A Clean Attitude

I tend to be a glass half empty kind of gal. That is just how I'm wired. I'm ok with that most of the time. Not that I want to be critical, but seeing what is wrong helps get things done. The problem is when I see that there is a lot to get done, I feel overwhelmed, and then just shut down. Such is the case with my house right now. 

There is no getting around it, my house is filthy. A summer of neglect has taken its toll. With all the tasks to complete outside and all the canning to be done inside, cleaning over the summer has consisted of dishes, laundry, and perhaps sweeping the floor. 

Now that the garden is all but done, the canning is complete, and school in full swing, I find myself noticing the clutter. Noticing the layers of dust. Noticing the filthy cupboards. Noticing is good, but there is so much to notice that I'm feeling overwhelmed. 

There are supermoms out there like Ivy who are cleaning their houses top to bottom. With Thanksgiving around the corner and lots of family headed this way, I know I need to join them in their cleaning foray. I'm having trouble getting started. 

I think I need an attitude adjustment.  I'm choosing to look beyond the pile of canning equipment in the corner of my kitchen. Just beyond that pile, I can see the jars of produce put up this summer that we will enjoy all winter.  Those dirty hand prints on the sliding glass door? Just signs of little ones who passed through those doors on their way out to play in the sunshine. Dust on the bookshelves? Evidence of a time away from the books for life lessons in the garden. 

Choosing to look at things this way doesn't mean that I won't be cleaning them. It just improves my attitude. It makes appreciate how things came to this state instead of feeling overwhelmed by the state of my house. 

Now that I'm in a better frame of mind, I can start the huge task of cleaning this small house, one corner at a time.