Saturday, September 19, 2009

This Too Is Love. Part 2


So when I signed off today to go clean the spider webs that were annoying Mr. Moon, I decided to just clean the whole damn porch. The idea had occurred to me last night around 1:30 a.m. so I was up for the task.

It took about fifty clean buckets full of water and vinegar, half a bottle of Fabuloso, an entire episode of Prairie Home Companion, three tapes of Dead Man's Walk and hours and hours but I did it. I scrubbed hard enough to reveal the whiteness my porch can be underneath the black dirt of Lloyd.




I washed the mermaid


and I Liquid Golded the wooden stuff



and I cleaned the tarpon that our friend Chip found in the garage of a house he either rented or bought. I can't remember.


I killed hundreds of spiders.
Sorry about that. I hated doing it, but really, the line had been crossed. It was time.

I washed the face of the Spanish doll who lives on the porch.


I set plants to root and hung them up.


I washed my hula girl.



I am blinded by the white.





It's rather nice.




And surely, Mr. Moon will know that this too, is love.

25 comments:

  1. Wow! I am completely impressed. See, I look at those pictures of that beautiful, clean porch and it makes me feel like I should be there with the family, playing music and having fun.

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  2. God. That looks so good. You've inspired me. And I just love that mermaid.

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  3. I cleaned out my closets today-- a good thing to help the moodiness, I guess.

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  4. Nola- I will not disagree.

    HoneyLuna- Well. The back porch is certainly ready. It is GORGEOUS! And cleaner than it's probably ever been since we moved in. Love you, honey.

    Elisabeth- She's one of my favorite mermaids. And that's saying something.

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  5. I love your porch!!! It's inviting and has such neat stuff, too.

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  6. Holy Shit. I am speechless. I think you probably cleaned out dirt as old as Granny.

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  7. WOW! Your porch is incredible. And so sparkly sparkly.

    You should set a sign outside and charge admission to passersby!

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  8. It looks great! I love how a space feels when it's been scrubbed. Not that I get that feeling in my own house very often...but when I do, it's a treat!

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  9. This is clearly nesting behavior - it's so nice of you to do it and allow your daughter to conserve her energy!
    The glow from your porch must have been the strange white light light I saw in the sky, near Venus, last night. (I had thought it was aliens coming to abduct me. I told them I was too old to breed, and they left.)

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  10. Joy- It's pretty much where I live.

    May- I'm pretty sure that's true.

    Ms. Jo- I think my kids would pay just to see it like this because they never have.
    And they better get here quick with their nickels because it'll be turning black again soon.

    Lora- I know. But it's such a fleeting pleasure.

    Lucy- I thought about that too. Lily could now have her baby on my back porch. And you crack me up! You told them you were too old to breed! Ha!

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  11. And I am wondering if it helped you feel better?

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  12. So shiny! It's like you're nesting too. :))

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  13. It's beautiful! What a day's work that must have been!
    And I must admit, I'm with Mr. Moon on the spider issue. I sleep better knowing they're gone, and I'm over a thousand miles from your porch!!!

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  14. Kori- Oh. You know it did.

    Nicol- I sure am.

    Sally- I took it slow and easy and it was worth it all.

    Rachel- Well, as many spiders as I know I sent to Jesus, there were plenty left, hiding in cracks. I have new webs already this morning. Sigh.

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  15. Looks great! I'm doing the same sort of thing tomorrow, but with a pressure washer. That, and really cleaning the baby's room.

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  16. That is love. And you must be feeling well chuffed with yourself.

    I love that your computer is outside.

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  17. Jon- I kept thinking yesterday that I should just move everything off the porch pressure wash. It would been faster and gotten cleaner. Oh well.

    Mwa- One of the many reasons I love living where I live.

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  18. Whoa... could I have possibly been in so much of a fog that I didn't notice this yesterday??

    It looks glorious! Hail Mary! Great job!

    xo
    pf

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  19. I love your porch! I especially dig the Mermaid.

    I thought of you and Lily all weekend. I told the Moms, when she came by on Saturday, that Ms. Moon might be a Grandma.

    Soon, soon.

    Love, SB.

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  20. I really, really love your porch. That porch is a porch you can live on.

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  21. Maggie May- It's a very cool porch.

    Ms. Fleur- I did not really start in on it until you left.

    Ms. Bastard- You'll be sitting on this porch one day. You will.

    Aunt Becky- And I do.

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Tell me, sweeties. Tell me what you think.