I wonder why
Blackie looked so cute curled up asleep behind the pillows on my bed, but by the time I fetched the camera he woke up. He looks a bit miffed about being disturbed.The scene got me to wondering about things I do. Why do I make my bed every day when no one ever sees it? Why do I shut the bathroom door when I’m home alone? Why do I set the table for breakfast, lunch, and dinner every day when I am eating by myself?
Perhaps those are things my mother told me to do. They are just habits. I was slothful for two days recently and did not make my bed. I felt very uneasy, so I went back to my routine. The bedroom is just for sleeping and dressing. There is no TV in there. I never go in it during the day. (Well, once in a while I do take a nap in there.) I never have unexpected guests. I have summer quilts, spring quilts, and winter bed coverings. I love to have crisp, clean sheets. But, why do I make the bed every day? Maybe it is for the cat.
Labels: history, home, island life, odd facts
posted by Christine Thresh at 9:46 PM
7 Comments:
Christine, I think you hit it on the head when you said it was the way your Mom taught you. Ditto with my Mom .. but that is where you and I differ. :-)
I got lazy. I quit listening to what my Mom said in this particular instance. [grin]. The master bedroom is upstairs. It's the ONLY room upstairs. Visitors NEVER get to go upstairs. And since, like you, we only use the room for sleeping at night, I long ago decided that I rather like the idea of "airing" the bed during the day. Yeah .. that's what I'm going to call it .. "airing the bed". :-)
Now when we go to bed at night, I always straighten out the sheets and blankets so they aren't all mussed up but during the day? Nah. :-)
And if I'm the only one in the house? I don't shut the bathroom door all the way. (But don't tell anyone that!).
As far as you setting the table goes ... it's pretty and you deserve pretty. :-)
I guess it goes a lot to what we were taught - although I've seen the opposite of "taught" in some instances in families.
For me, a matter of preference - I like things tidy and it seems like my day is happier and less full of confusion when the bed is made each morning, just seems a good way to me to start the day, all tidied up. And I love to walk into the bedroom and see a quilt on the bed, and another folded at the foot - I just like tidiness.
I'm the same with the rest of the house - if we are going someplace I like to putter about and tidy everything up, wipe the counters, dishes in the dishwasher, clothes hung in the closets, clutter picked up - and then when we come home it is to a fresh and tidy house and I feel better about coming home.
On the few times when I've left the house cluttered I just hated coming back into that.
And I think your cat appreciates the attention. :-)
I've gotten halfway lazy. In my empty nest the upstairs bedroom stays much warmer than mine downstairs even with the vents closed. If I sleep downstairs I have to make the bed. If I sleep upstairs, I turn the thermostat way down to save energy. It would be my energy to make the upstairs bed, so I conserve that, too. Yes, my mom would have called it "airing", but it was only allowed once a week. With our rolling blackouts yesterday due to the ice storm, I spent lots of time under covers reading, and I'm not making any bed until it gets above freezing in Dallas!
Of course, the cat would look at you like something was wrong if you left the bed unmade!We have a former stray who is very skittish; he gets even more wary twice a year when we move the houseplants outside and then back inside. Takes him a week or two to adjust to the different surroundings.
My mother always 'aired' her bed for at least an hour after rising. I am the opposite, and must make it neat and tidy once I rise.
Cats do seem to love 'neat'.
PS I never set the table for me!
It sounds as though you have an orderly mind, and these rituals help set the scene for the day. It sounds far healthier than my habit, which is to let the house go to hell in a handbasket and live in fear of having visitors.
For some reason it is comforting to know that some people are the same whether people are watching or not. They do what is proper and just because they are alone they don't hide things under the rug. Unfortunately I'm not always that way. I am now going upstairs to make my bed. Thank you for reminding me.
Post a Comment
<< Home