It is Dark and Quiet and Calm. I Wish it would stay that Way

I have been up for about an hour. I tried to sleep in this morning but it seems that I am just like a school child. I can not get out of bed to work but to play, I can not stay in bed. M-E has had her IV unhooked, a Zofran and will sleep for a few more hours. Lori is asleep and will remain in that state for a couple of more hours. I have made a pot of coffee, lit a couple of candles and pulled the bottom kitchen drawer out and emptied it. It is out of control so my way of handling the situation was to dump the contents, pull out the lining paper, washing out the drawer and then drinkcoffee.

I don't think I can abandon the project once I have it started. I don't think a pile of unboxed zip lock bags on the table will be acceptable to even me. My rational for not completing it right now would be that it will make too much noise for a sleeping household, the drawer needs to dry and I need to do a post since I am behind. See, I am a good lawyer. I could present equally compelling arguments why I should go back in there and finish it now.

I needed to sit and collect my thoughts and plan the day. As I lit a couple of candles this morning I realized how many of my votives have given all then can give. Only the little metal "wick holder in place thingys" are still there. I think we feel like a little metal wick holder in place thingy right now. Some use left but just about useless. Everyone knows that this is along process but we didn't know how long the process would feel. It is just so, so hard.

I know I will feel better after some rest, a bit of time away and an evening at the St. Joe's Auction. My dear friend Ruth bought me a ticket for the auction and has been very firm about my presence. I know that a good time will be had by all and I need to go out more. My reserves are limited at this point. My goal this week-end is to take a long long nap on Sunday and not spend Mary-Elizabeth's IV fund.


Lori has helped a lot by being here. She is beginning to question my complaints that we spend hours and hours at the hospital. Lori has taken M-E to two of her appointments for her Ara-C and the car is not even cold when they return to come home. Lori refuses to give up her secrets on how she accomplishes this feat but then Lori is a very straightforward and determined woman. Give her a project and she will execute it.

Lori is trying to tackle the never-ending "Oh, my God where did all the laundry come from?" issue in this house. Everyone that comes here works on the laundry. Lupe does laundry for weeks and weeks. She bleaches and washes, and folds and re-washes and folds the entire time she is here. ( I complain endlessly about excessive water use and that makes Johnny mad but then I think that our role in each other's lives is to irritate each other a bit.)

Mom comes and washes for days and days and when she has the basket empty, she starts on stuff that she thinks needs to be re-washed. She digs into the basement and no quilt or flannel sheet goes untouched. She then organizes the neighbors to go to the laundry mat to use the giant machines. Alison trays also.

Lori thinks I just need to be re-trained. She explained to me that there is a "Laundry Process". A process? She even has defined steps. How can you not just love people that can break laundry down into a process. She has been trying to instruct me in this new laundry system. There is the real challenge.


LAUNDRY SYSTEM:

1. Put the cloths in the washer. ( I knew that step but it needs to be included)
2. Transfer the cloths to the dryer.( I have that one down most of the time. When I fail, I know to leave the cloths in the washer and just do them again.)
3. Take the cloths out of the dryer. (Now I do this..........................Eventually.)

Step four is where Lori and I diverge in our methodology. I am a pile and pile again, kind of person. Lori has pointed out that dry cloths do not make good dryer covers. She suggests the next steps.

4. Fold or hang the laundry

Final and evidently the most important step:

5 Put it away.

Now that seems simple but for some reason I am genetically and completely disabled in this department. My sister Belle tried to explain to Lori that we have some sort of DSM IV disorder. Karen has been doing Belle's laundry for years. I like Belle's system better.

Well, the quiet continues. The sky is beginning to transform from dark to light, the remaining candles are doing their last best efforts and I am going to try and put away some cloths and organize my bottom kitchen drawer.