Spring Cleaning: Fun with a Friend

I have a friend named Cheryl who is great company for me. Not only is she a gentle, fun-loving teacher and dear c0-worker (she teaches the morning classes, I teach the afternoon ones) but she is also that kindred spirit.

We have this yin-yang thing about us. I love to laugh; she loves to cut up. I love deep conversations; she goes quickly from superficial to the heart. I love to lighten my workload whenever possible; she is a Clydesdale. (That is only referring to her endurance, not her size. She was a ballet instructor back in the day.)

Today we combined some of her goals with some of mine and some of ours:



Her goal: Raise money for her mission trip to China
My goal: Help send her
Her goal: Visit with me at least once during spring break
My goal: Visit with her , too
Her goal: Help me if I needed her, to get some deeper cleaning done this week (which is not at the same time as my collegers are off)
My goal: Take her up on the offer, while giving Joel a friend (her youngest boys) to hang out with. As the mother of a sort of "only child," I have to make extra effort to socialize him. "Twas never an issue when I had 3 close in age.

I also know Cheryl's son, Caleb, is a hard worker like herself. Well-trained to persevere "as unto the Lord." I could make him a list and he'd knock it out, with minimal instruction and even less supervision. When asked if he'd like to earn money, he gave a thumb's up, so I made a list. I wouldn't have to go behind him.

Daniel and Joel were all about earning a buck or two as well, so I put them to work. Before I knew it, they had done a really good job wiping down my base kitchen cabinets, shining the appliances, Windexing the front glass door, and emptying the contents of the pantry so I could clean and reorganize it.

Caleb spring-cleaned the living room--from taking down curtains, to doing windows, vacuuming vents, cleaning piano keys, and dusting the furniture, scrubbing baseboards.

Cheryl and I (mostly Cheryl) cleaned the family room while I did stuff that took decision making, tossing out, washing pillows and curtains, and other miscellany--plus serving green eggs and ham. I mean boiled eggs and ham. If I'd thought of it sooner, I would've colored them green for fun.

I'm sitting here loving the clean-house smell and the how it looks--very much improved. My back is sore, my mind is clear, and my heart is happy. Spring cleaning with a friend is the way to go. (That's a note to self for next year.) The rest of the house will have to wait. I have more friends, but no more break and no more energy.

"To China with love!" (Hear the clink of wine glasses filled with ice water?)

(Photo was taken by one of our students when we went to a local Indian restaurant as a geography class field trip. My straw slipped out and made me feel goofy and I mouthed the words, "Take the shichture, pwease. My wips are schtuck wike dis.")