Sunday, December 27, 2009

End of the year preparations

Today sees me cleaning again. This is a normal, Japanese, end of the year practice. Everything must start afresh for the New Year and that includes a clean house. No spring cleaning for Japanese. It is done before January 1st!

The other day I showed a picture of the dusting being done at temples and of statues using a bamboo pole with the bamboo leaves still at the top. And as I drove to town I passed a farmhouse where the farmer and his wife were really cleaning the eaves of their house with some long bamboo poles! Sorry, couldn't stop the car to take that picture.

End of the year shopping is being done too and Tetsu and I stopped at a farmer's vegetable stand to pick up green onions, Chinese cabbage, daikon radish and carrots. Tetsu's mother is especially thrilled to get farmers' vegetables rather than supermarket vegetables so Santa's gift to her this year was a bunch of vegetables...

On Christmas Day I needed to do some shopping (for cleaning supplies) so went to the nearest household supply store. And what were the workers doing? Taking down all the Christmas lights and putting everything Christmas on sale. So I bought a few glittery stars and snowman kits.

"Good grief people. TODAY is Christmas! It doesn't go out with a bang on Christmas Eve as so many Japanese think!"

Ah well, back to cleaning. The main thing is to START! If I would just get off this computer I might make some progress. My Flylady book has come back out and I will divide my house into cleaning zones. Today I am in the dining room and entry way attacking the shelves and cubbies. Curtains will be washed. Windows too. And dusting will get done (I swear!) but not with any bamboo poles.

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