Earth Day

My favorite time of day is the early, early morning when I can sit and enjoy my coffee while watching the news. On the best of days, no one else is around----this seldom happens. Tel is my early riser; 6:30 am is sleeping in for him. I cringe when he shares the news time with me in the morning (I know that one day I will look back and cherish those times, wishing they had never ended) because Tel talks A LOT. He is very curious and VERY intelligent so when his curiosity is peaked he isn't satisfied with the normal answers you would give a five year old, he presses for more information.

Today is Earth Day and each segment of my morning news channel talked about it. Of course Tel wanted to know what Earth Day was and hubby let him know that it was a day to "celebrate the Earth". Tel wanted to know HOW you are supposed to celebrate Earth Day and he wasn't satisfied with the list of ways we gave him until one of the ways was something HE could do TODAY (recycle, no. plant a tree, no. limit shower time, no. drive less, no. use minimal lights, no. don't use plastic water bottles, no. pick up trash on the side of the road, yes.)

Tel decided we would pick up trash on the side of the road. After dinner Tel, Dax (after his kicking and screaming refusal to do so), and I went to "celebrate Earth Day". Me in my naivete thought that 2 big, black yard trash garbage bags would be plenty. We didn't even make it half way up and down what we call "the lane" in our small town. THERE WAS TONS OF TRASH!!! Tel wanted to come home and get more bags and finish; had Earth Day not been on a school night we would have done just that, but we just couldn't.

Dax ended up enjoying the project and let me know, while we were out there, that he saw the need and was glad we did it. Tel is already a conscientious person (always preaching about "litter bugs", reminding me to get my reusable grocery bags, reusing plastic bottles, etc) and I think that he will always find "earth friendly" activities and alternatives throughout his life.

I'm glad Tel was there this morning to learn about Earth Day and pressure us into "celebrating" it. I'm curious, how did you celebrate your Earth Day?

Does no one else notice?

Does no one else notice....

the hair on the floor large enough that it may grow legs soon?
the two hampers full of clothes?
the pile of folded jeans on the couch?
the bills haven't been sent yet?
a person cannot step foot inside of the boys' playroom, literally?
the dog poop hasn't been picked up in days?
the dried mud out of shoe tread in the house?
the piles of swept up, but not sucked up, dirt in each room?
the soap scum in the shower?
the caulking that needs to be replaced around the tub?
the holes in the wall that need to be filled before they can be painted?
the repairs in the wall that haven't been painted?
the shoes in every room but bedrooms?
the lights left on in rooms that are no longer occupied?
the toothpaste that has become mortar in the sink?
the crumbs that are drawing ants?
that something could grow on what is stuck to the interior of the microwave?
the copious amount of tools inhabiting my laundry room?
the nail clippings in the sink? (I get my nails done in a salon)
the urine on the back of and behind the toilet? (I sit to urinate)

I spent the day cleaning and I mean the ENTIRE DAY and I wasn't able to rid all of these items that are tormenting me. I grew up in a home that was cleaned daily--by the inhabitants not a service. I feel so overwhelmed, hubbie tries to help but his idea of clean is to straighten up. The filth is never-ending and I am incapable of doing nothing and relaxing while I know that my house is D I R T Y! Yes, I am aware of my OCD. Have a great week and happy cleaning!