Anti-Pro Day (First Annual)

This morning I officially declared today, & all Mom's Day Eves hereafter in perpetuity, 'Anti-Pro Day.'  That is to say, today is a day dedicated to the systematic eradication of things we've procrastinated about for at least two months*.'  (*Note:  the two month line of demarcation is a proviso to weed out things we have merely put off, & that we will take care of before the point at which said delay becomes an embarrassment.). 

             (Mythical studio organization system I've procrastinated about forever)

Now to the topic of embarrassment, & it is this part that caused me to attach the day to Mother's Day.  

Many or most of us are not actually going to have the luxury of spending tomorrow with our Moms, for reasons ranging from simple distance to more dire.  For those of us who are as crazy about our Mom as I am (& crazy proud, as almost anyone who has had more than a one minute conversation with me would surely attest), this is rough.  Sure, we talk/text/email daily & occasionally video chat, but that is a sad substitute for working a crossword together, or counting pineapple starts in the patch (24 this year!) or group 'conversations' with us & my dog Mu,

            (Mu, procrastinating about barking)

or just being lazy & lingering at the breakfast table chatting about nothing while putting off showering. 

And I'm back 'round to procrastination. I am 53 & since no one but Mu sees my house most days, & since organization & methodical cleaning & maintenance rarely go hand in hand with creativity, I tend to let things get away from me periodically. And we're so very 'there' now.  Just coming off high season for tourism & end of year accounting cleanup at the other job, plus adding an entirely new line to From the C (gold vs silver, handmade chain links),

                         (New gold bamboo wrap aquamarine ring)

it all conspires to mean house-, body-, & car maintenance tasks have mounted up to borderline insurmountable.  

So right now, I'd be horribly embarrassed for Mom to see the state of my 'state.'  And so I decided to act like she would be here tomorrow & set about taking care of things, tout suite.  I climbed ladders & re-hung sagging curtains. I pulled all my vending equipment out of my car, cleaned & oiled it, fixed my bent tent leg so it would retract, replaced the zillion missing bolts & handle from my folding table, cleaned out my cigar box, & re-loaded the car. Now I'm going to tie a sickly orchid in the miracle-working 'hospital tree,'  wash the windows & screens, disassemble & clean the oscillating fans, & then start loading the car with things for storage or donation. 

It is cooperating & clouding up for much-needed rain & that means I can wash all the Mu linens (towels & rugs) without compunction over drought level cisterns. And then I'll shave Mu to summer cut length, bathe her & water the plants.  Then it will be time to organize my studio, move furniture & steam floors. 

Finally I want to get to an outdoor art project.  A long cinder block wall at the back of my yard wants a fresh coat of tiffany blue, followed by adding some big, boldly graphic tropical leaf shapes in my leftover paint colors. Stay tuned for that before & after. 

Anybody who knows me realizes that by writing the litany above, I have managed to procrastinate just a little longer. 

Happy Mother's Day!