Spring Cleaning

Despite the warm and shining sun (is this starting to feel like a weather blog to anyone else?) we had another "rain day" today. It's like a snow day, but without the snow. I had mixed feelings about this. I love a good snow day, in fact I think that it is 75% of the reason I moved up here. In my seven years of teaching in NYC, I was not granted one snow day. Last year, we were hit with an ice storm that gave me seven days off. An absolute god-send because I was working at a place that literally made me sick each day. But truth be told, the best kind of snow days are the ones after actual weather. Hunker down and hibernate weather. Today, there was no weather. I understand that there is significant flooding, but in my little corner of the word it was a beautifully clear day.

So, I woke with the 5:30am phone call from my principal. And I have to say that I've been relatively productive. I added these and these to the shop and feel like I can safely say that the cobwebs have been swept out and it is ready for spring (banner and all). Since it is warm and sunny and all spring-like around here, it is hard to resist a good spring cleaning. A self-clean the oven, remove all contents from the fridge to scrub and soak, mop the floor, dust the baseboards,

sweep the porch kind of day. Since moving up here, I have drastically limited my use of commercial brand cleaning products. (I can only imagine my mother's eyes rolling right now) I have officially limited myself to three major items: vinegar, baking soda, and occasionally bleach. (Ok, I confess, I also use swiffer wet pads. Listen I have light wood floors and cats!) And let me be the first to tell you, they really work. They work in the kitchen, in the living room and in the bathroom. I don't ever miss other cleaning products or feel like I am not getting the job done. With dishes, I still use dish soap, but use baking soda when I feel like something needs a little elbow grease. I also have to give credit to my sponge- go get these, they are the greatest! And so, with a cleaner house, I rewarded myself with an iced coffee, a chocolate chip cookie and a trip to the beach for high tide. A good day in all, but I'm ready to go back to work tomorrow.