Put off until tomorrow......

Jands, you are my kind of person!! I once had a person at my children's school tell me that 'it is all in your priorities'....but she was talking about going to the DR instead of going to school. I figured, when a child wasn't really sick enough to keep them out of school, why not wait and take them to the doctor later. She disagreed. Well, I got my kids through school without missing many days at all and they lived to tell about it. I don't think it is a priority to keep the sink empty all the time, either! I figure if someone comes in and doesn't like the way things look, they can pitch in and help Otherwise, be quiet - and don't tell everyone else about my bad habits. I too think that LIFE is more than dishes, toys, clean houses, etc. I've seen people with a very clean house be very unhappy because they had no time for anything else or anybody. And they made everyone who did come around uncomfortable because of such a clean house while all the time saying, "I sure need to clean house". We are definitely enjoying life, although my husband says he would like to do it in a little cleaner house. Well, mine isn't nasty, just lived in and I don't always make my bed when I get up. But, if you were to come to visit, it would be made.

No need to make the bed if I drop 'round. And stuff everything into the drawers and cupboards. I don't snoop in people's houses. As for the rest, I just keep thinking of the wife/mother in American Beauty (movie) and various friends I have that keep their homes that way. Until I got ahold of one of my friends, the woman got up each day to clean all three bathrooms (even though only one was used) from top to bottom and so forth. Luckily now, she realizes that it is much more fun and a better use of the preciously short time we have on earth to head out for coffee with me, or have our "tea parties" or even just to sit in the yard and watch the clouds. If the home is hygienic, small clutter and bits and bobs don't bother me. I do my twice a year "Spring Cleaning". Yay for the charities. Play with the kids instead of chasing around clearing up. Play with your friends instead of taking the curtains down each week to launder. And the woman with the Doctors?!?! Is she insane? If you can get up, get ready and get yourself where you need to be for the day, you are well enough to NOT need a doctor and further cause antibiotic resistance. For myself, I am *proud* to say, should a doctor feel the need to give me antibiotics, I need a child's prescription because I don't go running off complaining at every sniffle. Yearly checkups can be easily scheduled during off time from school. Kids certainly have enough weeks off each year. LOL I think to top it off, Barb42, you are one of those examples of what a Mum should be: Focused on enjoying life and her kids. Not ignoring life and kids to catch that last dustbunny under the sofa that NO ONE will see. Kudos!

Your friend sounds like one of my brother's late wives. Mother said, when they went to visit them in California, she would literally sweep right behind you when you came in. You could never find a speck of dirt in her house. How can anyone feel comfortable in those homes where the woman cleans constantly? You would probably find dust bunnies under my couches and my beds! We don't move them to vacuum every time the vacuum cleaner is pulled out.

I cannot retire yet, not old enough. Hubby is drawing early Social Security, and still working, so he can take a no stress, sort of low paying job. We are looking for things to earn with that will be fun as well. I never have been really routine, but I do know that when I had home daycare I cleaned a lot more.

I'm glad to know I'm not the only one. We've already retired, but I think mine started 7 years ago when I broke my hip. I found out things could wait. You never know what tomorrow is going to bring, and I look at that as do the things that make you happy first and the others can wait. As for the ironing, I do them piece mill - a piece at a time when I need it. But I do try to iron my husband's slacks all at once - however many have been washed. But I only do that when he needs a pair.

If something happens tomorrow, I'll just have to face it. I do what is necessary such as preparing meals and washing and folding clothes every day. I usually wash the dishes as I prepare my meals, but I don't always get up from the table and clean up the rest. We put them in the sink. Sometimes, if we do it on Friday night, my husband rises early on Saturday morning, and he has them washed when I get up. I have a great husband who does help me at times. He does the vacuuming which is hard for me. I help my mother keep her house clean and do her grocery shopping or anything else that needs to be done, since she is 91 and lives alone. And my husband understands. I think GOD will let me by.

Well, I have one more day off. Tomorrow is my hairdresser day plus I buy my Mother's groceries and go take her lunch on Friday's. Then I do whatever I need to do there. So I won't have to do too much of my own housework tomorrow, either. And Saturday, we will probably be cutting grass. It's more fun to ride the lawnmower than it is to clean house.

The one thing that I hate most is a dirty commode. SO I always keep them clean! And, usually, if I clean them, I'll do the sinks, too. So those stay pretty clean. I'm just not the immaculate housekeeper I was when my kids were home, seriously. I often tell people I was a clean house keeper when the kids were home. After they left, I learned there were better things to do.

I like the way your husband thinks

You are so right. Our priorities do change as we get older. I know mine have drastically. I'm a book reviewer and I could sit and read a good book and leave the dishes with no problem. I think our time is more valuable as we grow older and doing the things we love to do rather than the things that we know we have to do become more of a habit in our lives. When we skip doing things we would love to do in life just to keep a clean house, then we find later in life that we have missed lots of good times. By the way, I have a dishwasher, but we keep a dish drainer on the cabinet all the time. We once put it up, but my husband said why do that since you are going to get it right back out!

I know what you mean. If my husband is working at something, then I don't mind working. Otherwise, I am lazy except for cooking and washing. I do lots for my elderly mother, so that keeps me busy, too. And it's hard to clean two houses all the time. I just do what I can, or what I feel like doing and let the rest go.

You are lucky to have someone to call for help. I'm the one that has to go help my Mother who is 91. She can't do much work anymore, and I'm the only girl in the family. So it's left to me to buy her groceries, take her to the DR or shopping and clean her house. I don't mind that at all, but it does stop me from wanting to do my own at times. I just do what I feel like doing, keeping my house half way presentable or able to get through and let the rest wait until I'm ready.

If I put it off, I don't ever forget it, since it's right before me. But I can work fast and gets lots of things done in a hurry that I would otherwise take longer to do. When I really get motivated, that's when I work my best. I try to go through and pick things up all the time, but I don't do the big things every day.

I know what you mean, Kitten. I put off housecleaning lots. But sometimes I get a into a cleaning spree and make my house look very good. Did my kitchen this morning! I am not one that thinks everything has to be perfect in order for me to be able to sit down and do what I want to do, or perhaps go some place.

I never was a procrastinator. But, over the years, I've found that there are sometimes more important things to life than constantly worrying about the house. I am a quick cleaner, when I get ready to do it. But, if I feel like sitting down to the computer, playing the piano, going out and cutting grass, I'll leave other things undone to do those things. Life is too short to be constantly worrying whether I have a house that everybody would appreciate, where they coming to see me. Most of us don't have visitors like we used to do when we were younger. People schedules are just too tight.