domestic upheaval

I found a cockroach in the kitchen a couple of weeks ago. I didn’t waste time. I reported it and I had professionals come in to do a spray treatment.

It’s worse than moving. I had to remove everything from the kitchen ( in boxes in the living room.). I had tickets to a play (Richard III) at Stratford, booked in June. I had to go—for the weekend (one overnight stay). My son and his wife came in and scrubbed everything and they and I washed all the dishes, utensils. pots, everything, But they put everything back - not back— into the cupboards. I couldn’t find anything.

I couldn’t cook.

Long ago I set up my kitchen (s) according to advice from Lillian Gilbreath (Management in the Home). she and her husband were time-motion industrial engineers, full-time. .They also had a dozen children. Anyway, by that time in my life I had four very young children and I had to find more time to write. I studied Gilbreth’s home book.

Point of first use is her key directive.

Back to my kitchen: NOTHING was put back at point of first use. I had to take it all out and do it again. I’m old, though, so I have trouble reaching and lifting and standing on a step stool and getting up off the floor. Very limiting.

I do go on. Sorry.

That’s enough of that.

Well, I did look her up to tell you a little more, but her online biography is worth reading. Take a look.

try to remember--

—the end of September, when you were just a hollow fellow—

Those are not quite the lyrics at the beginning of the song by librettist Harvey Schmidt and composer Tom Jones of the musical The Fantastics. The words and their order are intricate and evocative and I have to look them up every time. But I can hum the melody and I do, a lot, in September, which, as I write, is over. (Happy October First). I enjoy my tangents. I listened to the song sung first by Jerry Orbach in—1960 when the show opened off Broadway. It kept running until ….

I KEEP DOING THIS. I have to swim, i have to have breakfast. I’ll be back.

But npt today. there’s a lot more to say and I have run out of today’s window.

Have a good night.