Good grief! Today is one of those days I simply dread. Yep! It’s the first day of my two day clean- the-house days. I still feel the same as I did about twenty years ago when we moved into our home… well, almost the same. What has me worried is that I used to be able to whip through the house – vacuum, dust, clean bathrooms, and mop – all in one day.This was a good thing, since I cleaned our house every week.
But, now that my cleaning is accomplished with my reading glasses on, I find it takes twice the time to do half the job… well, almost. I blame it on being able to see a whole lot better with my reading glasses, but, I have to concede that I used to have perfect vision, so that probably doesn’t account for the huge time increase. I can blame the use of the reading glasses on my need to get the high allergen dust out of the house, not my twenty-year-older eyes.
The only saving grace about this whole housework routine is that I listen to my audible books while doing these awful chores. Currently, I am listening to Patricia Wentworth‘s first Miss Maud Silver’s mystery. I actually read Grey Mask before, but now that audible.com has her books, I want to listen to them in the correct order. I discovered Patricia Wentworth’s mysteries after receiving several recommendations from Cozy Mystery site readers for me to add her to the site. She is one of the Cozy Mystery author gems I have added to my ever-growing list of favorite authors. And, she definitely falls into the traditional definition of Cozies… which I LOVE!
I didn’t mean to go off on a tangent… but, since this is one of my breaks from those pesky house chores, I am guessing that is why I am meandering. And, now that it takes me twice the time to clean the house, I admit I only do a major house cleaning every two weeks… which is more than enough for me – but possibly not enough for my husband… although he absolutely NEVER complains.
Ann Philipp says
It’s really taking you twice as long because without realizing it, you are pausing to listen to some juicy part of the story. Or if you miss something and have to rewind? Well, that takes tons of time.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Aha, Ann! I love your thinking. I must not be slowing down, I’m just listening “too hard”…
Karen Russell says
Don’t worry, you’re doing better than I am — my bifocals and I just do one room per day.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Karen, I like your approach! I wish I could do just one room per day >>> I am already having a difficult time trying not to be obsessed about not finishing the whole house in one day… But, who knows… I may be able to train myself to your method. It does sound good!
Gayle says
Ladies, as we get older everything takes longer as we have to think about what we’re doing. I spent so many years perfecting my multi-tasking skills I now find myself not about to move off the couch until I decide how many other tasks I can accomplish each time I move through the house. I know it would be faster to just go back to doing one little thing at a time. And I’ve solved the house cleaning issues by hiring a cleaning woman so I have plenty of time to read books and write my mysteries. And contemplate how slow I’m getting.
Thanks for the recommendation of Patricia Wentworth, I plan to try her. Can you believe I only recently found Mrs. Pollifax? How could I be dense? Happy reading.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Gayle, you must do a better job keeping your house in order than I do. I KNOW I would feel like I had to tidy up before letting a cleaning woman in my house.
My mother has a cleaning woman who cleans the houses of some of her friends, and every Thursday during my visits up in Colorado Springs, I find out just what types of messes my mother’s friends have in their houses.
Alfred says
Hi Danna and All
Does anyone remember the seven day a week poem that is something like wash on Monday, Iron on Tuesday, and such and then rest on Sunday. I would love to write it down and make a copy thanks.
Carrie says
Alfred, I think that there are several different versions of the old rhyme. The one I know is …
Wash on Monday
Iron on Tuesday
Mend on Wednesday
Market on Thursday
Clean on Friday
Bake on Saturday
Rest on Sunday
Alfred says
Thank you Carrie
Patti says
Are the Miss Maud books still available to buy?
Carrie says
Patti, They aren’t available in my local bookshop but they are available on Amazon.
Carrie says
I don’t mind house cleaning as much as I HATE ironing and cleaning out cupboards.
The problem I have with cupboards is that when I’ve emptied them, thrown away everything that I can and then put the remainder back they don’t seem any emptier than when I started! I know that it is something to do with putting things away neatly, rather than opening the cupboard and cramming some more in (which seems to be my preferred method of storage!), but I always feel defeated by the fact that I don’t seem to have achieved anything. Particularly not all the new storage space I was anticipating.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Carrie, I (too) hate to iron… which is why everything I buy has to be either wash and wear or drip dry.
As for the cupboards… Hmmm… Don’t remind me! (It has been several years that I tackled that house chore.
Vickie B says
I clean house tomorrow. I wait until I am alone in the house and can clean in peace and quiet. It’s another reason to love being on shifts now besides getting in more reading time. I need my alone time.
I really don’t like cleaning house and it’s not my bifocals I can blame. Thankfully, DH takes his share and does the wood floors and vacuuming. I dust and clean the bathrooms. And catch up on my DVR shows or listen to tunes. The audiobooks are saved for my commute or long trips or when I actually sit at my desk at work.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
I know what you are talking about, Vickie, about cleaning “in peace and quiet.” When my son and daughter were little, I always did housework while they were out. Then when they started doing some of the chores, I usually ended up re-doing them – when they were out.
PS>>> You’re lucky to have a job where you can sit at your desk and listen to your audiobooks.
Lois says
Regarding Patricia Wentworth’s Miss Silver books, both Barnes & Noble (online) and Amazon have links for used books. Amazon has some new books, but they are pricey (they are now out of print). Barnes & Noble has some available for Nook, and Amazon has some available for Kindle. There are also some available for audiobook.
These are some of my favorite mysteries, and I encourage others to try them.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Lois, I wonder why Patricia Wentworth isn’t more popular?!? I love listening to her Miss Silver mysteries…
Maria (BearMountainBooks) says
Am I the only one who skipped??? Yes, the day was Sunday. And no, the vacuuming did not get done. It shows.
I did buy myself a Mint Evolution six months ago. It helps. But it only does the tile and do you know, it only does the tile when I set it and START the thing??? Yes, I still have to go and pick up the rugs and get the thing going… who knew???
I think I need a roomba or neato next…obviously. Since I barely did the dusting and completely neglected the vacuuming.
Please call before you visit… :>)
Anne says
That is too funny Maria…thanks for the giggle…
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Maria, it sounds like your Mint Evolution works a lot like my low calorie cookbooks…
Maria (BearMountainBooks) says
P.S. Any husband who complains about his wife’s cleaning will likely find that tv ninjas have nothing on his wife. He’s liable to get that broom somewhere he never expected…
Ann says
I wonder if they have these available for swap on paperbackswap.com
Ann
Denise says
I try to clean a little each day especially when I am teaching so I’d have weekends free. Of course during my brief summer break ( June 19 – July 28 at risk schools have students do 200 days while rest of the district does the 180) I clean and add a big chore like closets . Today was one of those days until a friend called and said lets go to Savannah. Mess around or clean ? Guess I’ll just do clean tomorrow.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Denise, I hope you’re having a great time in Savannah… I ended up taking a “day off” from my two-day cleaning yesterday, but it was to run errands… Certainly nothing like grabbing a friend and heading out to have fun.
PS>>>I love that your district has such a short summer for at-risk students.
linda says
When I have a really good book that I am reading I will read two chapters, put the book down, get up and clean at least one thing in each room, then go back to my book. This will continue until I have my house work done or else have finished reading my book. When I decided that I was going to retire from working I made up my mind that I was going to read WHENEVER I FELT LIKE IT!! But —-I still have to clean house, fix meals for my hubby and take care of my two dogs! But this way I can do all the things I need to do and no one can say that I am shirking my duties!!!!!
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Great idea, Linda, for those who don’t listen to an audio book while performing our household chores…