glamorous.
I love plants and I envy those with a green thumb. They see me coming and wither in horror
DeleteI am death to indoor plants too. We have a few, but they are the other residents responsibility (lucky for them).
ReplyDeleteClean? Tidy? Queue hysterical laughter.
Loved people and loved things create home for me. And familiar bird song.
I agree about the loved people and loved things! And I forgot to mention I love hearing the neighbors kids outside playing. That says home to me also.
DeleteI wish I just had energy at the end of the day to do a deep clean a room at a time. That would help my home feel more like a home and not jsut somewhere we drop our stuff.
ReplyDeleteI would like to have energy coupled with desire. Right now I have neither.
DeleteI agree that the people living in it are what makes a house a home. :) It's an on-going battle to keep my house clean and tidy and as for collections, I think I have too many things I've collected! I'm trying to pare down and it is very hard for me. A typical evening is staying in, watching news on TV, watering the garden, preparing dinner, and chatting with family and friends on the phone. :)
ReplyDeleteI think that is why I love your decluttering challenge. I have to get rid of things that are weighing my house down.
DeleteEnjoyed reading your answers. Obviously with all that has been going on in your life it is hard to get back into a daily routine. Covid has changed things for sure! I don't care for housework either. We usually watch something from a series in the evening. Then we watch separate TV shows.
ReplyDeleteCovid has changed everything, though I did not like housework way before Covid became a thing!
Delete1. The people and their outlook make a house a home. No matter how physically comfortable a place is, if the people are not at peace, it isn't home.
ReplyDelete2. I clean for about 45 minutes every day--vacuuming, wiping the counters. I clean up after myself regularly. That prevents having to do a deep clean.
3. I despise houseplants. I dislike seeing most collections on display. I love seeing good paintings on the walls.
4. I wake up, get kids off, do a quick clean, shower, and run errands, if needed, maybe indulge in hobbies. Kids home, dinner cooked, and relaxing in various modes. I like a lot of silence in my life, as such, I am often in another room from the kids/television, reading, working a crossword puzzle, or pursuing a hobby. I dislike background noise, such as a television, music, or the sounds of children who are not mine.
We have several juried art shows each year where I go and almost always purchase something. I have a couple of artists I tend to buy from every time. TheHub and I have vastly different views on art, so our personal spaces have different looks. Fortunately for all, I get to pick out the art for all the common spaces.
DeleteI think we need a view of this monkey. But, you may think otherwise.
ReplyDeleteI am sure Sneaky Jorge will make an appearance at some time.
DeleteWhen we finally sold my parents house, it was a big relief. I think you will find the same thing. Although, I had a bit of sadness to see the house I grew up in go away, but it was time.
ReplyDeleteI truly do not think I will feel sad, plus I only live a couple of minutes away and can drive by it any time I want to.
DeleteI am so glad to visit with you, and thank you for visiting at my post today. I know how hard it is to sift through the memories and remains of a loved one's home and figure out what to do with everything. When my father passed 5 years after my mother, we had an estate sale after we siblings got the things we wanted out of the house. Then whatever didn't sell, a "buyer" bought all that was left for one money, with the understanding they would clean out the house and dispose of everything they did not intend to keep. It was an easy way to do it, but I fear we lost a lot of good things/memories that we never had time to sift through before the sale. But that is over and done with and life moves on. I pray our parents have forgiven us, but it was their idea to sell everything and divide it equally between us four kids. So we did what they said. They had lived in that same house for well over 50 years, so you can imagine...and they were collectors...yes, it was hard, but it's done. Praise God. And they are safe and happy in heaven and we'll have a big reunion some day without worrying about things... Have a blessed and wonderful day. I enjoyed your post so much. Would love to see the monkey collection! I bet it is fun!!
ReplyDeleteMy sister and I have put our hands on every single thing Mom and Dad ever possessed, from the tiniest newspaper clipping to their most prized possessions. We have laughed and shed a tear or two, but it is time for it to be over. Plus I have so much of their stuff at my house now, I will be going through it for final discards probably forever. My parents had a wicked sense of humor and are probably laughing and telling each other we are paying for our raising now!
ReplyDeleteWe've never had one of those sparkling clean houses, with no dust bunnies anywhere. But we've always had a pretty clean house. These days, just reasonably clean -- far from the filth stage, but not dustless or spotless either. Suits us. :-)
ReplyDeleteMy aim is to find a home either here or through donations for all the excess from the two houses, then have a house clean enough, but not sterile.
DeleteHooray for the closing! My parents had moved to town from the farm sometime before they passed so a lot of the clear out was done for us...but they still managed to have a lot of stuff in the house in town. The old farm house where I grew up burned down a few years after they moved so while the memories last the property is much different now.
ReplyDeleteI like to think that a house becomes a home when the person (or persons) within it feel at peace within it, no matter how humble it may be. I am no Susy Housemouse but have become a better housekeeper since I retired. I don't know how anyone, especially those with kids, get everything done while working. I don't like housework any better now, but I can spread it out over several days.
I have one plant, a succulent, in the kitchen window. My house has windows only on the north and south side and since the sunroom faces south, there isn't enough natural light for plants to do well. This one succulent seems to be the exception as it's been around for years. (The sunroom is too hot in summer and too cold in the winter to grow anything out there). I'm not generally a collector, though my craft room would deny that - can one collect yarn and craft items - and most of the pictures on the walls are my personal photos I've framed.
A typical day starts with the oldest cat yelling in my face that it is breakfast time. My daughter calls about 7:30 and we chat for a half hour while I make the bed, put away the clean dishes that dried overnight, and generally tidy. The rest of the day is spent doing housework or yardwork or running errands, or watching television programs while I knit or crochet. After dinner, I often play in my craft room while listening to podcasts, always do the dishes, and watch sports on television when available. It sounds boring when I write it down but it works for me. :)
I know I have a relatively boring life but it suits me. And I am with you on watching available sports. I grew up with just one sister so Dad was always outnumbered and was forced to do a lot of traditional female things. I never knew what it was like until I had a family of 3 sons. Talk about baptism by fire! I never knew anything or cared at all about sports but it was learn or be left at the curb. Luckily I am a fast learner!
DeleteHappy Birthday Anne! Hope you have a wonderful day!
ReplyDeleteCongratulation on the house closing. I hear you about 100 other things you can do instead of housework. I feel the same way. I like things neat & tidy, but I don't want to have to clean all day, every day.
Thank you! We are very exited about getting the house closed. It is one less thing on our plates!
DeleteHappiest of birthday wishes! Hope you have a fun day!
ReplyDeleteThank you Kathy!
DeleteHappy Birthday, Anne - one of my most favorite bloggers! Hope your husband is treating you like the Princess you are! (and if he's not, give him a kick in the butt! ha ha!)
ReplyDeleteYes I wear my princess crown so often and so well! TheHub did help me move a few things from Moms, then we ordered a take out meal. He had bought me a cake with the codicil that he would take it into his office the next day, because I did not want all the delicious cake left here.
DeleteDanggit, this is the first time I can remember when he actually did what I asked him to do!
I like what Maebeme said - a house becomes a home when the person (or persons) within it feel at peace within it. A home reflects the personality of the people who live in it and opens its arms in welcome. My home is where I find solace and rejuvenation. Art, cooking, books, music, hobbies all tell a story. There's a collection (?) of art in my home that reflects my country routes and connection to the seasons and nature so I guess if there's any theme it's "country" without being kitschy. I've always loved my home and revel in the opportunity to spend more time in it since retirement. Most cleaning is done on a prn (as needed) basis although there is a seasonal rhythm to it. The one thing that is cleaned routinely is my bedroom; it gets dusted and vacuumed when the bedding gets changed. That also becomes laundry day. I've always cleaned as I go so my house is usually tidy. Housework equates into movement and its good exercise. There's a general tidy up before bed or when I get up. Each day there's something that needs doing and something that wants doing. Today? Wash light fixtures and ceiling fan in the kitchen/dining room; pick the last of the squashes from the garden. Yesterday, make salsa. This is a prayer of thanks that I offer to the universe - thank you for my home in the hills, the home in my heart and the people who lead me there.
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely prayer!
DeleteI like my home, but not when it is just a holding tank for all these transitory items from Mom's house and the lake place. As soon as we are signed sealed and delivered rom Mom's (tomorrow at 11 am) My Beloved Sister and I are going somewhere to celebrate and then I will come home to begin the attack on everything here.
😃
ReplyDelete