C: It Takes So Little to Amuse Me

Let me just say this right up front: I am no housekeeper. I’ve said it before, but you have no idea how much it needs to be restated. I am only hoping that all those beautiful pictures of my blogging friends’ houses are staged, at least to some degree. In the interests of full disclosure, you need to know that if you see a “tablescape” or floral arrangement from my home, it most likely will never be done with any kind of wide-angle. Believe me; I can only manage “neat-and-tidy” in the smallest of areas, tenuously-contained against the happy chaos of the rest of my home.

Let’s put it this way: I’ve often envisioned what would happen if I just up and disappeared….police would, naturally, be called. They’d look around for clues and immediately conclude that there are signs of a struggle. My friends, however, would solemnly shake their heads and reply, “No, officer, no clue there—this is just the way she lived…”

I could make excuses, I suppose, but I have long since decided that I am me and nobody else. My chaotic house is not a function of laziness. It is a function of busy, busy plus lots of interests. I am interested in everything. Therefore, I have books piled everywhere on every imaginable subject and fiction of every imaginable genre. And, folks, I NEVER get rid of a book.

I have magazines from the usual Martha Stewarts to the unusual literary magazines. I have a veritable craft store, heavy on the paper (for which I have a fetish). Look, I have a saddle on a saddle rack in my bedroom. It is a stylish, unusual accoutrement for my boudoir décor—except that right now it has clothes hanging off it. Get the picture? (No, actually, you won’t get a picture of my boudoir…)

And, of course, there’s this blogging thing, which I’d ten times rather do than run the vacuum.

With that background, you will understand what an extreme irony it is that I went in search on the worldwide web for a way to actually fold fitted sheets. Now, this is counterintuitive, isn’t it? Who would have thought that a non-neat-freak would give a rip about folding fitted sheets? Well, here’s what drove me to it; my downstairs linen closet:


Enough said? (I’m trusting you to still love me after this revelation.)

And I found out how, BUT WAIT!! I found something even more interesting! (Think I’m ADD? Yep!). I stumbled upon this wonderful video on “How to Fold a T Shirt!” Let me tell you, I fastened onto this with the hyperfocus that only an ADD person can manage. Just look at this:



After much (MUCH!) practice, I have mastered my "good solid" pinches. So, I’m now happily folding my T-shirts as they come out of the dryer, and they look so neat and pretty stacked up. Just like in the stores. Colors so reminiscent of Easter eggs.




Fascinating (for some of us, at least. Well, one of us at least). I’ve never had this concentration of “neat-and-tidy” before. It’s actually a little out of hand—I’ve been going in search of T-shirts to fold. We’ll see how long it takes for the “new” to wear off.

Oh, yeah. Back to that sheet-folding thing: there is a “proper” way to fold fitted sheets, and this genteel woman was kind enough to share with us:



Actually, I think Jill exaggerates: folding fitted sheets is not really one of my biggest challenges, but whatever...Pretty neat, though,huh? (Like that double entendre?). But, me? I’m busy folding those T-shirts! (so much fun). And, now that I know how to properly fold a fitted sheet, here’s what my linen closet looks like:



Sigh. Maybe soon….I’ll keep you posted. C.