Almost daily diary!

Monday, September 29, 2008

Everything and nothing

Today was not the day off I'd planned. Last week I'd been abandoned by both Husband and mother. The former was in London and the latter in France. It was kind of liberating, strangely. I had a whole day off with no one to please but myself. Not only did I get the house straight after the weekend but I also found time to read my book, read some blogs and sit in the garden, all without feeling guilty!

Why should I feel guilty? I have no idea, I just do. Maybe it's the deeply embedded protestant work ethic!! Who knows.

Anyway, much to my annoyance, Husband was working from home today. He sometimes does on a Monday but I was swept away in a freedom frenzy last week and had forgotten it maybe hard to recreate all over again. I had plans to settle down and finish a very long book (which has tiny writing and a lot of pages and I'm finding it quite hard to read but feel it may be worth it in the end) read bloggy things and maybe, just maybe, play the piano a little, while the house was empty (I can't remember how to play properly but like to 'play by ear' just for myself).

Now I know Husband wouldn't really care if I read a book all day, though he may comment about blogging for hours, but I just couldn't bring myself to sit down. I wanted an empty house, it had to be empty.

So I have spent the day cleaning!!

The place is sparking! I even finished cleaning the windows inside and out (a job which I had started last week). I can't say it was a wasted day, it all needed to be done, it just wasn't what I'd planned!

At tea tonight Husband said "That was such a tiring day!"
I just looked at him.
"All those customers I phoned up" He said "I've been on the phone all afternoon"
I have to say I couldn't find the words to express my thoughts at that moment!
Small Sprog sniffed his way through his meal. It seems that bouncing can bring on a very heavy cold out of the blue!! Tall Girl had enjoyed her team building day at school and was glowing with health.
"Don't bang your knife and fork on the table like that!" Husband growled
I gave her a look, which I hope, she interpreted as 'take no notice he's tired' and luckily she didn't comment. Our table, by the way, underneath the cover, has a marble top (great for pastry making, and mine from a different life pre Husband) very hard waring when I last looked!

Mum phoned tonight. She's back and wanting to visit. Guess what am I doing for my next day off??!!!

15 comments:

Working Mum said...

Don't you know that cleaning isn't real work, (like sitting and talking on the phone!)?

In this house cleaning, cooking, washing and ironing aren't as difficult as typing on a laptop!

Hope small sprog is feeling better soon.

BS5 Blogger said...

Profound post there, Sub'!

Pre Husband tables, a Protestant work ethic delivering guilt, as opposed to a Catholic one (how interesting), and a sense or loss of space in your own house. You leave me in the dust with your profundities sometimes!

A single life is blessedly simple sometimes!

Maggie May said...

If you want to read a book all day Suburbia then I'm sure you deserve to do that. No need to feel guilty.
Your sparkling house makes me feel guilty! Cos I'd sooner read a book any day!

MissKris said...

I do have weekends off from caring for my grandsons but every now and then I get an unexpected weekday off and it's like harvesting gold. A DAY TO MYSELF!! And yet they rarely ever turn out the way I thought they would. This year has been a CLASSIC example. I knew my daughter-in-law's maternity leave was coming in April and would last two months. I was going to sit back and relaxxxxxxxxxxxx. Then, uh oh...I ended up in the hospital having a hysterectomy. Time off was spent recuperating. I knew this past week in September was going to be family vacation time for Son and Family. I was going to sit back and relaxxxxxxxx. Then, uh oh...a nasty gall bladder let me know it needed to come out. This week has been spent recuperating. Now older grandson is going to Texas for a month to stay with his other Grandma because I am in no way recuperated enough yet to take care of that darling-but-oh-so-active 2 year old as well my 6 mo old grandbaby. Life has a funny way of throwing curve balls at us, doesn't it? I am going to miss Dylan so much I can't stand it, but the silver lining in this next 'chapter' of my life is still having baby Cooper with me and having a chance to truly bond one-on-one with him.

Susan said...

It's funny when I am home with a sick kid ~ I clean and pick up and enjoy the day with the sick kid. But husband stays home with sick kid and does nothing! I so want a day off and some sown time. I am glad you got to have some down time. I am sorry today kept you very busy!

Hadriana's Treasures said...

I actually managed to clean and tidy the house yesterday. My daughter said she wanted to play a game that we had moved to a different house. I asked "does our house look different today?"...yes, she said, it looks like a completely different house...just like my game...

Brett said...

My time off always ends up being planned out by Caz, the only escape is to the green house or loft as both places are on her must on visit list.

Anonymous said...

yes, i know what you mean. You feel you should be doing something. why does reading (in the day anyway) make us feel guilty?

I hate it when husband gets cross with the kids, its me who spends the most time with them, not him. He was like that all weekend.

anyway, i planned on catching up on reading today - have i done it????

Going to miss the Archers today - wah!

xxx

XXYXX said...

You so need to improve your napping skills. Really.

And don't even get me started with children and knives and forks, really, how hard can it be?

Rose said...

Ack, just hit "close" instead of "publish"--now what did I say?? Oh yes.....
Glad you were able to take a "real" day off last week and took advantage of it. Family have a way of filling up your "free time," don't they?

I am always secretly disappointed when Husband decides to take a day off from work--there goes my solitude:)

Akelamalu said...

It's annoying when your best laid plans go awry isn't it? Still you got all that cleaning done and don't have to think about it needing doing now! :)

Anonymous said...

Solitude is so precious, I hope you manage to enjoy and savour it more the next time honey.

Hulla

xx

Kitty said...

I cleaned today. The whole house. The kids came home from school, and now it's a mess again :-(

x

cheshire wife said...

Enjoy your next day off. You deserve it after all that cleaning.

blogthatmama said...

What annoys me is how long it takes to clean and tidy up and how swiftly it falls back into its bad old state, what a waste of time, better off playing the piano, reading and blogging. Blogthatmamax