Three Seasons to Dust

So it isn’t Christmas. Christmas is a season I consider dusting. I take down the everyday life dust collectors and replace them with red, green, sparkly Santa-esque shaped dust collectors. During either the taking down or putting up of these dust collectors, I dust.

And, it isn’t Big Upcoming Event season. I don’t have a graduation or wedding or special celebration of something really special coming up. No, it isn’t Big Upcoming Event season…I don’t feel that push to clean to impress. I am not in panic mode and running around the house stashing, hiding and disguising my clutter, so what dusting season is it? Oh, yeah, it’s pine pollen season.

I live amongst the pines. Look up…there’s a pine tree. Look behind…there’s a pine tree. Look to the right…a pine tree…left…a pine tree. Look out across the field which stretches before my house…a few million pine trees. Pine trees are beautiful. They are always green…hence the designation of evergreen. In the winter they change the world by getting every one of their tiny little pine needles coated with frost and then, when the sun comes up, they sparkle and glisten and create an amazing, beautiful moment in time. It is one of those precious moments of absolute beauty…but not today…it’s supposed to be ninety. A gentle breeze is blowing…and the world is yellow. Yellow with pine pollen.

My t.v. is yellow. My dog’s paws are yellow. The coffee pot…yellow. Window sills…yellow. Books on a shelf…yellow. Fake white daisies in a cheap vase…yellow. Even my husband’s animal heads on the wall…yellow. It is definitely Pine Pollen Dusting Season. Still, I don’t want to jump into anything too quickly.  I’m not a rash person.  I probably should wait to dust until I’m sure the Pine Pollen Dusting Season is coming to a close. I wouldn’t want to have to do it twice…not in the same year. No, that wouldn’t do…I’m so darned efficient I wouldn’t want to waste precious energy dusting just to have to do it again within an eleven day period. Believe it or not, I’ve actually heard of people who dust weekly. They’re sick. No one has told them about the Three Seasons to Dust. I hope the poor souls get a copy of this. Geez, I just might change a life with just one blog…yes, I’ve left my legacy on the world.

Don’t Forget Your Underwear

We are going on a long trip this summer.  Driving across Canada and parts of lower Alaska in a pickup camper…two dogs, husband and me.  My husband will be packed, parked and repacked at least a month in advance.  He will have his boots for hiking, boots for fishing, sandals for showers and all of his foot needs cleaned, polished and neatly placed in little bags inside of big bags 6 weeks prior to our departure date.  His fishing gear, rain gear, travel gear and special gear for anything that will go wrong will be in the camper neatly arranged and ready at a moment’s notice.  His underwear will be rolled and stashed in a special pocket in his travel bag way before we leave.  Really.  He actually has enough underwear to pack them ahead of time.  I, on the other hand, will be praying there are underwear to be had in Canada since the last two clean pairs I own are probably somewhere at the bottom of the clean laundry pile in my closet and of course I forgot to dig them out before we left. 

We’ve been married for 30-some years and he has always had this problem of being prepared.  He doesn’t understand the excitement of waiting until the last minute to delve into the dirty clothes hamper for that one sock that matches that other one.  He’ll never have to check to find underwear with no holes because he buys new packages on a regular basis and then proceeds to throw any old pairs away…AWAY!  Yeah, I know he’s got a problem…he thinks the problem is me and my disorganization.  Boy, do I have a surprise for him.  I’m actually getting some of the important things put into a special bag so I won’t forget them.  Yeah, I’ve bought two new sudoku puzzle books.  I’ve bought a new purse…one of those organizer bags as seen on TV and I am ready to fill it full of everything from bandages to dog biscuits, AND, I’ve actually thought…yes, even studied…how many razors I will need for a month’s worth of leg shavings, AND, I might even shave them before we go.  Yah, surprise, Sweetie!  

So, to the man with extra underwear, don’t worry, I’ll be ready.  Kind of.  I’ll be packed.  Kind of.  I’ll be in the truck ready to go.  Kind of.  Hmmm, I think they wear underwear in Canada, don’t they?  Not the long kind…the wide kind, grandma underwear. I should be able to buy some somewhere, shouldn’t I? Maybe I need to do a little research…he’ll be impressed with that.