The Little Mundane Bits

Y’all know I’ve been spending more time at home.

And for one obvious reason.

So maybe that’s why I’ve been paying more attention to the mundane tasks that soak up 99% of my day. (Yes, even you gainfully employed folks spend an inordinate amount of time doing the daily grind.)

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Now, I’ve had plenty of time to reflect on such things that fall on my daily “To Do” list. And even some of the tools that make corralling the tangible products of said tasks that much more manageable (and prettier).

But I’ve never really taken any real time to acknowledge a few bobbles and bits that keep me sane, clean, and in check. That I use in a mechanical, robotic way.

So, without further ado, here we go.

French Press: Thank you for being there. Without you, I probably would’ve been incarcerated long ago for smacking an a-whole, or someone of their ilk, upside their head.

Soap Dispenser: Even though you’re mass-produced and not super special, I enjoy how easy you are to use. Especially your patience in dealing with the bazillion pumps I must inflict upon you to quiet those OCD ticks. (Just don’t screw up like your cooler predecessor; otherwise, you’re kaput.)

Notepads. Whether you’re a pad permanently borrowed from an old office because the least they could’ve done was keep you constantly in our lives after such a horrible experience, or Post Its (oh, Post Its), you keep the crazy lists contained.

Kitchen Stuff. Y’all are too numerous to thank individually. But I’ll throw the spotlight on a few. First and foremost, Fiestaware, we always talk about you because we love you. And use the bejesus out of you and your Riviera and Harlequin cousins.

Fiesta teacups, y’all get a special shout-out. Because evening tea time has become a tradition in our very non-traditional household.

But every now and then, we need something stronger than tea. So, Name Your Poison Glasses, we salute thee.

And, lest we forget, the solid, possible zombie defense weapons: Cast Iron Cookware. You’re solid, sometimes finicky and labor intensive, always heavy, but so worth not ingesting all the lovely chemicals your modern counterparts contain. And you cook so evenly!

Last, but certainly not least, the one, the only, Fiestaware Knife Set! I don’t care what they (meaning Julia Child) may say about stainless steel knives, because you’re lovely (and totally worth nearly taking out a curmudgeonly elderly woman standing between us).

Now, just a few more.

Like you, Fabulous Serpentine Deco Vanity Tray. Sure, you may have had a few lines sniffed off of you in the past. Now, though, all you have to worry about is looking pretty and supporting an entire tea service nightly.

Or you, wonderfully useful Bedside Lamps that I’ve lacked for way too long. Even though Andy originally hated you both because y’all supposedly looked like you once graced a bordello, he warmed to you. Perhaps by force. Perhaps because he appreciates you now.

Finally, we’re here.

The end.

Pointing out the things I use every single day, but usually take for granted to some degree, might be slightly annoying (especially if you stayed with me through this entire post). But I think it’s these little details that make little nooks in our home that much more functional and enjoyable.

Sure, who doesn’t have a soap dispenser in their bathroom? Or a favorite set of dishware?

The thing is, we’re often so driven by our stuff–and sometimes smothered by it–that we forget why we got it in the first place. Or why it’s followed us throughout our lives.

So even if it’s a go-to chopping knife, or a fun trinket you see every single day, remember to acknowledge the bit of oomph it gives you to go about your day.

And if it doesn’t do that anymore, ask yourself if it’s time for it to find a home where it will be just that for someone else.

Because life’s too short to drown yourself in meaningless stuff.

So make sure everything that surrounds you–that creates that haven from work, from crazy social obligations, from the daily grind–helps balance you out.

So that your eyes can dance from one cherished, memory-rich piece to another.

So that you can absorb the good times wrapped up within those pieces.

So that the memories and the vehicles for them fuse to create something warm and inviting.

Something that reminds you that you’re home.