I was just talking with my son about balancing algebraic equations.  How about this equation:

house disarray = brain disarray

Is that balanced?  I think so.  The office redo is moving quickly here, but every room in the house, it seems, is in total disarray (and I can hardly think straight). 

Hubby muds the wall to repair holes and damage.

Don’t get me wrong.  I am very pleased that my office is being touched up.  And I am very thankful to be coming back home to work.  I’ve really missed being home.  The simple fact is that there’s more than just the office redo going on. 

The bunkbed is no more.

Suddenly today, as if someone had an electric prod goading him on, my oldest son decided it was time to clean up the upstairs bedroom he shares with my second oldest son.  He seemed enveloped in a cloud of domestic drive.  His exact words were, “there’s enough dust up there to choke out an entire family,” and this coming from a son who at the age of 14 said he would live in a trashcan if he had to. 

Some of the “stuff” that was moved out of the boys room during the cleaning.

What’s a mom to do?  I mean, you spend the first 19 years of a boy’s life wondering if he’s hearing you at all when you’re trying to teach him things like, yes, houses still get condemned if they get bad enough.  Or you’ll get body lice if you go three months without changing your sheets.  Or that much stuff in your floor and under your bed is a fire hazard. 

There goes a piece of the old bed.

Do you think my big redecorating event encouraged this?  No.  That’s unlikely, I think, or it would have happened some time before now.  Actually, my sons are just growing up, and all of a sudden they want to take ownership of their space and their lives in a new way.  It’s really cool to watch.  Instead of demanding a halt to all of the general tearing out of everything in the house, I’m celebrating that an old, worn-out bunk bed was dismantled and thrown away, being replaced by a newer futon that my oldest son bought with his own money. 

Soon the office will be painted and new furniture put in.

I think I can stand the chaos for a few days.  It helps to stay focused on the end result.  I went and bought a couple of computer desks that were on clearance at a very good price:  39 dollars each.  They will set up nicely side by side to make a work station across my office wall (pictured above).  I’m planning to be out thrifting tomorrow with my mom and my sister, so hopefully I can find a vintage table to go in front of my office window for the laptop and as a writing desk.

Whole Foods Market purchases.

I think I might already be having Whole Foods Market employee discount withdrawal.  I am sure going to miss that discount after I leave.  I went shopping today to pick up a few things.  I’ll stock up on a few favorites before I leave and lose my discount.  Whole Foods is a great place to work, by the way.

Halved grape tomatoes.

I talked with my friend “D” today and she is just the best friend to talk with about domestic things.  I had no idea what to do tonight besides sandwiches.  She told me she was having sandwiches and pasta and this great big lightbulb came on in my head and I copied her.  D, you’re the best. 

Snipping Italian Parsley

I cut some Italian parsley from one of my container gardens on the front steps.  I chopped it and, along with the cut-up tomatoes above, added some fresh minced garlic and some olive oil and freshly grated parmesan cheese to some cooked pasta.

Grating Parmesan Cheese

This made a fabulous pasta dish to serve with our turkey sandwiches tonight.

Elbow macaroni, olive oil, Italian parsley, grape tomatoes, salt, pepper, fresh garlic, grated parmesan.

All of this redecorating has me in a decluttering mood.  Uh-oh.

Lynn