Today was a Roby day, Abby worked. We ate bagels for breakfast and went for a walk in the rain. We found big pieces of quartz and carried them around and sang songs and threw leaves around. I showed her how to do egg tempera and we kissed Arhcie. We watched some television and killed a plant and fed the turkeys and touched their backs. She didn’t take a nap. We had some rice for lunch and we played the piano and tried to take a nap but didn’t. Then mom got home packed up the car with lightning speed and they were off. They’re going to Massachussetts and I’m staying here to take care of the animals (including archie), work, do a bit of painting, and mostly to clean. 

As we got close to their leaving I got anxious to start. It’s not as though I’d be cleaning all night, I’m done now after only a few hours and the sun hasn’t set yet. I’ll have more to do tomorrow after church, of course, but the inside’s looking pretty good. 

But when you know you’ve got a thing to do like cleaning, you notice all the things that have got to get cleaned. Like that mirror I left outside, and the foot locker, and all the dust under the bench and the crud on the floor and the mess in the kitchen and the stairs, always the stairs, so dusty. When that list grows longer than you can keep in your head and you’re starting to forget all while you wait to begin, that can be anxiety inducing. 

But now the cleaning’s done and the girls are away and I’m between coats of mid-tone. It’ll be nice when they’re back.