It’s spring. And my thoughts turn not to love, but to well, --- dust bunnies and spider webs: and to eradicating them. They are everywhere, hugging the ceiling fans, clogging up the heat vents, caressing the artwork on the walls. From the way that I’ve been sneezing lately I am convinced that not all of my symptoms can be contributed to the high pollen count. After all many of my sneezing fits occur inside the house.

People who know me know that while I am not a neat freak, I do however like things orderly. Everything in my house has its place. I confess I put things back in their respective homes, mainly because my memory is not what it used to be. And having to search for stuff irritates me. Because of my need for order I clean and dust like a person high on lemon Pledge.

My husband however does not suffer this affliction. The television screen in his upstairs sitting room is so thick with dust, that it is a wonder that he can see basketball or championship, Beer Chugging, or whatever sport keeps him mesmerized twenty four-seven. His idea of putting things where they are supposed to be, is throwing his dirty socks where they lay literally kissing the dirty clothes hamper, but somehow never making it all the way inside and his thinking that is close enough, and walking away and leaving them that way.

Jumping out of the bed still in my shortie nightgown I run to grab the feather duster. Tail flapping in the wind, (shirt tail) I attack the dust bunnies with a vengeance. The cobwebs are next. Although unlike the bunnies, they retaliate by attacking back, clinging ickily to my hair, arms and anyplace they can, causing me to swat them much like pesky mosquitoes or pesky flies and stamping my feet like one of those clog dancers sans clogs.

Really getting into my cleaning now, I reach for the Windex. With my finger poised over the sprayer I attack all mirror surfaces as well as other surfaces that Windex cleans. I squirt the wine colored lamps on the bedroom nightstands. The faucets on the sink are next, the crystal knobs follow. I spritz the frames that protect the Oriental and African artwork that express both my appreciation of beauty and represents my culture.  A final swishing down of everything else with Lemon scented Mr. Clean or Pine Sol completes my task. 

Vacuuming is next on my cleaning agenda. This finally causes the cats to run and hide for fear that they too may be on the list to be washed and rinsed. However I can’t start vacuuming before I sprinkle a berry scented vacuum powder, giving my carpets that ‘floating through a berry patch’ ambiance as cat hair and dead leaves from plants and other junk is sucked up into the vacuums cleaner’s innards. Boy am I tired. I sat down on my bed for minute to admire my handiwork. Outside the birds are chirping happily. Ahh Spring. I sigh: one room down, six more to go.