Carl's parents, four of Carl's five sisters and their families, my mom, my sister and her family and my brother and his family ALL live in or near Wichita. Guess what we do every holiday. That's right, we travel to Wichita. Except Easter. Several years ago I declared a travel moratorium at Easter for my family so we could celebrate one holiday at home.
With over a decade of holidays under my belt, you would expect me to have preparing/packing/traveling down to a science. You would be wrong. At this moment my washing machine is agitating, my dryer is humming and my suitcases are gaping open, waiting to be filled with the clothes still in the agitating washer and humming dryer. My house is more cluttered than usual because I have started one packing project, traveled to another room for an item for that project, noticed something else that needed done in that other room and gotten sidetracked...not once, but several times. We plan to leave around 7:00 tonight. Ha!
Family members have learned not to ask what time we will arrive. Either that, or they've learned the code: 3:00 really means 7:00. Evening arrival expectations are subject to change to the next day.
Why is this? In part it is because, on some crazed level, I want to suddenly catch up on everything that has been "behind" before we leave. I let bookwork slide for several weeks, or even months, but let us make travel plans and BAM! I'm hard at it at the computer, getting everything straight. I'd like to say that part of the problem is my desire to leave an orderly house. Oh yeah, I have that desire. To this day it is an unfulfilled desire.
The biggest problem is what you are witnessing at this very moment. When I'm faced with an almost overwhelming project (like laundering and packing clothes for five people and remembering the relish tray items for which I'm responsible for Thanksgiving while refereeing the Hannah-vs.-the-Big-Girls fight), I respond with escapism. I escape to the computer to write a blog or escape into a ridiculous microcosm of packing, like detail-cleaning the suitcases.
Well, they say that the first step to overcoming a problem is acknowledging it. I'm one step closer, I guess. The problem is, I took that step years ago.
The washer and dryer are both silent. I'm stopping here, posting this, and facing my problems head-on! Laundry beware! Suitcases, here I come!
2 comments:
Well first of all I would like to say Thank You so much. The difference you and Carl have made for Miracles Happen is profound!! God Bless you both.
Second, oh my I am just like that. I seriously can't sit down and relax unless my house is clean. I think my problem is, is that I have no control over what is going on in my life. This however (being a neat freak) I do have control over!! Does that make sense??? Oh and I think I have a little bit of OCD!!
Love and have a Happy Thanksgiving
megan
Hi Megan! "You're welcome."
"Neat freak" has never been a term used to identify me. On the contrary, my Mom took a picture of my messy room during my high school years. I'm not sure now why. To "surprise" my future children? To "remind" me? Problem is...nothing's changed!!!
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