Years ago, everyone did spring cleaning.   They washed windows, shook carpets outside and cleaned every room from top to bottom until the house sparkled.   I remember Martha Stewart writing about the annual rituals her mother would undertake and like everything Martha Stewart, it was complicated, time-consuming and probably unnecessary.   It’s not like a bit of dust will kill you, unless you have really bad allergies and have to keep the dust mites at a minimum.    The theory now is that living in a spotless germ-free house is not  good for building children’s immune systems.   It seems a little dirt is good for you, a germ-laden pet, preferably a dog, even better.    So, while I put all the winter plaid stuff away and bring out lighter brighter decor, when spring arrives I don’t want to be stuck indoors when there is such delightful weather to be enjoyed outside…..spring is not here yet, but coming soon.   

I tend to tackle any major cleaning projects in January when it’s cold and snowy, but I do like my house to be tidy and the clutter under control.   The new Netflix show by Marie Kondo, the diminutive author of The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up fame, has been getting a lot of attention lately. 

If you’re a fan of the show, you might enjoy my post from last January – Decluttering 101 – Out With The Old, where I profile her book and my efforts to apply it. 

One caveat, at the time I wrote the blog, I did not understand the role of Japanese spirituality in her method.   While this belief that inanimate objects have feelings and need to be thanked, may seem bizarre to us western folk, reading a recent op-ed piece on the subject helped put parts of the book into context.   Which just goes to show, how judgments can be skewed by ignorance, as the book was initially intended for Japanese readers who would of course be familiar with those ideas.  As for all those people who made fun of her methods (and I read some truly cruel reviews on Goodreads last year), well she’s now sold 11 million copies, has a new hit show, and is probably laughing all the way to the bank.   

Link to January  2018 Blog:  Decluttering 101 – Out With the Old

My mother is painting spring…..

Spring Flowers