Guest!

I was so excited as the time counted down to a visit with my friend. Each passing week was a reminder that we would soon have 24 hours together to chat and eat and wander. I could not wait. Then the weekend before her arrival came. It was like a dervish had been let loose in my house. I was scrubbing as much as I could. And, as sometimes happens at this time of year, I didn’t just do a normal cleaning I got down into the details. Spring cleaning! When you want to achieve a certain result in a tight timeframe, Spring cleaning does not fit the bill!

When I reminded my mom that my friend was arriving and I was taking a day off to spend with her, the response was, oh yes, that explains all the cleaning! Now, my mom doesn’t think I’m a slob - at least I don’t think so! She was just laughing that my full house cleaning of the weekend was related to a guest’s arrival. And she wasn’t wrong. I jokingly said maybe it’s a good topic for a blog!

So, here we are and I’m writing about preparing for a guest. I was thinking about all the times I hosted Sunday dinner when my son was growing up. We had very close friends upon whom I relied to help me as a single mom, especially given that I was a shift worker. In return I loved to host Sunday dinner, anytime that I wasn’t working. It was a great opportunity to welcome them to my house the way my son was welcome in theirs. Also, I love cooking so I loved cooking for a group of seven instead of just the two of us. And finally, it was an impetus to do a good cleaning of the house! Even the dog knew that when I got cleaning and cooking that meant his best friend was coming for dinner!

Why do I focus on cleaning prior to a friend arriving? Well, a lot of it is pride in my home. I try hard to live in a semblance of cleanliness, tidiness, and organization. It’s not always easy. I certainly don’t want to have people over if I haven’t done dishes or dusted or mopped. I remember years ago I was asked to keep plants watered at someone’s home while they were on holidays. I’ll be honest, I was absolutely shocked at the condition of the house when I first went inside. The kitchen had leftover food in it - yikes! I’ve never forgotten how it made me feel and I never want someone to walk into a similar situation in my home. That’s probably the pride part. I pride myself on having a lovely home, even though there are still numerous jobs I want to do in the house.

My house is far from perfect. There are walls in desperate need of attention - scuff marks, a few gouges, and definitely in need of fresh paint. I am taking each area, planning, prepping and doing. It’s not cheap, even paint, and I don’t want to do it multiple times. I want to pick the colours and be happy with them. It takes time and as much as the walls might really bother me, I can only do so much. It will take me a few years to feel like I’ve accomplished my plan. However, that does not mean that my house isn’t kept clean. So, why the craziness when I have a guest coming?

I think a big part of it is the desire to welcome guests. I want anyone who I embrace to feel the warmth of my home. I want them to know they are important enough that I will take the time to clean and tidy. I want them to know they matter that much to me. If someone drops by, I will still let them in even though I haven’t been cleaning like crazy! I just mean that when I’ve invited someone to come and stay, I want the house to be sparkling (to the extent it can be) and make them feel welcome.

At the time that my friend arrived, my sump pumps had been working constantly for about a week. Luckily, I’ve had lots of work done in that specific area of the house since the big flood a year ago. The plumbers have done a great job and I (knock on wood) have not had any flooding this year. Phew! So, great, right? Well, yes and no. The sump pump coming on isn’t too bad. You can hear it but it’s just a motor. The sump pump stopping is something else. It’s a big bang. At night, when the house is incredibly quiet, it can wake a person up! So that’s what I had to greet my friend - yikes!

Now, I’ve always said this house is a lived-in, functional house. It is not a show home no matter how I might have tried to make it so when I first moved in. I think it’s warm, lovely, and filled with charm. But it’s meant to be comfortable, as well. And to have that, I have to deal with certain realities, one of them being the water table levels. I’m getting there - I almost trust all the work that’s been done to keep the basement dry. The amount of water that was pumped over the week was wild. The number of times per hour that the pumps were on was also wild. So, yes, I was a little worried that my friend would be bothered by the reality of the sump pumps. I have a great friend - didn’t seem to phase her at all! (Of course, she could have been just acting kind!)

Okay, I think that’s enough about cleaning for today. The next thing that occurred to me with an incoming visitor was what do we do? She arrived on a Monday in the middle of April. This isn’t high season for our little village, although we do still have tourists. Not all of our shops are even open on Mondays and Tuesdays. Once summer hits, they will be, but it’s still early. Luckily our neighbourhood pub is open every day so we headed out to dinner and a great chat. We came back and stayed up late talking. All in an effort to get as much in as possible in our 24 hours together.

So, what did we do for the next day? We played tourist! And this is something that I wish everyone considers doing. We are used to sugar bushes, sugar camps, pancake houses, etc. in this area of the country. The middle of April this year was after the season ended but the products are still awesome and fresh. My friend comes from the west. She was so interested in seeing our locale and experiencing anything she could. So that’s what we did.

We headed out to a local sugar bush. Had a bit of brunch, toured through their onsite museums, looked at the production area, and bought a few treats. She loved it and so did I! I almost never take the time to be a tourist in my own area and I am so glad I did. On our way back we stopped in a neighbouring town and wandered their downtown core. They have lovely shops and an amazing park with a river running through it. It was a sunny day and we soaked up the atmosphere. And when we got back to my little village we did the same. We wandered through the shops that were open, went down to our little beach, and continued our visit. We had another dinner out in one of our restaurants.

I can honestly say that playing tourist in your own area is an excellent way to spend a day. Looking around through the eyes of a visitor is a great perspective. I think I have a tendency to be a bit smug or dismissive of all that we have available to us. Until I listened to my friend’s reaction I had forgotten how blessed I am to have this landscape and beauty all within easy reach. I get bogged down in a life filled with work, daily chores, cleaning, and all that encompasses my day. Taking a Tuesday to look around with fresh eyes was a huge push for my system. I felt better, I slept better, and I met the next day with an improved attitude.

Cleaning the house was a helpful physical action before my guest arrived. It made me feel good to welcome her into my home. It made me proud of what I’ve accomplished here, so far. (To be honest, her appreciation didn’t hurt!) The time we spent together touring around was a physical action that produced positive mental results. Hopefully I won’t forget all the good that came out of those 24 hours. I not only had a wonderful time with my guest, I was reminded of all the beauty that surrounds me and for which I am truly grateful.

Guests are a wonderful addition to our lives. Having someone come and stay with me is stressful and exciting. I’m really comfortable by myself in my home. I don’t often feel like I need anyone else. So, having a guest is something to look forward to, to prepare for, and to feel some stress about. The stress isn’t bad. It’s part of what keeps the energy level up - much needed for that deep cleaning! I love the preparation for a guest, especially when it’s as wonderful a friend as this guest. When my mom comes for a visit, I don’t necessarily have to think of her as a “guest”. She’s my mom and she’s here often enough that it’s not a big event. But I like thinking of her as a guest and preparing her room to make her feel comfortable and welcomed. Once my guest, whoever it is, has arrived, that’s the fun part. That’s the spending time together which is so critical for building memories and enriching life. Guests bring noise, chaos, a change in routine and wonderful moments. I cherish those times.

Only one picture this week. For months I have been looking for something different that I can use for my dish soap. My only rule was something that would go with the other “sink items”. While I was wandering with my friend through our shops I came across this little watering can. It comes from a store owned by three sisters, one of whom “names” all the items. This one is the “50 Shades of Green Watering Can”. It’s adorable. I love how it looks on my sink counter and I hope it will be one of those additions that makes any guest smile. I found it at “Nellie’s Room” and you can shop online with them at www.nelliesroom.ca.