Recession part 2

As another recession concession, I've scaled back my cleaning ladies to once a month. I couldn't stand to get rid of them entirely. I like to clean my house - I don't mind the work. Since they've left, I've followed their plan and now spend one morning a week getting the whole house clean - usually on James' day off so he can help too.

But what I miss, and why I like the ladies, is that without them the buck stops with me. I'm ultimately responsible for keeping everything clean. If I don't do it, I can't count on anyone else picking up the slack. That's what I am - the slack picker-upper for everyone else in the house. But having the ladies come is a mental break from the fallback position for cleanliness. This, I realize now, is where my stress about a clean house really originates.

Now, it's time to wake up kids for school and start another day.

And, BTW, for those who don't live here, but who might be interested...it snowed here on the weekend, and it hasn't really warmed up much. Some June. Thus the new background.