Monday, December 26, 2016

Santa, Disguised as My Family...

was good to me this year.

I have been wanting one of those jackets that look like a flannel shirt only they have a warm, quilted lining.   I have heavy winter coats, but wanted a jacket more lightweight.  Oldest Son has one and I had talked to him about shopping for a similar one for me after Christmas.   Lo and behold, the jacket I wanted turned up under the tree.  I love it and I'm sure it will get lots of use when I can be out and about again.  And my daughter assured me that plaids are "in" this year!

My kids are good at finding useful and unusual gifts for me.  As anyone who visits here regularly knows from my occasional whining, I have been dealing with arthritis and leg problems this year.  This means that although I am still capable of doing the basics for myself like cooking, laundry and basic housekeeping chores, the details often are neglected.  Dust bunnies are multiplying at an alarming rate.  Cupboards do not get scrubbed.  Anything requiring climbing up on a step stool or excessive bending to reach rarely get done.

So my family gave me cleaners.  They hired a company to come in to do a one-time deep cleaning of my apartment.  This will happen some time in January.  They won't let me stay home while the cleaners are at work.  They think I will try to help.  Don't know where they got that idea, but they are taking me out somewhere while my apartment gets a top to bottom scrubbing.

Anyone who has physical limitations will understand that once we fall behind on those chores, it seems like an impossible task to get caught up again.  I have good days and not so good days.  On good days I can accomplish quite a lot.  On not so good days it is all I can do to cook meals and wash the dishes.  So I think it will be easier for me to maintain a clean apartment once the dust bunnies have been eradicated and the surfaces and corners I have trouble reaching have been dealt with.

God has blessed me with a better family than I deserve.  And I  am forever grateful.

10 comments:

  1. You have the best adult-kids. My guess is that you put a lot of love and energy into them when they were growing up.

    You will love those cleaners. When I was first sick, I had to use a cleaning company for a few months. Treat yourself and let them put clean sheets on your bed as well.Let them do the whole thing - strip the bed & remake it. Pure joy! That's just my 2-cents anyway.

    We're getting more snow today and tomorrow. So unusual for us. Good thing the dog is content with his potty walks on the lawn right outside my door. We are both snug and warm. I stocked up a bit last Thursday and have been home since. Yea for the power staying on! Cheers, SJ

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  2. Better post a family member in the apartment with the cleaners. I know from my mother-in-law's experience that not all in-home help is honest.

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  3. What thoughtful children you have! I spent some time at my mom's this summer and helped her clean. She can't do much anymore, and doesn't like people she doesn't know in her mobile home. Only stayed a week, but got some things done. Problem was, when I'd go through a box with her, we'd sit and talk about what we found and old times. Still managed to tackle dust bunnies and get the bathrooms super clean. Wish I lived closer to her. Enjoy your clean apartment, and do something fun when you have to leave!
    Amish Heart in New Mexico

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  4. SJ...I'm just going to let them do whatever it is they do! It is just so nice to be able to start over with everything clean. My apartment isn't rat-hole filthy. It is just that there are things I haven't been able to do and those small things grate on the nerves after awhile when I couldn't keep up.

    The snow missed us but the freezing rain showed up instead. I get together with my family for brunch on Christmas Eve and the rain didn't move in until yesterday, so we were OK. You sure are getting the snow this year, aren't you. Glad the dog is adaptable so you don't have to go stomping about in all that white stuff! I thought maybe the ice would knock out our power, but ours stayed on, too. We both lucked out. :)

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  5. Gorges...I will mention that to the kids. They may have thought about security already. I plan to move a couple of things to my son's apartment beforehand, so I don't think there will be anything here worth stealing. :)

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  6. Amish Heart...They are thoughtful. They have offered to help, but I was reluctant to let them - they all have jobs and other obligations and they already do so much for me. This works out well because it will all be done at one time and afterwards it should be easier for me to keep up. My health seems to be improving so maybe it won't be such a struggle to do what needs doing.

    Your Mom and I are both blessed to have loving, caring children. :)

    I don't know what they have in mind for the time I will be out of my apartment, but knowing my kids, it should be interesting!

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  7. I looked up, "my occasional whining" online and for some reason, it said term used by a stubborn, but mature little old lady in Shakopee. :)

    The reason they are taking you out, is they are afraid of what will happen after the duck tape comes off you and the chair....

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  8. Ah, Rob...You do know how to make me laugh!! You may be right about the stubborn little old lady. And I think you are spot on about the duck tape. Probably safer all around if I am nowhere near when the cleaners are here. You know me well, my friend. :)

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  9. Sounds like a great Christmas with thoughtful gifts! It will be wonderful to have a cleaner! This was the year of duplicate gifts in my family...I guess we need to communicate more about this lol!
    Enjoy the rest of the holiday season.

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  10. Jenn...It was a really nice Christmas. My kids are good at finding things for me that are useful, and a top to bottom apartment cleaning is just perfect. When done, it should be much easier for me to keep up, even with the physical limitations. I thought I would have to spend the winter trying to get it all done myself, but now I can look forward to doing some of the things I love, like quilting. I don't know what to do about duplicates - maybe go back to the old-fashioned Christmas lists like we did when we were kids! :)

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