In Waiting for Deborah, our plucky redheaded heroine splashes out on some new clothes."...and always at the back of her mind was the hope that one day Sir James would come and by some lucky chance she would be wearing them." Of course Sir James comes by when she is on her knees giving the fireplace a good clean, dressed in an old dress, covered by a pinny - hair tied back and no make-up on. Of course. Because that's the way real life works. Luck just never seems to stretch that far.- Old friends that you haven't seen in ages stop by when you're in the middle of canning season.
- The ladies from church stop by just as your toddler has emptied the entire contents of a) your refrigerator b) his diaper c) the toy box d) the bookcase or e) all of the above - all over your living room floor.
- Your stylish neighbor drops by just as the cat has been sick (or incontinent) right in front of the door.
Never fails. If slings and arrows of outrageous fortune happen to fall upon you at your house, it will always do so at the most inconvenient time...just before company rings your doorbell.
I've always liked the expression, "If you want to see me, come any time. If you want to see the house, I need a week's notice..."
ReplyDeleteBut in reality, people will say they don't care when of course they -- and I -- do.
Then it's a matter of how much can I get done in the time available before guests arrive? And its ancillary question: who can I invite over, for dinner perhaps, who's worth cleaning for? (All our friends are worth cleaning for, of course.)