The Lull Before the Storm

We hit the ground running this morning -- company's coming and there was vacuuming and mopping and waxing and any amount of spiffification to accomplish before our cousins from Florida arrive. Of course, they don't care whether everything is just so but we'd put off cleaning for a while so it feels good to have the house shiny and nice-smelling for a moment.

Now John has taken the dogs for the walk they missed earlier and I'm just sitting in the lovely cool, quiet, briefly tidy living room. They'll all be here within the hour -- three adults, one child, and a dog. Belongings will clutter the waxed surfaces, seven dogs will replenish the dust and hair that just got removed, laughter and talk and music will replace the silence, and we'll settle into a holiday weekend of catching up, exploring, and generally enjoying each other's company.

But for one brief shining moment, what a pleasure to see cleanliness and order in every room! The downstairs guest room with its white bedspread (always a temptation to Bear) is ready, as is the upstairs bedroom. Dinner is already prepared -- the old standby chicken salad and I've got raspberries and white nectarines to make that buckle I've been promising myself. One small task remains -- make some mayonnaise.

Not yet, though. A few more minutes of dolce far niente. And maybe then a brief nap.